I should have trusted Sam Esmail. He’s the showrunner of Mr. Robot, and in his feature debut, Netflix-produced “Leave the World Behind,” he’s so good at creating a sense of dreaded paranoia.
At first, this apocalyptic thriller sounds like something M. Night Shyamalan would conjure up, and, on-paper, it eerily resembles this past year’s “Knock at the Cabin.” That’s where the comparisons should end. Esmail’s film is miles better, invoking Hitchcockian vibes that rarely relent. Based on the novel by Rumaan Alam, “Leave the World Behind” is confidently terrifying.
The film follows Amanda and Clay (Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke), a couple who decide to leave their Brooklyn home, with their two children, for a weekend vacation in Long Island. Things quickly go bump in the night when the owner of the house they’ve rented, played by Mahershala Ali, with his daughter (Ruth Washington), knocks on their door in the late evening.
He tells them that there is a blackout in New York City and requests to stay with the family. Amanda and Clay will be reimbursed, it’s no problem, they just need shelter. Amanda suspects he’s lying. Clay disagrees, it’s this man’s home after all.
Maybe that’s all you need to know about Esmail’s film because bizarre doesn’t even begin to describe the mysterious atmosphere that surrounds this film. Characters start to question each other’s motivations, just as the world, supposedly, is burning up outside, in the big cities.
There’s a destabilizing nature to Esmail’s film, told in five chapters, for a total runtime of 140 minutes. It never really lags. The pacing is deliberately patient, letting the viewer wonder what exactly is going on. There’s no way to communicate, all systems are down. That’s really where the Hitchcockian comparisons come in.
Much like Hitch’s best films, there’s a minimal number of locations, characters who aren’t very trustworthy, darkly-lit sequences, mistaken identities, and tons of MacGuffins. It’s pulled off with wonderfully controlled visuals on the part of Esmail.
Roberts gives her best performance in ages as Amanda, a woman deeply resentful of humanity who can’t see the good in anybody, save for her family. She’s in no way welcoming to the two strangers who show up at their own home for shelter. Rather, skepticism and paranoia fills her every bone. She might also be a racist, although it’s never explicitly confirmed, it’s all just subtle undertones.
The scenes between Roberts and Washington are fascinating, stingily detailed with dialogue that oozes feudal tension. Roberts’ bottled up anger is complemented by Washington’s passive aggressive attitude. Best of all is Ali, a consummate actor who brings constant empathy to his role, even when the main protagonist constantly suspects his actions. Also, is Roberts’ character falling for him?
Esmail’s screenplay is reality-based, so you do feel as though almost every moment can happen in our world. As our characters are tormented by what might be going on, they can’t ever be sure — their phones have no service, tv channels are not working, which fills them, and us, with numerous theories. Was it a terrorist attack? Iran? North Korea? Russia?
The answer, revealed in the last few minutes, is a surprising one and will get people talking. I’m not sure if I bought it, but it did get a rise from me. It’s definitely the weakest section of the film, but it still provokes something in you.
That’s the thing about “Leave the World Behind,” it constantly fascinates, continuously exuding a feeling of unease. It’s well-acted, well-crafted and says something about the current state of the world, not to mention our overreliance to technology. In the film civilization collapses and it’s rarely felt this real. [B+]
Netflix will release “Leave the World Behind” on December 8.