Netflix dropped a new film titled Leave the World Behind, staring big names in film such as Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, and Mahershala Ali. I personally anticipated the film’s release, hoping for a great film about the “end of the world” and something to keep me on the edge of my seat, based on trailers and teasers.

However, I can safely say after going through all 5 acts of the movie, I was very disappointed. I feel as though the plot was dragged out and lead to nothing. Amanda and Clay take their children to a last minute trip to Long Island. The house is gorgeous and seems like a perfect escape for them, until the house owner, G. H. arrives, at the door with his daughter, saying that they wanted to come back in their home because the power went out at their hotel in the city. Everything seems very suspicious about G.H. and Ruth, and I questioned, if it’s his house, why is he knocking on the door, does he not have keys? Amanda questioned the two a lot and Ruth would take over answering many times, interrupting her father, adding on to their sketchiness. However, as the film progressed, the two’s relationship or ownership of the house was never really confirmed. The film’s emphasis on the two’s sudden arrival was lackluster and contributed nothing to the plot.

Another thing I didn’t like about the film was that the main basis of the plot, the fact that all power was cut off, the characters are in the middle of nowhere, no ability to communicate with any other human, had no resolution for viewers. Planes were literally falling out the sky, dead bodies littered the beach, ships in the sky sent messages of terrorism, and the film didn’t explain any of it. There were so many assumptions and perspectives that the movie did not explore. The movie ran for about 2 hours and I was disappointed by how anticlimactic it was.

I personally feel like the film had so much potential, the story could have been amazing, the setting of an isolated, grand home in Long Island, the cast’s ability to convey their emotion through their acting. But, the plot unfortunately was tedious and had no rhythm or reason, which left me unsatisfied.