This week, everyone is checking out Leave the World Behind starring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, and Ethan Hawke. The new thriller debuted on Netflix on 8 December and has topped the most-watched charts. However, many viewers are wanting to understand more about the Leave the World Behind ending, which has left them stumped.
In the movie, the Sandford family, helmed by mother and father Amanda (Roberts) and Clay (Hawke), take a last-minute trip away to Long Island. Amanda rents an impressive-looking house in Long Island with the aim of escaping the people that inhabit New York City, whom she has expressed hatred for.
After a leisurely first day in Long Island, Amanda and Clay are left perplexed when the owners of the house, G.H. Scott (Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Myha’la), show up in the middle of the night. G.H. explains that a blackout has left New York in chaos, so the pair decided to take refuge at their house away from the city.
At first, Amanda resists their pleas to stay the night; however, Clay convinces her to let the mysterious pair stay. Before long, an emergency broadcast demonstrates that the situation is significantly worse than they first thought.
Eventually, the appearance of dozens of deer, a mysterious yet deafening noise, crashed aircraft, and frightening terrorist propaganda convince the two families that they might be witnessing the end of the world as they know it.
As the film reaches its climax, Archie’s (Amanda and Clay’s son) teeth start to fall out and he vomits blood. This appears to have been caused by a tick bite he received earlier in the film. At the same time, their daughter Rose disappears.
In an attempt to cover all bases, G.H. and Clay take Archie to Danny, a local doomsday prepper, whom they believe will have vital medicine. Elsewhere, Amanda and Ruth set out to find Rose.
So, what is it about the Leave the World Behind ending that has left viewers confused and what does it mean?
Leave the World Behind ending explained
At the film’s conclusion, G.H. and Clay get into a standoff with Danny who insists that he needs to protect his family from an unknown enemy that is intent on destroying the United States from within. Eventually, though, he concedes and gives Archie some medicine.
Back in the car, G.H. and Clay discuss the state of the world. G.H. asks Clay if he’ll have his back going forward, just as he did for Clay and his son moments before with Danny. G.H. then explains that one of his clients once told him about a hypothetical three-point plan that an antagonistic force could use to destabilise the U.S. government. Everything he says ring true to the events that have unfolded.
Amanda and Ruth encounter a huge amount of deer. Ruth laments that the animals are trying to warn them of the impending danger. At that moment, Ruth notices that explosions of unknown origin are decimating New York in the distance. Amanda covers her mouth in horror.
Nearby, we see Rose gorging on snacks inside an abandoned house. She hears her mother calling her name from the woods and heads outside to join her. Before she gets out the door, she investigates the underground bunker that Danny was telling G.H. and Clay about in the previous scene.
Inside, an emergency alert system indicates that the country is at war with an unknown armed force. Rose then finds a large archive of DVDs including the final season of Friends (a TV show that she is obsessed with). She then sits down to watch the final episode as the credits roll to the sound of The Remembrandts.
Many viewers have called the Leave the World Behind ending underwhelming and confusing, which is understandable as it doesn’t explain much.
In a previous scene, Rose explains to Archie that Friends makes her feel happy and says that it’s something she needs at a time like this. This happiness is what she finds in the house between the huge supply of snacks and the final episode of her favourite TV show. Just as many of us did during the pandemic, Rose resorts to things that make her feel comfortable.
As for the other characters, the movie ends with them all discovering just how bad things are about to get. Leave the World Behind is intended as a cautionary tale that’s supposed to leave you as baffled as the characters that it follows. They don’t really know what is happening and what to do next, just as the audience is left similarly in the dark.
The movie’s conclusion emphasises just how terrifying and baffling war and/or the end of civilisation can be for ordinary people who just want to take care of their loved ones.
What did you think to the ending of Leave the World Behind? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other Film & TV articles…
