Leave the World Behind

Aus der Netflix-Gruppe Don't Look Up und Weißes Rauschen. Und genau so zielgerichtet, wie man es erwarten würde. Leider daneben. Erkenntnis-Dialoge mit ein paar existenziellen Gedanken, aber nichts Bahnbrechendes. Szenen mit zunehmender Spannung, die den dramatischen Charakter des Films verstärken und jedes Mal nur andeuten, was „da draußen“ passieren könnte. Und digitale Hirsche für einen Hauch von Mystik, aber ohne eine sinnvolle Einbindung in die Handlungsstruktur. Die elegante, einfallsreiche Kamera ist fesselnd, bleibt aber hinter Jordan Peeles kühner Kreativität zurück. Und die Konversationsebene versucht lediglich eine Soziologie auf europäischem oder asiatischem Drehbuchniveau. Der Film ist aber trotzdem unterhaltsam und macht Spaß. Und ich kann auch verstehen, wenn ihn jemand für einen interessanten alternativen Beitrag zum Katastrophengenre hält. Denn genau so könnte es nämlich sein. (13.12.2023)

Ein konzentrierter Aufbau der apokalyptischen Spannung, dessen schlaue Arbeit mit der Perspektive an Spielbergs Krieg der Welten erinnert (auch dank Esmails Mikrodosierung der Katastrophe). Gefühlsmäßig bewegen wir uns zwischen den besten Momenten von Shyamalan, Peele und dem Meisterwerk Take Shelter - Ein Sturm zieht auf, nur dass es aus der Arbeiterklasse in den Mittelstand von New York transponiert wurde. Leave the World Behind ist für mich eine deutlich präzisere Darstellung des katastrophischen Zeitgeists als all diese hochgepushten öko-anti-kapitalistischen Satiren. Er funktioniert nämlich vor allem als Film und einige Äußerungen der glaubwürdigen Charaktere gegen das System und die Gesellschaft werden besser wahrgenommen als bei pompösen Puppentheaterstücken. Eine hervorragende Arbeit mit den Kamerabewegungen, exakte Schauspieler*innen (Mahershala Ali winner by KO), ein exzellentes Sounddesign… Tonmäßig ist der Film ein paarmal gestolpert. Ohne diese Momente wäre er zweifellos einer der besten Katastrophenfilme der letzten Jahre. (20.12.2023)

Auf diese Weise hatte ich gehofft, dass mir Don't look up! gefallen wird, aber es hat mir überhaupt nicht gefallen. Leave the World Behind ist viel mysteriöser, intelligenter, unterhaltsamer, besser gedreht und geschrieben. Es ist ein Film, der eigentlich genau meine Gefühle bezüglich der aktuellen Welt widerspiegelt. Genau wie der Monolog von Julia Roberts in der Hütte. (10.12.2023)

Netflix präsentiert kurz vor Ende des Jahres nach dem vorletzten Don't Look Up erneut eine satirische apokalyptische Komödie, und wenn dieser Trend weiterhin über das Jahr hinweg anhalten wird, werde ich tatsächlich zufrieden sein, auch wenn ich dieses Mal mehr Vorbehalte habe. Gute Besetzung, großartiger Aufbau der Atmosphäre. Bewundernswert ist, dass Sam Esmail den Zuschauer während der gesamten 140-minütigen Laufzeit in Spannung halten kann, aber das Problem tritt beim Finale auf, das dem Zuschauer das gesamte bisherige Geschehen und gleichzeitig die Botschaft des Films so unglaublich wörtlich erklären muss, dass es selbst ein unwissender Trottel versteht. Das ist zudem mit den Charakteren verbunden, deren karikatives Verhalten und das bis zur Unmöglichkeit gesteigerte Nicht Kommunizieren über grundlegende Probleme zwar dem Zweck des Films dient, aber künstlich und etwas nervig wirkt. Schade. Trotzdem Daumen hoch für die letzte Szene, die die Bedeutung des Besitzes physischer Datenträger trotz der Veröffentlichung auf Netflix hervorhebt. Heh. (20.12.2023)

Praise for the first four chapters: It's as if elements from the best disaster flicks of the last three decades came together. The suspicion of something dangerous, like in Take Shelter, and the view of a global catastrophe through the microcosm of ordinary people who have no influence on the situation, like in Spielberg's War of the Worlds. Sam Esmail builds the tension of each scene fantastically (I'll remember the tanker for a long time), with clever camera rides that make it all look very cinematic – I couldn't count the iconic scenes with the fingers on one hand. The actors are all man great, except for the young boy, and Mahershala Ali gives it his best performance. With him, all it takes is one scene of him telling his ominous tale to Juliet over wine and it gives you the chills of a first-rate horror film. The daughter's adoration of Friends and her main concern for how the last episode turned out, even though everything is going to shit around her in real life, is such an apt satirical dig at the need of some shallow-minded individuals for whom even the slightest banality is enough to fulfill life. Unfortunately, it loses it's previous mojo in the last instructional chapter. The mystery evaporates and its explanation is like something out of a Trumpist paranoid pamphlet about how the whole world is against the US and that the truth is in the hands of the preppers who have had their packs of basic necessities ready for years, or who have thrown their entire savings into an underground bunker. I think that on Judgment Day I’ll be taking a quiet nap :o) (05.01.2024)

Hot mess, but I love it. It sucked me in at the beginning and didn't let go until the last scene, any "rational" complaints are forgotten. (10.12.2023)

This film is the kind that will have people either giving it one star or five. Essentially, nothing happens, but at the same time, everything does. It's an apocalypse in real-time where you learn nothing but are enveloped in an overwhelmingly tense atmosphere. The only downside is the lack of memorable scenes. However, the few that we get are absolutely phenomenal. I really appreciate how the filmmakers created a movie brimming with perfect tension from an atmosphere of complete uncertainty. As the movie approached its end, with a runtime exceeding two hours that flew by, I was almost dreading a typical American-style explanation that could ruin it. But to my immense relief, it didn’t happen. The film’s ending is just perfect, and very much fitting the genre. (27.12.2023)

Sam Esmail, the creator of the praised series Mr. Robot, directs an apocalyptic psychological thriller about a cyber attack for Netflix, with a decent cast and definitely higher potential. But Esmail and Netflix deserve a thumbs up, as there can never be enough good mystery conspiracy thrillers. Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Mahershala Ali, and even Kevin Bacon in a smaller role make a for a good ensemble cast, so even though it is mainly a conversational drama-thriller with a longer running time than healthy, the film is fortunately not boring. (Of course, it depends on the individual.) I liked the mysterious atmosphere that accompanies the whole film, the division into chapters, and the craftsmanship. The few apocalyptic shots are very nice (although they could have been longer and there could have been more of them). There are plenty of questions and few answers, which wouldn't be a problem if the film didn't have a strange ending where you expect a proper twist and gets that instead. I always have the feeling that when filmmakers are unsure how to end the film and are afraid they don't have a well-thought-out twist, they end it randomly like this, but this doesn't apply in this case. I'm not completely thrilled about it, I expected a bigger mindfuck experience, but compared to the latest Shyamalan, it's definitely a class better. Although there were a few things that bothered me, overall I have no problem with it, and the film receives a weaker 4 stars from me. However, the idea is definitely terrifying. 7/10. (12.12.2023)

Sam Esmail serves up a slow platter of nervs with no easy answers. It will annoy everyone, but I always liked these questions and stories. A depressing drama with a satirical patina. The three-pronged attack is a very interesting theme. You'd think Europe would be entering the first phase, so good luck with that. A formally brilliant exercise, with great performances. Though they might as well have left the drunken dancing Julia Roberts on the cutting room floor. Since Netflix likes it long. P.S: A must for fans of Friends and Matthew Perry's death as a thoughtful marketing ploy? A joke worthy of Chandler. (09.12.2023)

A more thoughtful, tense and overall more minimalist version of Civil War with a gradually escalating atmosphere in the style of Take Shelter. Technically outstanding. Great cinematography and editing. Superb acting, a shame some elements were left unexplained and perhaps the conclusion was too rushed given the carefully constructed build up to the finale. (31.05.2024)

You have to be cautious with Netflix. And this is doubly true for their film productions. It's really hit or miss (and unfortunately, it often falls into the latter category). However, after watching Leave the World Behind, I definitely place it in the first category. Sam Esmail surprised me. Technically, I haven’t seen a better film on this streaming platform so far. The camera work was precise (I was in awe), and the editing was excellent. Not to mention, the actors gave their absolute best (I was pleased to see Julia Roberts on the big screen again after a while). As for the plot, I really liked how the film chose to tell its story. The fact that you often had to piece things together yourself suited me perfectly (literalness in other films can become tiresome, so I welcomed the change). Besides everything, the film also offers some gripping sequences (the plane crash, the Tesla car scene, the teeth of one of the main characters) that took my breath away. So why not a five-star rating? The ending felt a bit rushed to me. I understand the creators' decision to go this route for a possible sequel, but I would have preferred a more thought-out closure. Still, it undoubtedly earns an 8/10. P.S. The soundtrack is absolutely brilliant! (11.01.2024)