The journey from novel to screen was not without its hurdles. Netflix secured the movie rights in 2020, with initial plans featuring Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington. However, Washington’s schedule conflicts led to Mahershala Ali stepping into the role. Sam Esmail, known for his work on Mr. Robot and Homecoming, took the project as both director and screenwriter. The movie also showcases the talents of Ethan Hawke and Kevin Bacon, making for an ensemble cast that brings the story to life. Filming took place from February to April 2021 against the challenging backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. Esmail a director that is always paying attention to detail, faced obstacles in securing locations, managing testing protocols and navigating unpredictable weather. The movie's ending, featuring a surprise cameo from the iconic sitcom Friends, playing a crucial role in the movie, was Esmails creative touch to give to the viewer a moment of humor and nostalgia into the otherwise tense story line. Alam, the novel author, praised Emails adaptation, excited to the fidelity to his original work.

Julia Roberts as Amanda Sandford, leads the cast with her great performance as a strong mother, wife and woman that shows that is afraid of whatever is happening but found the courage to fight for her family. From her iconic comedies like My Best Friends Wedding to engaging dramas like Erink Brocovich, movie that gave her an Academy Award as best actress in 2001. Roberts brings depth to the character of an misanthropic woman caught in the chaos.

Mahershala Ali steps into the shoes of G.H. Scott, the vacation rental owner, adding another remarkable performance to his illustrious career. Ali a two-time Academy Award winner with his performance in the movies Moonlight 2016 and Green Book 2017, bring his unparalleled talent to a role that demands both emotional depth and mystery. Mahershala Ali an actor that can embody any role and give us the best in all.

Ethan Hawke portrays Clay Sandford, Amanda`s husband and a Brooklyn dad, worked on everything from exciting sci-fi to well known drama. Hawkes shines with his performance in Leave the World Behind as an amazing father worry for his family, but with a complexity in his character due to every situation that is force to solved.

Kevin Bacon, known for his unforgettable performance of Ren McCormak in Footloose (1984), takes on the character of Danny, a man who see the apocalypse coming and prepare to face it, preserving his integrity and his family, but at the same time taking advantage of every situation. Bacon’s experience and skill contribute to the movie’s dynamic ensemble.

Myha'la Jael Herrold, portrays Ruth Mahershala Ali, she represent the side of the youth that is not willing to accept a NO for answer. At the movie she is a strong character and shows the side of feeling despised by her color. Myha'la Jael Herrold is an actress best known for her role in the British series Harper Stern.

Leave the World Behind refuses to spoon-feed its audience, leaving the apocalyptic events open to interpretation. Rumaan Alam, the novelist, suggests that the story explores the anxiety of the unknown and the fragility of our carefully built world. The movie never provide any specific answer of the attacks to the viewer, it plants certain ideas creating doubts and leaving open all possible conflict situations that may arise. Is inevitably not notice the distrust, racism, class, survival, conflict, and bewilderment of the unknown.

The ending representing the actual chaos that is affronting every person individually in the movie, but with a touch of irony, while the Director gives a little taste of that chaos, at the same time play with humor, even featuring a DVD of Friends during the movie, one of the most idealized Sitcoms, giving a comfort of something known between the uncertainties. Director Sam Esmails decision of give an ending that reflect the confusion and irony, inspired by the Sopranos ambiguous conclusion, all these intensifies the sense of unease and leave the audience with more questions than answer, producing in the viewer the necessity of more and expecting for what is coming next, if it ever does.

As any movie, opinions about Leave the World Behind diverge. Many positive reviews talk about the great cast of the movie, the good performances of every character, a good CGI, the photography is perfect but at the other hand the negative critiques are about the simplicity of the message, that the movie is slow, the dissatisfaction with the ending. Obviously those are critics and must be accepted because is an opinion from the eyes of each viewer. At the same time there is a position that emerged stating that is not a movie for kids, that is a movie for readers and thinkers and that the message is beyond, simple and a true reality of our society in the present.

Despite the varied reactions, the movie do what is important, make the viewers create a conversation and debate about it. With its release on Netflix on December 8, 2023, “Leave the World Behind” invites viewers to immerse themselves in a world where answers are scarce, conflicts and uncertainties abound, where the characters must accept their realities and look for someone to trust, forced them try to understand what could be happening because they are disconnect of everything and at the same time protect what is valuable for all, the family.