Delving into the ambiguous ending of Netflix's Leave the World Behind
The conclusion of "Leave the World Behind" has sparked conversations among audiences since it came out on December 8. The film has quickly risen to the top spot as the most viewed movie globally on Netflix.
The outstanding end-of-the-world suspenseful story features Amanda and Clay who travel to a fancy estate on Long Island with their loved ones. Unexpectedly, GH and his daughter Ruth arrive at the residence during the wee hours of the night. They assert that they are the proprietors of the dwelling and request lodging as a result of a power outage in the metropolis.
The power outage is just the beginning of a rapidly approaching catastrophe on a global scale. Everyone must now figure out where they can stay safe as the event continues to unfold.
Leave the World Behind, just like the book it was adapted from, doesn't provide straightforward solutions to the mystery surrounding the plot. This aligns with the goals that Sam Esmail, the writer and director of the film, has set for the audience.
In my opinion, we all have agreed to the notion that simple solutions should not be readily available," he informed Digital Spy. "It's important that we don't hold back in our approach because, just like in real life, we encounter uncertain situations frequently."
Nonetheless, the film delves deeper into providing an understanding of the reason behind the apocalypse; nevertheless, that's not the sole enigma. Thus, it's time to scrutinize the culmination of Leave the World Behind to unravel everything.
Warning: This blog contains significant spoilers if you have not watched the movie.
World Beyond End: How Different From The Book?
If you are familiar with the novel, you may notice that the most significant alteration in the Leave the World Behind adaptation is making GH and Ruth's characters into a father and daughter duo, instead of an elderly Black couple, as depicted in the book.
However, apart from this adjustment, the events mainly unfold in the same way as they do in the book. The film enhances the catastrophic aspects, like the Tesla car pile-up and airplane wreckage on the shore. However, other scenes that include the high-pitched noise and power failures follow the book's plot - even the appearance of the flamingos is based on the book.
In the end of the film, a similar event occurs. Archie, the son of Amanda and Clay, wakes up to discover that his teeth are falling out and his sister, Rose, is nowhere to be found. Clay and GH search for help from their neighbor Danny, but he doesn't offer any useful help, instead he warns them to return home.
Despite that, he proposes that Archie's teeth might be falling because of a microwave weapon that emits radiation and causes a piercing noise.
According to writer and director Sam Esmail who spoke to Vulture, the movie is most likely serving as a metaphor for current events. He believes that the film portrays a nightmare, where inexplicable things happen, much like in actual nightmares.
While GH and Clay attempt to obtain assistance from Danny, Amanda and Ruth venture out to search for Rose. However, they have no success. What they do discover is the devastating impact on the world which is evident by the explosions they observed over New York and the sound of gunfire in the distance.
While GH and Clay were in the process of planning their return to the house, Rose noticed a nearby property that piqued her interest and made her way towards it. Observing the actions of the two individuals, she continued with her own agenda.
Rose finds herself in an abandoned area and decides to make the most of the food and beverages available before making her way to a secure room downstairs. This particular room is referred to as the "doomsday bunker," which was built in secret by the Thornes, neighbors of GH. Danny informs Rose and her group about this previously.
Rose is in a bunker and it's stocked with provisions like food, water, beds, and electricity. What's especially important to her is that there's a vast DVD collection and a TV available. She selects the complete last season of Friends and puts in the disc for "The Last One". When the movie ends, it's over.
In the movie adaptation, there is an additional storyline regarding Friends that was not present in the book. Rose is shown being disappointed because she cannot finish watching Friends due to poor internet connectivity. This deviation from the book is the only one in the movie, as the original story concludes with Rose acquiring the necessary supplies and returning back home.
Do you ever ask yourself why Friends is part of this? Well, according to Esmail, it's about finding solace in times of hardship. To Rose, the show serves as a form of "pure escapism." When faced with circumstances that divide us as humans and leave us feeling alone, we naturally seek out sources of comfort. That's what Esmail shared with Tudum.
The conclusion of the book may lead to some annoyance because it lacks clarity, but it is consistent with the overall tone of the book that is uncertain. The film, however, may give a possible interpretation that we can explore if you overlooked it.
Why Did The Apocalypse Happen In Leave The World Behind?
Amanda checks her phone the next morning and notices a message stating that the power outage was due to "hackers," but unfortunately she cannot find any further details. However, things become more apparent that it wasn't a simple power cut and it seems GH is aware of what's happening.
As Clay sets out to explore the town in search of answers, he comes across a drone that has released pamphlets in Arabic. The message on these pamphlets reads "Down with America." However, during their chat with Danny, it emerges that one of his friends in San Diego also received a pamphlet which had Korean or Chinese characters printed on it.
GH finally revealed something that made everything clear to him. He shared with them about his worries during the movie but kept quiet to prevent alarming them. They had this discussion before returning to the house.
GH's profession is finance and he has a customer who holds an important position in the defense industry. This means that GH has researched the "cost-benefit analysis of military campaigns." The current events occurring around the world bring to mind a project that his client was deeply disturbed by.
This was a tactic consisting of three steps that has the potential to overthrow a government through internal means.
The initial step involves the process of "separation" wherein a blackout of electricity occurs and the sabotaging of satellites takes place, resulting in the inability to use satellite phones. After this event, the next phase occurs, called "harmonised pandemonium," which involves inflicting fear on the nation through "discreet assaults and disinformation" by means of loud piercing sounds, various misleading leaflets and so forth.
According to GH, if the third stage is achieved, then it will occur automatically. This stage involves a coup d'etat, civil war and eventual collapse of the targeted country. This program is believed to be the most efficient method to create upheaval in a nation. The objective is to make the targeted country completely dysfunctional, resulting in the desired outcome without having to put in a significant amount of effort. The person or group that initiated this program intends for those carrying it out to complete it.
It is important to remember that although Leave the World Behind may connect to the end of the world, the responsible party remains undisclosed. According to Danny, the culprit could be a group of enemies of the United States. However, it is important to note that Danny tends to believe in conspiracy theories and this speculation is not confirmed.
We may not have information about the culprits responsible for the attack, but we do know that it was highly effective. As soon as Rose enters the Thorne family's bunker, their Emergency Alert System activates and displays the current situation of the entire country.
The White House and big towns are being attacked by a group of rebellious armed troops. Several heavily populated areas have shown signs of high radiation levels. Get to a safe place as soon as possible.
Rose is on her own, away from her loved ones, and her brother is gravely unwell amidst the chaos of New York being bombed. Despite these challenges, Esmail sees a glimmer of hope and doesn't consider it a completely depressing outcome.
Tudum was informed by him about a painting that is hanging at the end of the hallway, just before Rose descends into the basement of the building. The painting proclaims that hope commences during the dark times.
In my opinion, although this movie serves as a warning and a lesson for us to learn from, it doesn't necessarily provide us with a solution to our present problem. Rather, it conveys the message that no matter how unpleasant or hopeless our situation may seem, we should always search for a glimmer of hope.
You can now watch Leave the World Behind on Netflix.
The person in charge of selecting which movies are featured on Digital Spy, a popular website, is the Movies Editor.
Ian has over a decade of experience in reporting and editing movies. His career began as an intern at Screen International, where he was quickly promoted to analyzing UK box-office results and exploring his passion for horror movies by attending genre festivals globally. Later, as a TV writer at Digital Spy, his work was recognized by a nomination for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He currently holds the position of Movies Editor where he has interviewed many renowned stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba, and Olivia Colman. Ian is known for his expertise in Marvel and has made appearances as a horror and movies expert guest on BBC News and MCM Comic-Con. He continues to promote his love for horror movies, no matter what his editor thinks.
