Leave the World Behind

 

Netflix audiences have propelled "Leave the World Behind" to the coveted No. 1 spot on the streaming platform's film rankings. This post-apocalyptic drama, featuring powerhouse performances from Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, and Kevin Bacon, is a product of Higher Ground Productions, the company founded by former US President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama.

Adapted from Rumaan Alam's 2020 novel of the same name, "Leave the World Behind" unfolds a gripping narrative as society unravels in the face of collapsing technological infrastructure, encompassing everything from phones to TVs.

Despite its rise to the top of Netflix's charts, surpassing titles like "Family Switch" and the animated classic "The Grinch," the film has elicited mixed reviews from critics. The response from viewers is even more polarized, as reflected in the disparate scores on Rotten Tomatoes: a critics' score of 75% positive versus an audience score of just 42%.

Social media platforms have become a sounding board for viewer opinions, and one common complaint emerges: the film struggles to justify its 140-minute runtime. "Leave the World Behind" is described as a peculiar, sometimes humorous, sometimes nonsensical, and ultimately cynical narrative that takes too long to reach its point, only to deliver a conclusion perceived as cartoonishly pessimistic and narratively unsatisfying.

Comments on platforms like X/Twitter echo this sentiment, with viewers expressing frustration over the film's extended duration. Some argue that the movie, despite not being inherently bad, didn't warrant nearly 2.5 hours, asserting that most films don't need to exceed the 1 hour 50-minute mark.

Competing for attention on the Netflix charts is the body-swap comedy "Family Switch," directed by McG. This film, which debuted at the beginning of the month, sparked controversy due to a scene featuring an "incestuous" kiss. The plot revolves around a family swapping bodies, with a married couple inhabiting their children's bodies and vice versa. The divisive scene involves the two children, now in their parents' bodies, being compelled to kiss at a social gathering.

"Leave the World Behind" and "Family Switch" are both available for streaming on Netflix, inviting audiences to form their own opinions on these contrasting cinematic experiences.