Skip to main content

Leave The World Behind (2023)

 

Leave the World Behind is about two rich families having to stay together during a Fire Sale.

Written and directed by Sam Esmail, the film leaves you wondering just what is going on throughout the film. The ending doesn't satisfy and you're just left with an okay feeling. I expected more out of the Mr. Robot showrunner but then again the ending is very nilistic which makes sense from his pessimistic perspective. 

Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke play the couple on vacation, staying at a BNB. Turns out the BNB is owned by Mahershala Ali's character who is played at first as a mysterious character with many circumstantial and coincidental excuses to force the audience to think he's lying. Ali and Roberts had the best acting in the film as Hawke went through the motions a tad. 

There are children in the film. Myha'la plays the annoying and angsty teen which seems like an over-the-top character in how she's written. I don't really remember her character in the movie Dumb Money and I haven't seen how she acts in interviews to know if she was just playing herself, but she really made the audience dislike her which was what the intention was. 

The film tries to be more than it is but kept my attention for sure. Result: C+

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Smashing Machine (2025)

The Smashing Machine (2025) is written and directed by Benny Safdie , better known for his work in front of the camera in films like Good Time and Oppenheimer . Safdie’s eye for gritty realism translates into this film, but the story suffers somewhat from being too loyal to its source material. The authenticity makes it a strong character study but keeps it from being as entertaining as other films in its genre. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson delivers one of the most surprising performances of his career. Known for action-heavy roles in films like Fast Five and Black Adam , here he shows a range of emotions rarely seen in his past work. This is clearly his Oscar push, and it is likely he will receive at least a nomination for his work. Also from Oppenheimer,  Emily Blunt, plays the girlfriend character with frequent emotional swings. The volatility works for the role her performance brings depth and unpredictability to the film. I mentioned to my wife that everyone knows a gi...

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

  Avatar: The Way of Water  is the followup to James Cameron's original box office winner Avatar. Continuing Jake Sully's story, now protecting his family from Colonel Miles Quaritch again. Written and directed by James Cameron . The worst parts of the writing probably came from the writers of Mulan, both Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. In terms of direction, there was the expectation that Cameron would recreate some sort of magic of Avatar, Terminator 2, or even Aliens. I think Cameron gave the skeleton of the story and Jaffa and Silver added their own dialogue and beats. Cameron doesn't really write boring movies and I was bored through parts of the film. 3 hours and 12 minutes is a long time to have amazing dialogue and writing. Sam Worthington is back but you don't recognize him since he was barely in the first film except in his avatar form. Most people don't know Worthington. Maybe if you played the Call of Duty Black Ops games as he played Alex Mason. I most...

Him (2025)

Him (2025) is directed by Justin Tipping , best known for Kicks , with Jordan Peele serving as a heavy-handed producer. Despite the talent involved, the film leans into “and then” style writing that feels meandering and leaves the audience more tired than engaged. Marlon Wayans , known for White Chicks and Scary Movie , goes over the top in a way that doesn’t fit the film’s intent, creating more distraction than humor or depth. Tyriq Withers , previously in I Know What You Did Last Summer , turns in an even weaker performance here, offering little in the way of presence or believability. Julia Fox , who gained recognition for Uncut Gems , is strange and out of place, adding little to the narrative. Jim Jefferies , a comedian known for Legit , is barely given anything to work with, and his limited screen time wastes his talent. I found myself bored and not surprised. There is also a bit of sacrilegious writing that might turn off some audiences. Result: C+