Sam Esmail’s apocalyptic thriller Leave the World Behind makes up for another end-of-the-world Netflix film that divided audiences & critics.

The popular new Netflix thriller Leave the World Behind accomplishes what Leonardo DiCaprio’s highly anticipated Netflix movie could not.

Sam Esmail, known for creating the acclaimed hacker series Mr. Robot, proved to be the right choice to direct the film adaption of Leave the World Behind, which is based on a 2020 novel by Rumaan Alam of the same name.

The film presents a compelling yet terrifying portrait of a plausible response to the sudden realization of an imminent apocalypse that was designed by rogue forces acting against American interests.

Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up tackles the similar themes of a theoretical doomsday caused by a meteor heading directly for Earth.

The film certainly intends to be a funnier and more satirical take on the end-of-the-world scenario, as Leave the World Behind is much darker and anxiety-ridden in both plot and tone.

A key difference between the two films is that McKay’s doomsday situation in Don’t Look Up is caused by uncontrollable natural forces while Esmail’s Leave the World Behind is inspired by a fictional yet plausible mass cyberattack on the United States.

The ending of Leave the World Behind leaves several big questions unanswered, which contributes to the overall themes of the dystopian film.

Leave The World Behind Accomplishes Its Apocalyptic Message & Themes Better Than Don’t Look Up

Despite McKay’s film being a dark comedy and Esmail’s movie being a dramatic theoretical blueprint for society collapse, both tackle similar end-of-the-world themes.

Don’t Look Up and Leave the World Behind both present clear warnings about humanity’s self-destructive nature and offer criticisms of the extremely rich and powerful circle of Americans.

Leave the World Behind sends its message much more effectively than Don’t Look Up, especially in the way that it is unafraid to present an unsettling atmosphere.

Leave the World Behind feels much more pressing and cautionary than the tonally ambiguous Don’t Look Up, which was also divisive among both critics and audiences. 

Leave the World Behind has been mostly celebrated upon its December 4 streaming release, becoming the most-watched movie on Netflix through the first half of December 2023.

Despite an all-star cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Timothée Chalamet, and Jonah Hill, Don’t Look Up wasn’t nearly as effective in its themes and message as Leave the World Behind.

Why Don’t Look Up Is So Much More Divisive Than Leave The World Behind

Don’t Look Up had a great deal of hype and expectations leading up to its 2021 release, especially with Adam McKay (The Big Short, Vice, Succession) in the director’s chair.

The overwhelming amount of potential that Don’t Look Up had in a bleak pandemic-stricken year for Hollywood certainly added to the overall disappointment of the film.

Esmail’s Leave the World Behind seemingly dropped out of the sky by comparison, which likely enhanced the effectiveness of its messages and themes that may have been overshadowed by Don’t Look Up’s star-studded ensemble.