Leave the World Behind's 'controversial' ending explained after viewers slam it as 'stupid'
Netflix's latest film Leave the World Behind has left viewers scratching their heads with its ending, sparking a wave of ‘WTF?’ across the internet.
So, what's all the fuss about?
The movie, based on Rumaan Alam's book of the same name, hit the streaming service last week. It sees Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke as Amanda and Clay, a couple seeking a peaceful retreat with their kids, Rose and Archie. They rent a luxurious home, only for their idyllic break to be interrupted by a man who is claiming to be the home's owner, G.H. Scott (Mahershala Ali), and his daughter Ruth, who have turned up after fleeing unexplained chaos in the city.
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As the plot thickens, the two families find themselves entangled in a web of odd happenings, such as an encounter with conspiracy theorist Danny (Kevin Bacon), who points them towards a bunker for safety.
The ending, however, is where things take a turn for the bizarre. There’s no wonder it's what everyone is talking about - and not necessarily for the reasons you'd expect.
Before we go any further we should probably make you aware that some major spoiler alerts coming up, so if you haven’t seen it yet and don’t want to know what happens, leave the page now.
For those that do want to know, the climax sees Amanda and Ruth searching for the missing Rose, only to witness explosions in the city. We should add for context, again this is another spoiler, that throughout the film Rose has been fixated on getting to watch the last episode of her favorite show.
So, in a twist that feels like it belongs in an alternate universe, Rose finds the bunker and pops in a DVD of the final season of that show which is Friends. Cue I'll Be There For You and roll credits.
Wait, what? Yep, that’s it.
Viewers were quick to voice their confusion and disappointment at the bizarre ending. Forums and social media were abuzz with comments calling the ending 'stupid' and expressing frustration over the lack of closure.
In a post on X, one viewer said: “No, why did Leave the World Behind end like that?”
While another wrote: “That Leave the World Behind movie sucked cuz wtf was that ending.”
However, Rumaan Alam, the author and executive producer, has come to the film's defence. In a chat with Variety, Alam stressed that this isn't your typical disaster movie with a neatly packaged ending.
He pointed out that the movie's intention isn't to provide a traditional sense of closure but to challenge the audience.
"It’s not that kind of story,” he said. “I have no problem with like a big disaster movie that saves the six or eight principals and reunites them in the aftermath of a disaster and allows you to be like, ‘Well, everything’s gonna be okay’.
"I just don’t think this is that kind of film."
So, whether you love it or hate it, one thing's for sure – it's got people talking, and isn't that what good cinema is all about?