Leave the World Behind

'Tis the current climate (environmental, and political) for another round of end-of-the-world doom. In 2021, Netflix delivered in the form of 'Don't Look Up' - a surprisingly good and somewhat profound take on society's indifference towards the end days.

In 2023, Netflix delivers again with a slightly different take, where society, or the very, very tiny sliver of it we see represented here, are VERY concerned about the doom & gloom that appears to be taking over their lives.

'Leave the World Behind' feels very reminiscent of the cinematic efforts from Jordan Peele, with an air of mystery consistent from beginning to end, with questions unanswered and some sort of doom permeating throughout, along with the feeling that you may just walk out of the theater (or off your couch) with more uncertainty than you started with.

Usually I wouldn't find this sort of film one where Julia Roberts had the potential to excel in, and that's part of why I was somewhat hesitant looking forward to this, despite loving apocalyptic, doomsday fun! However I was pleasantly surprised not necessarily by her performance, but how she fit in with, and supported the rest of the cast - which worked for me. Kevin Bacon, Ethan Hawke, Mahershala Ali and Myha’la Herrold round out the cast - and it just works.

Not amazing, not even really thought-provoking, if that's what the filmmakers were looking for. But I think that's why it worked for me. This was less a "warning" of potential doom, with all the preachiness that can come with it, and more just an entertaining and well-executed "popcorn flick" - with a little bit of thinking involved. If that's what you're looking for right now, I think it's a solid choice and watch.