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How humans behave in a crisis of apocalyptic proportions is the subject ofSam Esmail’s new filmLeave The World Behind, an adaptation ofRumaan Alam’s acclaimed literary thriller of the same name.Academy Award winnerJuliaRobertsandEthan Hawkeplay Amanda and Clay, middle-class New Yorkers who, along with their two teenaged kids, rent a luxurious Airbnb for a weeklong vacation in Long Island, a home described online as a beautiful place to “leave the world behind”.
Their family’s idyllic vacation is disrupted when the home’s real owner G.H. Washington (Mahershala Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Myha’la Herrold) show up at the door, asking to be let in and live with their bewildered renters because the East Coast has been hit by an ominous blackout that has downed the internet, cut off mobile phones, leaving everyone literally in the dark as an armageddon-type event unfolds.
The intrusion exposes something uglier than the portents of the end of the world. In the book, Amanda has trouble believing that G.H. and Ruth can possibly own this expensive home because they are black. Could they be con artists? This is the worst time for racial prejudice and certainly no time to rue a spoiled dream vacation. There are kids to protect, and the humans portrayed by this stellar cast find their own ways of dealing with new realities as they leave their old worlds behind.
Editor’s Note: This piece was updated on July 19, 2025.
Leave the World Behind
A family’s getaway to a luxurious rental home takes an ominous turn when a cyberattack knocks out their devices, and two strangers appear at their door.
When Does ‘Leave the World Behind’ Come Out?
Leave The World Behindreceived a limited theatrical release on July 18, 2025, in order to qualify for this year’s Academy Awards. The film will then receive a wider release on Netflix on December 8.
Netflix is no stranger to giving their more prestige films a limited theatrical release, this year alone, films such asChloe Domont’sFair Play,David Fincher’sThe Killer, andBradley Cooper’sMaestroall have or are set to receive limited theatrical releases.
The film had its world premiere on October 25, as the opening night film of the 2023 AFI Fest.
Is There a Trailer for ‘Leave the World Behind’?
Ateaser trailer forLeave the World Behindwas released by Netflix on July 04, 2025. The 100-second preview teases the tension between Roberts and Ali’s characters and the apocalyptic chaos that the characters are facing.
Theofficial trailer forLeave the World Behindwas unveiled by Netflix on July 16, 2025, set toLCD Soundsystem’s “oh baby,” the trailer focuses on the two families at the center of the film as they attempt to process the end of the world and the collapse of human civilization as they know it.
Thefinal trailer forLeave the World Behindwas released by Netflix on August 01, 2025.
A sizzle reel was also released back in January highlighting some of Netflix’s biggest movies of 2023, includingLeave the World Behind.
Who Stars in ‘Leave the World Behind’?
Academy Award winner Julia Roberts stars as Amanda, which marks her third collaboration with Sam Esmail afterHomecomingandGaslit. Roberts' enthusiasm for the material at one point led to thecasting of former co-star and fellow Oscar luminaryDenzel Washingtonas G.H., a casting coup that unfortunately did not pan out. It’s been 30 years since the pair of A-listers worked together onThe Pelican Briefand the prospect of their reunion ignited a bidding war for the adaptation of Alam’s already hot, best-selling book.
Two-time Academy Award winnerMahershala Ali steps intothe role of George G.H. Washington, the wealthy black owner of the Long Island Airbnb, who ultimately disrupts the dream vacation of renters Amanda and Clay bearing news of a massive blackout. Expert in the ways of the world, G.H. is as helpless as we all might be when the electricity and internet are cut off.
Ethan Hawkewho continues to surprise audiences with the diverse roles he takes on, plays Clay, the husband and father whose attempts to protect his family will prove less than heroic.
Myha’la Herrold(Industry) plays the role of Ruth Washington, the daughter of G.H. In the novel, Ruth was actually the wife of G.H., but her role was changed in the film adaptation to suit Herrold.
The always reliableKevin Baconplays Danny, described in the book as the competent and dependable contractor who built the Washingtons' perfect house whom G.H. has come to consider his friend and his go-to for everything, including how to survive the apocalypse. Also in the cast areFarrah Mackenzie(Logan Lucky) as Rosie andCharlie Evans(Everything’s Gonna Be Okay) as Leonard.
What Is ‘Leave the World Behind’ About?
The official synopsis via Netflix reads:
A family’s (Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke) vacation is upended when two strangers (Mahershala Ali and Myha’la) arrive at night, seeking refuge from a cyberattack that grows more terrifying by the minute, forcing everyone to come to terms with their places in a collapsing world.
Who Is Making ‘Leave the World Behind’?
The huge names behind this film should make audiences excited to see this December apocalypse on Netflix, with the aforementioned Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot) directing the film and penning the script. Esmail also produces the film alongside Julia Roberts,Chad Hamilton(Mr. Robot),Lisa Gillan(The Last Thing He Told Me), andMarisa Yeres Gill(Ticket to Paradise).Barack&Michelle Obamaare executive producing the film through their Higher Ground Productions banner. The Obamas have a first-look deal with Netflix, having also worked with the streamer on theKevin HartdramedyFatherhood, theMichael KeatondramaWorth, and most recently theBayard RustinbiopicRustin, starringColman Domingo. Author Rumaan Alam,Tonia Davis(Rustin),Daniel M. Stillman(Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga), andNick Krishnamurthyalso serve as executive producers.
Esmail also brought in several of his frequent collaborators to work with him on the film, including director of photographyTod Campbell, production designerAnastasia White, costume designerCatherine Marie Thomas, cast directorsSusie FarrisandBeth Bowling, and composerMac Quayle.Lisa Lassek(The Avengers) serves as the editor of the film, andChris Harvey(Tron: Legacy) is the visual effects supervisor.
This is a big win for Netflix which came out on top after a fierce bidding war that included Apple, MGM and a host of other studios and streamers interested in the book adaptation even before the novel came out and became a 2020 National Book Award finalist. The book was among Barack Obama’s Summer Favorites and named among 2020’s best books by NPR, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, The LA Times, and many more.
When and Where Did ‘Leave the World Behind’ Film?
Filming forLeave the World Behindbegan in the Long Island area in April 2022 with additional filming taking place in Katonah, New York, the next month.
