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Leave the World Behind

2023

Sam Esmail

Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha'la Herrold ...

5.9

15,395

Mystery. Thriller A family vacation takes a chilling turn when two strangers show up in the middle of the night seeking refuge from a cyber-attack that is becoming more and more terrifying. In this situation, everyone must assume their role in a crumbling world.

	Media	Author	Review
		Brian Lowry CNN	"'Leave the World Behind' should trigger conversations beyond whether to hit the 'like' button. By that measure, give Esmail credit for a movie that up, down or sideways, makes it hard to look away"
		Kristen Lopez The Wrap	"A two-hour descent into chaos that is compelling and utterly terrifying (...) one of the year’s best and no doubt will spark massive amounts of conversation."
		Stephen Farber The Hollywood Reporter	"Fine performances help to bolster a problematic picture (...) You come away depressed but not entirely convinced by this film’s dire warnings about the disintegration of a divided America."
		Peter Debruge Variety	"Shyamalan-like thriller (...) this intriguing use-your-imagination thriller"
		Richard Roeper Chicago Sun-Times	"Julia Roberts a standout in impressively unnerving film with things to say about race, tech and conspiracy theories (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"
		Lillian Crawford Empire	"A starry trio and suspenseful filmmaking can’t save this apocalyptic thriller from collapsing on itsel (...) Rating: ★★ (out of 5)"
		Christian Zilko IndieWire	"Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, and Mahershala Ali star in a well-meaning ode to our better angels that contains more ideas than it can possibly address in two hours."
		Peter Bradshaw The Guardian	"[A] glossy thriller. It's an example of a growing tendency in the movies: baggy, lengthy, episodic pictures which are starting to split the difference between feature film items and streaming TV (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"
		Mick LaSalle San Francisco Chronicle	"'Leave the World Behind' is the unusual case of a film that starts out bad and gets better. So, if you find that you're already enjoying yourself, stick with it, because it definitely won't get any worse (...) Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)"
		Michael O'Sullivan The Washington Post	"Real, and scary (...) a smart apocalyptic thriller (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"
		Tim Grierson Screendaily	"A confident, entertaining thriller about two families forced to live together in the middle of nowhere as civilization collapses around them"
		Coleman Spilde The Daily Beast	"'Leave the World Behind' is blinded by its own smugness, fancying itself privy to the secrets of the human condition"
		Brianna Zigler Paste Magazine	"Esmail's sophomore feature is akin to sci-fi blockbusters of yesteryear with a light, practically Spielbergian touch and sense of adventure"
		Rodrigo Perez The Playlist	"[It] isn’t as perfect as its best-written moments (...) But as a wicked, playful, tension-filled, and alarming treatise on humanity (...) Oh boy, the worst apocalypse one can imagine is of our own making, and it might just compel you to start building your bunker now"
		David Fear Rolling Stone	"[It] is the ultimate Apocalypse-Karen movie"
		Chris Bumbray JoBlo	"A frustratingly uneven post-apocalyptic drama that crumbles under the weight of its self-importance"
		Robbie Collin Telegraph	"Julia Roberts has her best role in years in this enthralling home-invasion thriller (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Gary M. Kramer Salon	"[It] builds slowly to a small denouement, not a big awesome moment, an approach that may frustrate viewers looking for answers. It is best to just appreciate each odd scene for what it is"
		Pete Hammond Deadline	"In chilling disaster movie (...) Myha’la is excellent as the feisty millennial"
		Steven Scaife Slant	"An apocalypse thriller that thinks it’s smarter than it is (...) Rating: ★½ (out of 4)"
		Siddhant Adlakha IGN	"Despite a highly capable cast that plays each thematic note on cue, 'Leave the World Behind' buckles under the weight of its expanding scale and its many malformed ideas"
		Graeme Guttmann Screen Rant	"[It] is a thrilling work of apocalyptic tension, utilizing a stellar cast & Netflix budget to widen the breadth of the novel (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		John Serba Decider	"'Leave the World Behind' is shameless manipulation that wields provocation like a shotgun blast. It drove me nuts"
		Romey Norton Ready Steady Cut	"Whilst the film understands the general mechanics of the post-apocalyptic genre, it is lacking in action (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"
		Clarisse Loughrey The Independent	"America's sweetheart [Julia Roberts] has sprinted over to the dark side, and it's a thrill to see what she does with it (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"

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