LONDON: An incredible cast can elevate decidedly average material into something surprisingly watchable, or, in the case of new Netflix thriller “Leave the World Behind,” can make you stick with something far longer than you might otherwise. When you see actors like Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali and Ethan Hawke starring in a film by director Sam Esmail (“Mr. Robot,” “Homecoming”), it’s hard not to get swept up in all the excitement.
That enthusiasm should carry you through the first act of Esmail’s creepy, atmospheric thriller, as Amanda (Roberts) and husband Clay (Hawke) take their kids on an impromptu vacation to Long Island just as an unexplained blackout falls across New York City. Without TV, internet or phone services, the family remain blissfully unaware of the unfolding catastrophe until the owner of the house, George (Ali), arrives with his daughter and asks to take refuge.
Julia Roberts as Amanda, Ethan Hawke as Clay, Mahershala Ali as G.H. and Myha’la as Ruth in 'Leave The World Behind.' (Supplied)
As this thrown-together group learn more about the ongoing societal collapse, Esmail (who also produced the film and wrote the screenplay, adapting Rumaan Alam’s 2020 novel) uses the awkwardness of their situation to examine issues of class, racial stereotyping, modern parenting and the spread of disinformation. And yes, if you’re wondering why a group of people faced by the apocalypse might spend quite so much time having drawn-out conversations about prejudice over a drink, you’re not alone.
There’s a strange disconnect between the movie’s wonderfully chilling set pieces (the family’s attempt to drive off Long Island is derailed by a particularly unsettling encounter with an autonomous vehicle) and a seeming lack of urgency when there are literal planes falling from the sky. To that end, any and all attempts at social commentary just feel bizarrely inappropriate, no matter how smartly and thoughtfully delivered they are by the cast. Maybe the best time for Amanda to examine her unconscious bias would be after making sure both her children are safe?
While the use of the characters’ inner voices worked so well in Alam’s novel, having them articulate the same against backdrops that are, quite frankly, more interesting than the confessions of flawed human beings, feels laborious and discombobulating. “Leave the World Behind” seems to be hoping for a heady combination of action and character development — but fails to deliver either particularly well.
