Breaking Down The Chaos: What Really Happened in Leave the World Behind?

Source: Netflix

Based on Rumaan Alam’s 2020 novel of the same name, the movie follows the Sanford family, who head on an impromptu trip from Brooklyn to Long Island. Everything feels so right, their rental house is beautiful, the kids are happy, and even there’s a pool! Of course, as an apocalyptic psychological thriller movie, there are twists and turns. 

And the biggest one? Two strangers, George (Mahershala Ali) and Ruth Scott (Myha'la), knock on the door of the Sanford family and claim they own the property. They’ve traveled from the city as well and say there’s been a blackout. And as the world around them twisted, both families were forced to rely on each other for their survival. 

Now, if you’re still reading this, it’s safe to assume that you’ve watched Leave the World Behind and have questions about its ending. If you haven’t watched yet? Turn back now because this post contains major spoilers. 

Still here? Great, now let’s break down the puzzling ending. By the end, we’ve come to the end of the film, and both families have done the one thing that I’m sure many of us believe you’re not supposed to do in a horror movie: Split up! To be fair, one of their children’s teeth began to fall out, and another child was on the run, so I suppose it made sense to divide and conquer. But, this is where things go wrong for the Leave the World Behind crew.

To find the medicine for the latter’s son Archie, the two fathers, George and Clay Sanford (Ethan Hawke) team up, which leads them to the house of George's contractor, Danny (Kevin Bacon). 

As soon as they interact, George points his gun back at Danny, and they nearly shoot each other, before brokering a deal. Clay later offers Danny a thousand dollars in cash for a bottle of antibiotics, and they leave unharmed, but not before Danny mentions a nearby "doomsday bunker" that one of his clients, the Thorne family, built in secret. 

When they return to the car, George thinks about Danny’s irrational behavior, finally understanding that the apocalypse will turn everyone into ruthless monsters. He makes an agreement with Clay, they need to look out for each other and they need to seek shelter in the Thornes' doomsday bunker. Then, the two drive home to find their respective families.

The next day, Rose disappears, and Amand figures that she’s looking for a solution to their problems. This leads Amanda and Ruth to find Rose in the woods, until a giant group of deer corners Ruth.

Source: Alwaha

Right when you think Ruth is about to walk over, Amanda jumps in from of her and screams at the top of her lungs to scare them off. Just when Amanda and Ruth think that they’re clear, the bombings begin. 

They see from the forest that Manhattan goes up in smoke as explosives land all over the city. And what about Rose? Well, she can hear her mom calling for her, but instead of finding her way back, she goes inside an abandoned house in the woods. It’s everything food, water, electricity and even a wall of DVDs. 

If you’ve watched Leave the World Behind, you know that throughout the entire movie, Rose has been trying to watch the ending of “Friends.” When she finds the DVD collection, she looks for it, and surprisingly she even finds it. Rose doesn’t hold herself and she grabs the disc, pops it into the DVD player, and presses play. And as the theme song begins, we see her face illuminated by the television. Then? The movie cuts to black. The end.

Source: Digital Spy

As per the storyline, it appears that all Rose wanted was to watch Friends. She made it clear from the moment her family arrived in Long Island. Despite an unfolding apocalypse, every day she begged her family to fix the TV or restore the Internet to her iPad so she could watch the show. 

When Rose tells her mother, “I’m tired of waiting,” we’re meant to understand that she’s tired of waiting for someone to save them. What if her point was something else, what if she was just tired of waiting to watch what happens to Ross and Rachel? Well, if that’s the case, we clearly have a wryly dark ending where Rose finally gets what she wants. 

What can be other potential meaning? Rose may have had the best chance at survival because she didn’t want to be like "The Drowning Man." 

While the others wasted their time investigating each other and downplaying the situation, Rose remained steadfast in her belief that danger was imminent. Maybe Rose realized that if she wanted to survive, she’d have to save herself and that’s why she just left. 

While others rely on grand missions for survival, Rose turns to what’s around her. The house she finds isn’t far from their rental property, which means anyone could've found it! In fact, others probably passed it during their investigation. Rose was the only one who actually thought to walk in.

While the final scene of Leave the World Behind is unsettling, we never find out what happens to the other characters, it's a lesson itself. When a solution presents itself to you? Just take it.

Life's most pressing solutions rarely arrive with fanfare. They often hide in plain sight, whispering possibilities amidst the chaos. To survive, sometimes, we just need to open our eyes, trust our instincts, and take that daring step, even if it leads us into the unknown.

What are your thoughts on Leave the World Behind ending? Share in the comments below!

Frequently Asked Questions 

Q. Where can I watch Leave the World Behind?

You can watch Leave the World Behind on Netflix. This is the original streaming platform where the film premiered on December 8, 2023. It's included with a Netflix subscription.

Q. What is the noise in Leave the World Behind?

It’s hard to tell what the noise in Leave the World Behind is as it remains a mystery and is never revealed, causing mental and physical harm to those who hear it. Many believe the noise could potentially be caused by a directed microwave ration, similar to the real-life Havana Syndrome.

Q. Will Leave the World Behind have a sequel?

Unfortunately, there has been no announcement by Netflix or its director on any plans to continue the story of Leave the World Behind. While the movie has likely clocked hours and hours of viewership, Netflix has yet to say anything about the success of the film. 

Q. Is Leave the World Behind about aliens?

No, Leave the World Behind is not about aliens. Based on Rumaan Alam's 2020 novel of the same name, this new thriller movie from writer-director Sam Esmail primarily focuses on the characters' directions to the crisis, their interpersonal dynamics, and their struggles to adapt to the unsettling situation. The themes of paranoia, mistrust, and the breakdown of societal norms hold center stage, suggesting an exploration of human nature in the face of the unknown rather than an alien invasion.