There have been a lot of movies over the years that have had a theme of the world is about to end. Even Netflix, which is the streaming home of Leave the World Bhind has had its fair share of these types of films. Does Bird Box or its sequel Bird Box Barcelona ring and bells?  Bird Box had Sandra Bullock at its center as the starring actor. This film has a lot more star power than that film had and it asks a lot of questions of its audience watching at home on the streaming service.

Amanda (Julia Roberts) Clay and their two children Rosie (Farrah MacKenzie) and Archie (Charlie Evans) Sandford seem like a nice family from the big city of New York. They are getting things for an impending vacation. They pull into their Airbnb and it’s a nice departure from their lives in the big city. Just when they start to settle in they get a knock at the door from a man G H Scott (Mahershala Ali) or “George” as he likes to be called and his daughter Ruth (Myha’la Herrold) They claim the house the family is staying in is theirs. This starts the story off and running.

Similar in a way to Knock at the Cabin the strangers or supposed house owners tell a story to get the family to let them in and eventually, they do but with a lot of trepidation. After this, a lot of strange things start to happen. Deer show up in the backyard, flamingos fly into the pool, and all the electrical devices in the house, including phones stop working. The television shows an emergency message concerning the family and the others before they stop working as well. These are all classic signs of the start of a post-apocalyptic world.

Sam Esmail adapts this story from the book by Rumaan Alam. So it makes sense that there are chapters similar to a book showing the various stages of this event. Six chapters were enough to separate all the various events into stages. As the film progresses there is a political agenda that pops up within the context of the story. The director, writer, and producers, including Roberts, have a clear message that they want to portray for viewers. As a person that is worried about the world around me for years, I was floored by the ending result of the film. Not the actual ending but where the main story went overall.

Julia Roberts is considered one of the best actresses in the world. She has been in a lot of great films in her forty-year or so career. Pretty Woman, Erin Brokovich, and the Ocean’s Trilogy plus many more. If late she’s been a bit selective in her choices of what projects to work on. She usually works opposite directors or actors she’s familiar with. The fact that she was a producer on this movie allowed her to attract some good supporting players and the material was important to her. She gives a good performance opposite some other big-name actors.

Mahershala Ali has won two Academy Awards for his accepting work in Moonlight and Green Book. He has appeared in season three of True Detective and is very selective in the things he acts in. On the same lines as Roberts. He is in a tough spot; he doesn’t know if he should tell the family about what he knows about what’s going on but he also has to think about his daughter. She is worrying about her mother and she is smarter than she lets on. He wants to confide in this family but he’s torn. Ali as always is frantic in this role. He is very stoic and keeps his emotions to himself. That causes issues of trust and so forth. He is very good opposite Roberts.

Leave the World Behind starts as the beginning of a post-apocalyptic thriller and turns into a message about strife in our country.  Sam Esmail does a superb job adapting the novel of the same name by Rumaan Alam.  He creates genuine dread. The performances by Roberts and Ali are top-notch. The younger actors are good as well, especially Herrold. This is a film any red-blooded American should see no matter what side of the aisle you sit on. It has to be seen by as many people as possible. Maybe people get something out of watching it. It’s an amazing film. Whether you agree with its agenda or not. 

4 ½ stars

Dan Skip Allen