Leave the World Behind (2023)

[spanky87]

41.7M views on Netflix

https://deadline.com/2023/12/leave-t...gs-1235665140/

I’m surprised the ending seems to be so divisive and that some people think it ruins the movie. Ali’s monologue toward the end gives enough of an explanation to the likely cause of everything, and then

[Show spoiler] the girl finds the bunker which means the characters will be safe for the time being. And it’s just hilarious that it ends with the girl finally able to see the last episode of Friends and taking comfort in media as the world around her is being destroyed.

[cinemaphile]

Originally Posted by spanky87

I’m surprised the ending seems to be so divisive and that some people think it ruins the movie. Ali’s monologue toward the end gives enough of an explanation to the likely cause of everything...

yeah, nothing like ending the movie with just a monologue, much less just one character's theory about what is happening.

Originally Posted by spanky87

I was thoroughly entertained by it, and any movie where Julia Roberts dances is a winner in my book

but she danced so BADLY!
...which reminds me, while I loved the score to this movie, the songs used throughout were odd choices that didn't really work for me. Even in the first 10 minutes of the movie I was already thinking that.

Originally Posted by drb999

I think that sound was really freaking out the animals which is why they were acting weird.

but weren't they already acting weird before the first occurrence of the noise?

[spanky87]

Originally Posted by cinemaphile

yeah, nothing like ending the movie with just a monologue, much less just one character's theory about what is happening.

Anti-climatic and unexpected maybe, but I do think it provides enough of a resolution as to not be ruinous. Ali’s explanation makes sense and aligns with how things transpired. He had some intel so he didn’t completely pull it out of his ass. And we know what the character’s fates will be for the time being.

I guess it depends how funny you find the last scene to be, but I still find it surprising the audience reactions toward it seems skewed toward the negative.

[spanky87]

Can we all agree that Mahershala Ali’s daughter was the most unlikeable character of the bunch? Such an obnoxious brat the whole way through, and it was bizarre how she claimed Ethan Hawke’s character was hitting on her when no such thing happened. He was taken aback when she was asking him rude questions about sleeping with students.

I know Julia Roberts character was meant to resemble a “Karen” and be unlikeable as well (at least intitally), but she’s played by Julia Roberts who just oozes charisma.

[drb999]

Originally Posted by cinemaphile

yeah, nothing like ending the movie with just a monologue, much less just one character's theory about what is happening.

but she danced so BADLY!
...which reminds me, while I loved the score to this movie, the songs used throughout were odd choices that didn't really work for me. Even in the first 10 minutes of the movie I was already thinking that.

but weren't they already acting weird before the first occurrence of the noise?

The noise could’ve occurred somewhere else earlier farther away and the animals ran to get away from it.

Originally Posted by spanky87

Anti-climatic and unexpected maybe, but I do think it provides enough of a resolution as to not be ruinous. Ali’s explanation makes sense and aligns with how things transpired. He had some intel so he didn’t completely pull it out of his ass. And we know what the character’s fates will be for the time being.

I guess it depends how funny you find the last scene to be, but I still find it surprising the audience reactions toward it seem skewed toward the negative.

It would’ve worked better for me as a mid or post credit scene. It just felt jarring from the more serious tone of the movie.

Originally Posted by spanky87

Can we all agree that Mahershala Ali’s daughter was the most unlikeable character of the bunch? Such an obnoxious brat the whole way through, and it was bizarre how she claimed Ethan Hawke’s character was hitting on her when no such thing happened. He was taken aback when she was asking him rude questions about sleeping with students.

That was weird and yeah she was a brat. All the children were. Don’t get me started on the creepy mean son.

[spanky87]

Originally Posted by drb999

That was weird and yeah she was a brat. All the children were. Don’t get me started on the creepy mean son.

Ya, taking pictures of a woman like that is creepy no matter what age you are, but he was more on the periphery throughout the film so didn’t bother me as much.

I had never seen that actor and thought he would be a good fit to play a young Ben Solo/Kylo Ren, but apparently he’s already in his 30s!

The girl just wanted to finish her show that she was emotionally invested in, and I could relate to that.

[drb999]

Originally Posted by spanky87

Ya, taking pictures of a woman like that is creepy no matter what age you are, but he was more on the periphery throughout the film so didn’t bother me as much.

I had never seen that actor and thought he would be a good fit to play a young Ben Solo/Kylo Ren, but apparently he’s already in his 30s!

The girl just wanted to finish her show, and I could relate to that.

Definitely. I just wish she had been less obnoxious about it.

Also the son was pleasuring himself looking at the pictures of the girl. Ugh.

[spanky87]

Originally Posted by cinemaphile

but she danced so BADLY!

It was, but it felt true to a drunk middle-aged woman vibing to r&b.

For those that want to relive this greatness:

Julia Roberts (Amanda) Dancing with Mahershala Ali (George GH) - Leave the World Behind - YouTube

And a shoutout to last years Julia Roberts dance scene:

Ticket To Paradise | Clip - Everybody Dance Now - YouTube

[drb999]

I thought the dancing was fine. It felt like a very real human moment. Julia Roberts was nearly flawless in the movie. She went from annoying to sympathetic through the film.

[lupinskitten]

I hated the ending. I wanted more of an explanation.

[october27]

I wonder if this will be popular enough to get a physical release. Imagine the irony if the events of this movie really do happen and there's no physical discs out there, no one would be able to watch this movie that predicted it all!

[Bond84]

Moral of the story: always keep your physical media collections.

[shane01]

Originally Posted by spanky87

Can we all agree that Mahershala Ali’s daughter was the most unlikeable character of the bunch? Such an obnoxious brat the whole way through, and it was bizarre how she claimed Ethan Hawke’s character was hitting on her when no such thing happened. He was taken aback when she was asking him rude questions about sleeping with students.

Yeah, that's the point.

Originally Posted by cinemaphile

but she danced so BADLY!

Yeah, that's the point.




Haven't you guys seen movies before? These are characters played by actors. Everything is a choice to get a reaction from you, the viewer.

[Monterey Jack]

Originally Posted by Bond84

Moral of the story: always keep your physical media collections.

...but not on standard-def DVD.

[Member-152329]

I really loved it. That scene towards the end where Roberts and Ali's daughter look out at a smoldering New York, holding hands, as the camera pans up and out and you can hear (and maybe see?) firefights throughout the land.. Scariest film I've seen all year.

Is Netflix mandated to make apocalyptic movies every year? We had White Noise at the end of last year, and Don't Look Up the year before that. Do they want to continously induce some kind of existential reset going into the new year?

[mwynn]

Originally Posted by mookoo

I really loved it. That scene towards the end where Roberts and Ali's daughter look out at a smoldering New York, holding hands, as the camera pans up and out and you can hear (and maybe see?) firefights throughout th eland.. Scariest film I've seen all year.

Is Netflix mandated to make apocalyptic movies every year? We had White Noise at the end of last year, and Don't Look Up the year before that. Do they want to continously induce some kind of existential reset going into the new year?

Seems to be an extension of Love Death and Robots and Black Mirror. People like the end of things.

[StarWarsIsAwesome123]

This was a decent thriller, definitely Shyamalan-esque. Interesting premise, tense, atmospheric, well shot and directed, good sound design, good performances. However, it sort of just abruptly ends in a way that's not very fulfilling and leaves more questions than answers. Though since I was engaged and on edge for the majority of the runtime I suppose it's still a net positive ultimately. Voted 3 but it's probably a 3.5

[Prog5000]

Entertaining for the most part and well acted. I understood the ending, but I didn't like it.

[Nunab18]

An OK movie, but I'm a sucker for this sort of ~survival/apocalyptic/thriller film, so I gave it a biased 3 instead of a 2 in the poll. I think the acting is pretty good, the cinematography is also good. Special effects are pretty nice at times, bad at others.

[Show spoiler]A large chunk of my issues with this film are some of the ridiculous things that happen... Like guy walking onto the beach, not seeing the wreckage and bodies everywhere and being surprised when he picks the watch off the ground. Or... when they're on the road and come across a Tesla traffic jam and there are like 30 white Tesla sedans, why are they all white? Is there a Tesla dealership on Long Island that only sells white Model 3s. The deer also make zero sense. Every single thing in the film points to it being some sort of cyber attack or terrorism. Why have the deer of Long Island formed some sort of hive mind and stare awkwardly at people in the woods? Why is there a shack in the woods with a chair and an obvious furrow where someone has been sleeping on the ground. Why is everyone so overtly racist? There is more, but damn...

I wasn't turned off by the ending like some others appear to be, seemed to be very in line with where the trajectory of the movie was headed. I don't understand why its controversial at all.

[eiknarf]

Originally Posted by Nunab18

An OK movie, but I'm a sucker for this sort of ~survival/apocalyptic/thriller film, so I gave it a biased 3 instead of a 2 in the poll. I think the acting is pretty good, the cinematography is also good. Special effects are pretty nice at times, bad at others.

[Show spoiler]A large chunk of my issues with this film are some of the ridiculous things that happen... Like guy walking onto the beach, not seeing the wreckage and bodies everywhere and being surprised when he picks the watch off the ground. Or... when they're on the road and come across a Tesla traffic jam and there are like 30 white Tesla sedans, why are they all white? Is there a Tesla dealership on Long Island that only sells white Model 3s. The deer also make zero sense. Every single thing in the film points to it being some sort of cyber attack or terrorism. Why have the deer of Long Island formed some sort of hive mind and stare awkwardly at people in the woods? Why is there a shack in the woods with a chair and an obvious furrow where someone has been sleeping on the ground. Why is everyone so overtly racist? There is more, but damn...

I wasn't turned off by the ending like some others appear to be, seemed to be very in line with where the trajectory of the movie was headed. I don't understand why its controversial at all.

When a bunch of rabbits formed a perimeter around my house, staring at us two weeks ago, it was because Insomniac Games got hacked. So the deer makes sense in the film….


…to nobody

And more importantly; why’d the Jenga arrangement fall???

I get that it’s symbolic of the collapse of society… etc
But, was a T-Rex stomping around nearby, vibrating the foundation?????

“Eiknarf, that’s easy! The cyber attack made the Jenga fall”

Gotchya

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