I have to admit, I only watched Leave the World Behind because I’m a fan of Julia Roberts, and I haven’t seen her in a new movie in a while. I was tired of rewatching her old classics, so I decided to try this new Netflix film.

I didn’t know much about it, except that it was based on a novel by Rumaan Alam and that it’s a thriller about two families facing a mysterious crisis. This article contains spoilers, so watch at your own discretion.

The movie stars Julia Roberts as Amanda, a successful but cynical woman who rents a luxurious house on Long Island with her husband Clay (Ethan Hawke) and their two kids, Archie (Charlie Evans) and Rose (Farrah Mackenzie). Their vacation is interrupted by the arrival of G.H. (Mahershala Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Myha’la Herrold), who claim to be the house owners and seek refuge from a blackout in the city. The two families are forced to coexist in an uneasy and suspicious atmosphere as they try to figure out what is happening in the world and how to survive. The movie has five parts, each with a different title and focus.

The first part, The House, introduces the characters and their backgrounds and establishes the story’s premise. The second part, The Curve, shows the first signs of trouble, such as a cyberattack, a plane crash, and a flock of flamingos. The third part, The Noise, explores the psychological and physical effects of the crisis, such as tooth loss (in Archie’s case). The fourth part, The Flood, exposes the confusion and misinformation that the characters receive from various sources, such as radio, phone, and text messages. The fifth and final part, The End, reveals how we all will be pissed after knowing what the ending will be. Lol.

At first, I was intrigued by the movie, as it seemed to have a lot of potential and mystery. I liked the contrast between the idyllic and the chaotic, the privileged and the marginalized, and the human and the natural. I also enjoyed the actors’ performances, especially Julia Roberts and Mahershala Ali, who delivered tense, emotional, and fun scenes ( Picture Julia Roberts dancing awkwardly to an old 90s hip hop tune). However, as the movie progressed, I became increasingly frustrated and disappointed by the lack of answers and explanations. There were so many things that bothered me about the film, and here are the top five:

What’s the piercing noise about?

Throughout the movie, a recurring motif of a loud and piercing noise causes the characters to cover their ears and feel pain. The noise seems related to the crisis, but they never explained what it is, where it comes from, or what it means. Is it a signal, a weapon, or a warning? Is it natural, artificial, or supernatural? Is it affecting only the characters, or the whole world? The movie never tells us and leaves us with a headache and a question mark.

What’s the relevance of the T.V. series Friends?

Another recurring motif in the movie is the T.V. series Friends, which Rose is obsessed with. She is frustrated that she cannot watch the series finale due to the lack of internet and T.V. After reading several reviews about the film, I discovered that Friends represents the idealized and nostalgic image of the pre-crisis world, where everything is simple, funny, and friendly. It also contrasts with the reality of the post-crisis world, where everything is complex, scary, and hostile.

1. What’s with the presence of animals?
3. Another strange and unexplained phenomenon in the movie is the presence of animals, such as deer and flamingos, that appear in unusual places and numbers. The film implies that the animals are somehow affected by the crisis and are trying to communicate or warn the characters. Are they fleeing, migrating, or invading? Are they natural, mutated, or alien? The movie does not tell us and leaves us with wonder and confusion. According to research, the animal’s presence in the film represents an ominous warning from Mother Nature that something is wrong. Do you know how it is when dogs bark loudly, birds fly all over, and insects swarm everywhere when an earthquake approaches? It’s kind of similar.

1. Why did Archie’s teeth fall out? One of the movie’s most disturbing and shocking scenes is when Archie, the son of Amanda and Clay, loses his teeth upon waking up from a fever. The film shows him spitting out blood and pulling his teeth with his fingers. The movie does not explain why this happens or what it means. Is it a symptom of a disease or a result of radiation? Is it related to the crisis, or is it a coincidence? Eventually, an answer from Danny seemed to connect, implying something about radiation from microwaves that also happened in Cuba sometime ago.

1. Who was G.H. referring to in his story about an influential friend? Is it Elon Musk? One of the movie’s most intriguing and mysterious scenes is when G.H. tells Amanda a tale about his influential friend who has a cabal of evil friends. G.H. also told Clay about the enemy government’s plan for destabilization, which involved three steps. The first stage is isolation, the second stage is synchronized chaos, and the third is “coup d’etat” or civil war, all happening at that time. But there seems to be a solution to all this with the presence of Thorne’s bunker, which can protect all of them from what’s happening outside. This particular bunker sets the final scene where Rose escapes from the house, takes a bike, and finds Thorne’s home. She saw the bunker, which held the thing most important to her at that time – the DVD of Friends, where she was able to watch the season finale. The credits rolled with the theme song of Friends playing in the background. 

Now, I’m thinking, Rose went back to the time when internet was not yet as relied upon and we only rely on DVD’s, which was pretty nostalgic and at the same time making you desire to go back to that uncomplicated time. These are just some of the things that bothered me about the movie, and there are many more. The film was trying to be too clever and mysterious, but it ended up being too vague and confusing. However, the movie also challenged me to think about what’s happening today and what could happen in the future. The film made me reflect on isolation, fear, trust, and survival and how they affect our relationships and decisions. Eventually, after much thought, I realized what if the future holds for all of us involved in all these kinds of madness, and we will all be questioning things and grasping at straws. I think the film is trying to prepare us for what’s coming. Do you think so too? After watching the movie, I rewatched it twice to decipher what was happening. I also read reviews online to know what others think about the film. I discovered that the movie had mixed reactions and that some people loved it, while most hated it. I also found out that the movie is different from the novel and that it changes some details and endings. I have not read the book, but I am curious how it compares to the movie. In conclusion, Leave the World Behind is a movie that bothered me more than it thrilled me. It had a lot of potential and mystery, but it also had a lot of flaws and gaps. For people who want an uncomplicated story, this is not for you, so be wary.