A family vacation on Long Island is interrupted by two strangers bearing news of a blackout. As the threat grows, both families must decide how best to survive the potential crisis, all while grappling with their own place in this collapsing world.
Director: Sam Esmail
Cast: Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha'la, Kevin Bacon, Farrah Mackenzie, Charlie Evans
Release Date: November 22, 2023
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Rated R for language, some sexual content, drug use and brief bloody images.
Runtime: 2h 21m
Sam Esmail's adaptation of the 2020 novel of the same name, Leave the World Behind, is perfectly suited to his particular brand of unsettling and unnerving style. Anyone familiar with Esmail's Mr. Robot will feel a certain air of familiarity with the approach to this material which traffics in similar themes and subject matters as his signature show. His ability to frame shots and sequences in off kilter ways gives the entire film an unbalanced feel from the start with even mundane moments giving off a sense that something is off. There's a methodical approach to the action and reveals which may test some viewer's patience but those willing to go with the flow he establishes will get wrapped up in the general air of confusion and unease that the characters experience. This approach gives the film's more kinetic moments, particularly a sequence in the woods that makes great use of sound design to create an unnerving moment. It all works because the director and cast are perfectly in tune from the opening sequence through its finale which is sure to upset more than a handful of viewers. Julia Roberts leads the cast, clearly relishing the chance to play against type as a cynical and vaguely racist wife who sets up the initial trip. Ethan Hawke is solid as her aloof, easy going husband. The pair have believable chemistry together as a couple who've been together for a long time with power structures clearly established. Mahershala Ali is just as good with a more understated, measured approach as someone who's trying to keep everything even keeled in the face of impending doom. Roberts and Ali share some wonderful moments together which allow each performer to show off their talents. Myha'la steals a handful of a scenes during the film as Ali's acerbic daughter. Farrah Mackenzie and Charlie Evans end up on the other end with unwritten characters who never register on the same level as everyone else mainly due to being underwritten and mostly uninteresting archetypes. Kevin Bacon has a small but memorable scene, but you get the sense that the film could have made better use of him throughout. It’s a minor issue which is easy to overlook because of the level of craftmanship that Sam Esmail delivers paired with strong performances from his A list cast makes Leave the World Behind a fascinating, apocalyptic mystery thriller.
A-
