“Leave the World Behind” is a apocalyptic psychological thriller based on the 2020 novel of the same name.
So let’s dive into some trivia and facts about the film.
- Leave the World Behind is a 2023 American apocalyptic psychological thriller film
- It is written, directed and produced by Sam Esmail
- It is based on the 2020 novel of the same name by Rumaan Alam
- The film stars Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la, and Kevin Bacon
- They attempt to make sense of the gradual breakdown in phones, television and technology which points to a potential cataclysm
- Roberts also produced the film
- Leave the World Behind had its world premiere at the AFI Fest on October 25, 2023
- It was released in select theaters on November 22, 2023
- Before its streaming release by Netflix on December 8, 2023
- Netflix won a bidding war for the rights to the novel in July 2020, with Sam Esmail attached to write and direct
- Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington were set to star in and produce the film
- In September 2021, Mahershala Ali had been cast in the film
- Replacing Washington who had exited by that point
- Ethan Hawke and Myha’la Herrold joined in January 202
- Filming began in April 2022 on Long Island
- Filming took place in a home designed by The Up Studio
- There was additional filming in Katonah, New York on May 19, 2022
- Leave the World Behind had its world premiere as the opening film of the AFI Fest on October 25, 2023
- With the cast unable to attend due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike
- On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 74% rating
- Based on 98 critics’ reviews
- With an average rating of 6.8/10
- The website’s consensus reads: “An exceptionally well-acted apocalyptic thriller, Leave the World Behind steadily draws the viewer in despite its leisurely pace and somewhat simplistic messaging”
- Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 67 out of 100
- Based on 33 critics, indicating “generally favorable” reviews
