Leave the World Behind Ending, Explained: What Happened?
Recently, Netflix has been offering quite a few serious and intense shows, don't you think? Just a few days ago, there was the excellent, albeit a bit awkward, May December. On the way in a few weeks, we have the highly dramatic Maestro, starring Bradley Cooper. Now, this week, we have the end-of-days thriller, Leave the World Behind.
The movie Leave the World Behind is based on a book by Rumaan Alam. It tells the story of the Sanford family, who go on a spontaneous trip from Brooklyn to Long Island. They rent a very nice house and the kids are thrilled to find a pool there. This is a rare luxury for a family from New York City. However, things don't go smoothly for them. Two strangers, George and Ruth Scott, show up at their doorstep and insist that they own the property. They explain that there has been a blackout and they have had to come from the city. As events spiral out of control, both families have to rely on each other to survive. If you have watched the movie, you might have questions about how it ended. If you haven't seen it yet and don't want spoilers, you should stop reading now.
Are you still with me? Awesome. Now, let's analyze the confusing concluding scene. As the movie draws to a close, both families have committed the cardinal sin of horror films - separating! In fairness, one of their kids was losing a tooth and the other was running away, so perhaps it was logical to split up. However, this is when the Leave the World Behind squad begins to encounter problems.
Two fathers, George and Clay Sanford (played by Ethan Hawke), try to find medicine for Clay's son, Archie. They visit George's contractor, Danny (Kevin Bacon), where things almost turn violent until they strike a deal. Clay gives Danny $1000 in cash for a bottle of antibiotics. As they are leaving, Danny tells them about a secret doomsday bunker nearby that belongs to the Thorne family. George realizes that Danny's behavior is a result of the fear that the apocalypse will turn people into ruthless monsters. He and Clay make an agreement to protect each other and head to the Thorne's bunker for shelter. They return home to be with their families.
After Rose goes missing the following day, Amanda assumes that she's attempting to find an answer to their predicament. As a result, Amanda and Ruth embark on a quest to locate Rose in the woods. The hunt is interrupted when a massive herd of deer surrounds Ruth. Despite the fact that Ruth seems to be in danger of being trampled, Amanda heroically puts herself in the line of fire and yells at the animals to scare them away. However, their brushes with danger are far from over. Soon after, violent explosions erupt all across the city of Manhattan, engulfing it in deadly smoke. From their spot in the forest, Amanda and Ruth observe the bombings in horror, convinced that they're far from being safe.
In this part of the story, Rose hears her mother calling out for her, but instead of returning, she enters an abandoned house in the middle of the forest. The house looks pristine and untouched. As she explores the property, she stumbles upon a bunker in the basement, which happens to belong to the Thornes. The bunker is well-stocked with food, water, electricity, and a library of DVDs. Rose had been trying to watch the final episode of Friends throughout the movie. When she spots the DVD collection, she locates the episode and starts watching it. The scene cuts to Rose watching it eagerly, her face lit by the television. Then, abruptly, the movie comes to an end.
Rose had a simple desire while her family was stranded in Long Island during a crisis. She constantly pleaded with her family to fix the television or internet on her iPad so she could watch Friends. She even told her mother that she was tired of waiting, but it's unclear if she meant waiting for help or just waiting to find out what happens with Ross and Rachel. If it was the latter, the ending is darkly amusing as Rose may have finally gotten her wish.
Perhaps there is another way to interpret the situation. It is possible that Rose had a greater chance of surviving because she did not want to end up like "The Drowning Man." While others were preoccupied with investigating each other and downplaying the danger, Rose was unwavering in her belief that there was a threat. It could be that Rose realized that in order to survive, she needed to rely on herself and take action. This motivated her to leave. Unlike her family and the Scotts, who were focused on grand plans for survival, Rose looked to her surroundings. She discovered a nearby house that anyone could have found, but no one else thought to walk in.
Even though we don't know what fate befalls the remaining characters, the last part is thought-provoking. It teaches us to seize the opportunity when it arises.
Bria McNeal is a journalist who lives in Manhattan and really wants B5 to come back. She likes to write about everything related to entertainment and when she's not doing that, she enjoys watching TV or attempting to create something on her own. She has written for several publications including NYLON, Refinery29, InStyle, as well as her own newsletter called StirCrazy.
