18 December 2023 , 15:09
1199
0
New Netfllix movie Leave The World Behind has rocketed to number one on the platform - with critics either loving it or hating it.
The psychological thriller stars Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke and Kevin Bacon, and is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Rumaan Alam. And with its high-reaching premise - basically aiming to make you question everything you think you know about the world around us - it's small wonder so many have tuned in to watch.
According to the official synopsis, Amanda (played by Julia Roberts) and her husband Clay (Ethan Hawke) decide to spend a weekend with their children in a luxurious rented home. However, their idyllic vacation takes a sudden twist when, during the night, two strangers show up with unsettling news of a mysterious cyber attack. These strangers then seek refuge in the house, insisting it belongs to them.
If you can't see the poll, click here
Both families then grapple with the escalating threat of an impending disaster, with each moment intensifying the terror. The unfolding events force everyone to confront their roles in a world rapidly unraveling before their very eyes.
Bank of Dave self-made millionaire giving away money to 'keep kids working hard'
Despite incredibly divisive reviews from critics - and viewers - Leave The World Behind has rocketed to the top of the streaming service's charts, overtaking films such as The Grinch and Family Switch.
Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes has currently awarded it a critics score of 75 per cent positive, while the audience score noticeably dips at just 34 per cent. Here are just some of the comments the film has attracted from critics:
'An absolute corker ... Performances are terrific'
Tatat Bunnag, of the Bangkok Post: "The filmmakers masterfully balance the need for suspense without alienating the audience, resulting in a viewing experience that is intriguing."
Jim Schembri posted on jimschembri.com: "An absolute corker ... Performances are terrific, with Julia Roberts especially interesting. Providing strong support, Kevin Bacon steps in with a pungent cameo as a diehard survivalist."
Michael Cook of KLRT-TV: "This is a tense, psychological thriller about trust, and about how do you survive a potential ending of the world. A fantastic cast."
Susan Granger: "An ambiguously suspenseful, escapist/doomsday scenario that's cleverly cast and executed."
Jeanine T.Abraham: "Sam Esmail’s Leave the World Behind is a masterclass in filmmaking"
Shahbaz Siddiqui on The Movie Podcast: "Leave the World Behind is one of the best surprises of the year and a MUST WATCH on Netflix"
'Shamelessly manipulative ... it drove me nuts'
Steven Nguyen Scaife, of Slant Magazine, said: "In the end, Leave the World Behind is content to blandly shrug in the direction of an amorphous calamity, reaching for a profundity that it fails to achieve."
Christian Toto of HollywoodInToto.com: "Netflix original serves up constant dread, garbled statements about modern life."
Chilling warning text sent by ex boyfriend minutes before murdering former lover
Allen Almacher, of The MacGuffin: "For a cast this talented, and a visual palette willing to take chances, we come away feeling like we ran around in circles with nothing to show for it."
Adam Olinger, of Adam Does Movies: "I find it ironic that Leave The World Behind is split into four acts when the entire movie never gets past the opening. This is an absolute chore to site through with zero payoff at the end."
John Serba, of Decider: "Leave the World Behind is shameless manipulation that wields provocation like a shotgun blast. It drove me nuts."
Romey Norton, of Ready Steady Cut: "Whilst the film understands the general mechanics of the post-apocalyptic genre, it is lacking in action."
*Leave The World Behind was produced by Higher Ground Productions, founded by former US president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle.
Leave The World Behind is available to watch now on Netflix.
What do YOU think of Leave The World Behind? Let us know in the comments below.