The latest movie to cause a stir on Netflix is “Leave the World Behind,” a disaster thriller directed by “Mr. Robot” creator Sam Esmail. Starring Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke, the film has left audiences split over its ambiguous ending.
Based on Rumaan Alam’s 2020 novel, the movie follows two families who are forced to cohabit in a luxurious rental home on Long Island as society quickly unravels after a calamitous event rocks the city. The film explores the breakdown of technological infrastructure and the mysterious circumstances surrounding the disaster.
The ending of the film, which does not provide closure and leaves viewers wondering what exactly happened, has drawn criticism from some viewers who complained it was “too abrupt.” This departure from Alam’s novel has also sparked debate among fans.
In a new interview with Variety, Alam addressed Esmail’s ending, calling it “so satisfying.” He notes that the ambiguous conclusion is a reflection of Esmail’s work as a filmmaker and asserts something about the power of the medium and its hold over one character.
While the film has quickly risen to the No 1 spot on Netflix, it currently has an audience score of just 42 per cent on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with viewers lodging similar complaints.
“Leave the World Behind” is available to stream on Netflix now, and it seems that the heated discussions and controversies surrounding the film’s ending are not likely to fade away anytime soon.