In the upcoming Netflix apocalyptic thriller, ‘Leave the World Behind,’ an A-list cast including Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Kevin Bacon, Myha’la and Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali headline the film. Directed by the critically acclaimed Sam Esmail, known for his groundbreaking work on ‘Mr. Robot,’ the film promises a gripping narrative that delves deep into character dynamics amidst a world in chaos.
The storyline revolves around Amanda, portrayed by Roberts, and her husband Clay, played by Ethan Hawke. The couple, along with their children, embark on a serene weekend getaway, only to have their tranquility shattered by the unexpected arrival of two strangers in the dead of night. These newcomers, G.H. (Mahershala Ali) and his daughter Ruth, bring with them unsettling news of a mysterious cyberattack that has thrown the world into disarray.
“The disaster genre is one of my favorite genres, and the trick that we did in this film that differs from most disaster films is that in that genre, the focus—the priority of the storytelling—is on the set pieces,” Esmail recently told Vanity Fair. “It’s on the spectacle of whatever the disaster might be for that story, and the characters were secondary to that.”
Esmail continues, “They’re more there to react and become the audience avatar. What I think Rumaan did so well in the novel, and what I tried to capture in the film is to invert that and make the focus be on the characters, and their reaction. The spectacle of the disaster is secondary and off in the distance.”
“Leave the World Behind” is adapted from the National Book Award-nominated novel by Rumaan Alam. The film is set to make its debut in select theaters on November 22, followed by a worldwide premiere on Netflix on December 8.
