‘Leave the World Behind’ movie review: This Julia Roberts apocalyptic chiller is leisurely and lethal  

‘Leave the World Behind’ is a slow-burn thriller that follows a family of four who are forced to confront their prejudices when a well-dressed black man and his daughter knock on their door. With Roberts, Hawke, Ali, and Bacon, the movie is beautifully acted and directed by ‘Mr. Robot’'s Sam Esmail. It's a "What if" scenario that is not too fantastic to be beyond the realms of probability.

The one book you would take with you in an apocalyptic scenario (after stocking up on water filtration tablets and dry food, obviously) has now morphed into shows. In Leave the World Behind, Rose (Farrah Mackenzie), the 13-year-old daughter of Amanda (Julia Roberts) and Clay (Ethan Hawke) Sandford, is bingeing Friends.

Amanda, an ad exec, decides one fine morning she does not really like people and decides to rent a remote, luxurious house on Long Island for an impromptu holiday. Amanda finds the listing “leave the world behind” attractive.  Clay, a media studies professor, goes along with Amanda’s plan, as always, and soon the family of four, including the 16-year-old son, Archie (Charlie Evans), are bowling along quiet country lanes, having left the city behind.  

On the last episode on Friends, Rose realises to her horror there is no Wifi and she has no idea what will happens to Rachel and Ross. Amanda goes to town to stock up on food and the family spend a relaxed time at the beach before rushing away in shock as an oil tanker inexplicably runs aground.  

Also Read: Ethan Hawke and Julia Roberts face the apocalypse in ‘Leave the World Behind’

After dinner, Rose and Archie go to bed while Amanda and Clay relax over Jenga and wine and then there is a knock on the door. As they reluctantly open the door, they see a well-dressed Black man and a young Black woman. The man introduces himself as G.H. (Mahershala Ali) and the woman as his daughter, Ruth (Myha’la).  

G.H. says he is the owner of the house and was corresponding with Amanda over renting it. G.H. and Ruth were returning from a concert when there was a blackout in the city. Not wanting to drive with traffic lights not working and climbing 14 floors to their town apartment with dicky knee, G.H. decided to drive to their country home and hope the Sandfords would put them up for the night. 

Amanda is distrustful of the two, with no way of confirming their story of a blackout as the Wifi is out. Clay is more trusting and feels it is right that the two should stay at home, at least till morning when there would be more clarity.