LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND
Theatrical release: December 8, 2023
Duration: 2h18
Director: Sam Esmail
Main actors: Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke
Synopsis: A family who dreamed of a break in a luxurious rental house plunges into chaos after a cyberattack that neutralizes all devices – and the irruption of two strangers.
Released December 8, 2023 on Netflix, Leave the world behind is adapted from the novel of the same name by Rumaan Alamest.
The film is directed by Sam Esmail who worked on the series Mr Robot who had praised the canvas. The film tells the story of a couple who want to take a break and decide to rent a house for a weekend. But once there, strange events will happen one after the other. This film brings together actors known as Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, or Kevin Bacon in a supporting role.
The film is reminiscent of style Night Shymalan in the sense that it combines subjectivity and strange events following one another without any apparent connection. One of these films were The Happening. Night Shyamalan then played on the ambiguity of situations to lose the viewer and put him on the wrong track. But The World After also makes us think of another film by the master of suspense: Signs which reinvented the science fiction and extra-terrestrial invasion film by focusing on the fear of the protagonists in the face of a situation that was beyond their control. Anxious atmosphere is one of the appreciated features of the film.
In the world after us, the main characters feel just as destabilized by a situation that has nothing in common. The Stanford family no longer has access to the communications network: the Internet and landline and mobile phones no longer respond, and therefore cannot contact anyone. Even the terrestrial radio no longer works and it is therefore impossible to get news from outside. Something is wrong and it's worrying. The owners will reinforce this thesis by coming to see their tenants to try to make them understand that they are better off and safer in this house. Which will add a little more mystery and questions about what is happening around them.
I really enjoyed the film because several themes are covered. Dependence on technologies, solidarity but also the survival instinct. Two characters reflect one of the aspects of the film: anxiety and paranoia. Amanda Standford (Julia Roberts) and Ruth Scott (Myha'la Herrold) are portrayed in the film as people who are wary of appearances.
The film is also not simply a disaster movie (if it can be called that). He explains to us that in such cases, it is important to come together so as not to sink into chaos and panic in the face of a situation that is beyond our control. To be able to trust ourselves because society requires us to stay on our guard and only trust ourselves. To the point of becoming paranoia in some people. This is the strength of this film which does not give pride of place to explosions like in the films of Roland Emmerich. Here, everything goes through the psychology of the characters.
Dependence on technology is also addressed in this film which shows us that we no longer know how to do without it. How can we then react accordingly if we no longer have a way of getting news from the outside world?
The film was produced by High Ground, a production company founded by Barack and Michelle Obama. Barack Obama who had already produced animal documentaries for Netflix. If the former president was able to instill his vision of things for the film, I would still have a comment to make about the ending of the film: It leaves us wanting more and could have had a more developed ending. But despite some small flaws, the film remains above most Netflix productions. So watch.
