Movie Review - Leave the World Behind

Director: Sam Esmail
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 138 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Mahershala Ali, Myha’la, Kevin Bacon, Farrah Mackenzie, Charlie Evans
 
Description: A family’s getaway to a luxurious rental home takes an ominous turn when a cyberattack knocks out their devices, and two strangers (Mahershala Ali, Myha’la) appear at their door.

Review: Amanda and Clay go on vacation with their two children, but that very night their relaxing getaway comes to an end. There is a knock at the door. Because of a power outage in town, the owner of the home and his daughter, want to spend the night. That immediately increases tension.

If you have not read the book it’s based on, written by Rumaan Alam, please avoid the trailer. It spoils the fun. You know from the start of the film that something is wrong, there is constant suspense and an ominous feeling creeps up on you. But you don’t know what it is.

Each character deals with this frustrating situation differently. Amansa is immediately hostile to G.H. and his daughter Ruth. While Clay, on the other hand, wants to keep the peace. Meanwhile, G.H. tries to protect Ruth by keeping many of his concerns to himself. He seemingly knows more about what’s happening.

I read the book earlier this year, which immediately became a new favorite of mine. The book is fantastic and when I learned about a movie adaptation I was excited. A movie is hardly ever better then the book, or even meets the same level. But with this book I felt it could happen. Although I highly enjoyed the film, the book is much better. And they are also very different from each other. The suspense is much more stretched out in the book, you’re kept in the dark way longer. When in the movie, things start happening very early on. It doesn’t take away from the tension though, because you still don’t know what’s going on.

I’m not going to compare “Leave the World Behind” to its source material anymore, because when you look at it aside from the book, it’s a very decent, solid and suspenseful thriller. The first part of the film takes place for the most time in the house. The main characters are trying to figure each other out. The cast is excellent and I especially loved Mahershala Ali as G.H. and Ethan Hawke as Clay. Very strong performances. Julia Roberts and Myha'la are also really solid, but the men are the scene stealers here.

Director Sam Esmail takes nearly two and a half hour to tell his cynical story and with that “Leave the World Behind” is not for everyone. Esmail gives his own inky black review of a faltering society and leaves you with a rotten feeling. And with probably even more questions then when you started the movie. And this is all very similar to the book.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Book Review - Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

Title: Leave the World Behind
Series: -
Author: Rumaan Alam
 
Description: Amanda and Clay head out to a remote corner of Long Island expecting a vacation: a quiet reprieve from life in New York City, quality time with their teenage son and daughter, and a taste of the good life in the luxurious home they rented for the week. But a late-night knock on the door breaks the spell. Ruth and G.H. are an older black couple. It’s their house, and they’ve arrived in a panic. They bring the news that a sudden blackout has swept the city. But in this rural area, with the TV and internet down, and no cell phone service, it’s hard to know that to believe.
 
Should Amanda and Clay trust this couple, and vice versa? What happened back in New York? Is the vacation home, isolated from civilization, a truly safe place for their families? And are they safe from one another?
 
Review: Amanda and Clay are vacationing in a remote home, together with their teenage son and daughter, when they hear a knock on the door in the middle of the night. It’s Ruth and G.H., the owners of the house and clearly rushed to the house in a panic. Back in New York City there is a black out, but no one knows what is really going on. With no cell phone service and TV, there is no way to find out.
 
“Leave the World Behind” deals with a very serious theme, but the approach is small. The intrigue is in the details. Author Rumaan Alam is very good at making seemingly nothing happen, but at the same time setting the tension to the point where, as a reader, you don’t want to put the book down. If you expect big action, you will be disappointed. It’s best to go in blank before you start reading this book.
 
While reading this book, you’re constantly asking yourself questions. Who are these people, what is going on, who can be trusted? And you have no idea what is going to happen. This books is definitely not for everyone. I would understand if people say this book is boring and that would be their reason to disliking the story. It’s true that not a lot happens, but there is so much tension felt constantly and the characters are very interesting and mysterious. And I just wanted to find out what was going on.
 
I’m so surprised by how much I loved this book. I loved the approach Alam went with for this theme. Not your typical apocalyptic story.
 
Rating: 5/ 5