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Leave the World Behind is a Netflix original film adapted from Rumaan Alam's 2020 book of the same name. Directed by Sam Esmail, the movie follows Kevin Bacon, Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, and Ethan Hawke stranded in a country house and experiencing a series of strange events that resemble apocalyptic catastrophes.
Leave the World Behind made its global debut as the opening film of the AFI Fest on October 25, 2023. A select number of theaters saw the film on November 22, 2023, and on December 8, it debuted on Netflix to a wider audience.
What meaning does Leave the World Behind have?
Leave the World Behind has a gripping narrative that delves into the aftermath of a potential doomsday scenario, leaving humanity on edge and filled with unease. The film delves into the depths of human endurance when tested to its limits, both psychologically and physically.
They have taken refuge in a mansion, shut off from all forms of communication (phone, internet, etc.) due to cyber attacks, and they don't know what's going on. Despite their initial biases, they are compelled to choose between alienating each other or uniting.
Director Esmail, while talking to GQ magazine, revealed that the story emphasizes human dependency on technology. In addition to being a relevant tale, it delves into the historical cracks in contemporary American society that pose a danger of the country's collapse.
What is the significance of deer in Leave the World Behind?
Rumaan Alam's novel Leave the World Behind incorporates deer early on. After appearing slowly in the estate's forests, they become more prevalent as the apocalypse progresses.
In the film, Rose spots a deer at the pool. The scene seems benign until additional deer emerge and vanish. Later, while Amanda and Ruth search the woods for Rose, Ruth is cornered by a huge swarm of deer who follow her around.
Talking to GQ, Esmail explained the symbolism of deer and why he thought it would be a good addition. He said,
"There was something really ominous about the deer — they're in the book and I expanded on it, because I thought the imagery was so striking."
Leave the World Behind easter eggs you missed
There are a lot of subtle elements in the movie. That won't be surprising to anyone who knows Sam Esmail from his Easter egg series, Mr. Robot, from which the movie was written and directed.
The movie follows two families as they face racial tension, suspicion, and terror in an apocalyptic situation. There is less emphasis on the plot and more on the foreboding tone, which Esmai establishes through little details and Easter eggs. Symbolic of the unfolding anarchy, the paintings on the rented property change throughout the movie.
The serene artwork in the holiday home helps set the mood for the characters' first moments of leisure. Like the mounting tension and chaos in the movie, the paintings change and become more tumultuous and disturbing as the tension and mayhem increase.
The last alteration to the paintings heralds the end of the world as we know it, suggesting that the characters will soon have to seek refuge and Leave the World Behind as they succumb to the ultimate destruction. There is a direct correlation between the significance of the paintings discussed and the narrative of the movie.
The movie is currently available to watch on streaming giant Netflix.
