I have a love-hate relationship with scary movies.
Being very verbal during a viewing of a horror or thriller is what I’ve become known for in my family.
I don’t necessarily think I would be the first to die in a zombie apocalypse—I may not always make the best decisions—but I yell at the screen when a character makes a painfully obvious mistake.
The new film Leave the World Behind exposed that piece of me to, almost, its fullest extent.
The movie, established from a book of the same name by Rumaan Alam, follows the Sandford family on their weekend getaway to a luxurious, remote rented mansion on Long Island, New York. Taking advantage of their rare amenities begins to take a turn when the first bizarre event occurs: an oil rig collides upon the populated beach they are enjoying with no one inside and no answers from the police.
The inoperative TV and loss of cell phone service don’t arouse suspicion until two strangers, G.H Scott (Mahershala Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Myha’la Herrold), knock on the door claiming ownership of the house. Insisting there was a city power outage—eventually turning out to be a national cyberattack—that drove them to return home sounds questionable to Amanda Sandford (Julia Roberts), but her trusting husband, Clay (Ethan Hawke), has no objection to allowing them to stay.
From the very first scene of the film, I was struck by how unique its whole approach was.
Starting with the credits revealing that Michelle and Barack Obama executive produced it somehow warned me that this movie was going to be a very different experience—more deliberate and in-depth than other thrillers I’ve seen.
What made me watch with a bit more intent was the immediate realization that the cinematography was extremely distinctive: circling, almost dizzying camera work for certain scenes was interrupted by shots that had heavy dialogue and very minimal movement. Some moments included longer takes that displayed the elements of the plot in a way that visually made my head spin, not just from the confusion of figuring out the story. The fast-paced scene changes from separate storylines and the panic-inducing orchestral soundtrack only added to the intensity of the pivotal sections of the movie.
The format of the film, along with the captivating shots from the camera, was also very alluring. Having been broken up into five sections that had good flow made the entire plot easier to digest. As you are put in practically the same stance as the characters, having little information on what is happening, it provides additional entertainment when venturing guesses as to what the future holds.
Perhaps the most substantial takeaway from my experience with Leave the World Behind is the fact that it isn’t far-fetched. It isn’t a scenario that was contrived from a long process of movie makers sitting down and concerning their time with building a mythical world; it is disturbingly realistic. I ended the movie doubting the functionality of our society, which isn’t a bad thing to ponder every so often. Any movie that leaves you having your own questions, that strikes a little fear into your heart, is definitely worth the watch.
