Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Pessimistic but intense, gripping end-of-the-world thriller.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Leave the World Behind
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 13 parent reviews
Based on 17 kid reviews
Kids say the film showcases strong acting, impressive cinematography, and gripping musical elements, but it ultimately disappoints due to an underwhelming and confusing ending. The movie is filled with strong language and mature themes, leading to mixed feelings about its appropriateness for younger viewers, while many felt that the plot took unnecessary detours without delivering a satisfying resolution.
- good acting
- confusing plot
- strong language
- disappointing ending
- engaging cinematography
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND, Amanda (Julia Roberts) and Clay Sandford (Ethan Hawke) take their teen children, Archie (Charlie Evans) and Rose (Farrah Mackenzie), to a remote, luxurious rental house for a late-summer getaway. But their relaxing time takes a turn when the internet goes down and all of their devices stop working. Then, G.H. Scott (Mahershala Ali) and his daughter, Ruth (Myha'la) -- the owners of the rental house -- arrive. They're apologetic but also in need of a place to stay. Clay welcomes them, but Amanda doesn't trust them. Stranger things continue to happen, including a random screeching noise, unusual animal behavior, mysterious flyers dropped from a drone, and self-driving cars causing pileups. Things become serious when the word "cyberattack" comes fleetingly across a fuzzy radio broadcast and when Archie comes down with a frightening illness. They have no choice but to go to survivalist Billy (Kevin Bacon) for help.
Is It Any Good?
Making crafty use of editing, music, and composition, this pessimistic thriller is more about human flaws than anything thrilling, but it's so well made that it easily catches us in its grip. Adapted from the same-named novel by Rumaan Alam and written and directed by Sam Esmail -- creator of the TV shows Homecoming and Mr. Robot -- Leave the World Behind feels lean and taut, even at an ample 141 minutes. It doesn't waste time overexplaining or showing anything that doesn't need to be shown. Many moments -- including an early scene in which an oil tanker slowly, slowly heads toward a populated beach -- feel startlingly fresh. Another sequence expertly cuts back and forth between three events as characters explore their surroundings and each tries to figure out what's going on. The tension mounts so perfectly that it's exciting.
The performances by everyone involved are superb, sharp without being hysterical. The dialogue is equally strong, as it unpacks the meaning of all this harrowing mystery. It essentially boils down to human beings' relationships with technology and with other human beings, and the conclusion is that we can be rather awful to each other. But Leave the World Behind knocks us for a loop with its just-right ending scene, ironically both brutal in its commentary and a bit comforting as well.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Leave the World Behind's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
How are drinking, smoking, and drugs depicted? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
How do the Black characters and White characters view one another? Do they seem to buy into preconceived notions or stereotypes?
What's compelling about the end-of-the-world movie genre? What can we learn about ourselves from stories like these?
What are some of the movie's themes? What do you think it's really about?
Movie Details
- In theaters : November 22, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : December 8, 2023
- Cast : Mahershala Ali , Julia Roberts , Ethan Hawke
- Director : Sam Esmail
- Inclusion Information : Middle Eastern/North African Movie Director(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Middle Eastern/North African Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Thriller
- Topics : Book Characters
- Run time : 141 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language, some sexual content, drug use and brief bloody images
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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