Leave the World Behind Ending Explained
Julia Roberts New Movie: Leave the World Behind Ending Explained
The wrap-up of Netflix’s newest mind-bending thriller, Julia Roberts new movie Leave the World Behind, leaves many lingering questions.
The film, adapted from Rumaan Alam’s 2020 acclaimed novel, shadows the Sanford family—Amanda (Julia Roberts), Clay (Ethan Hawke), and their kids Rose (Farrah Mackenzie) and Archie (Charlie Evans)—during a vacation in a fancy beachside rental on Long Island.
Things take a strange turn right away with a massive cyberattack hitting the U.S. Then, George (Mahershala Ali), the owner of the vacation home, arrives with his daughter Ruth (Myha’la Herrold), sharing news of a blackout in New York City. Eventually, both families decide to weather the storm together.
Netflix film called "Leave The World Behind" produced by the Obamas includes a scene demonizing white people.
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 11, 2023
White people are the only group you’re allowed and celebrated to be racist towards and it will be put into movies by the most influential people. pic.twitter.com/WxyIYmzGOH
Unraveling the Leave the World Behind Ending
By the movie’s end, members of both families have split—which, let’s be real, rarely leads to anything positive.
George and Clay head out to find medicine for Archie, whose teeth are mysteriously falling out. This leads them to George’s contractor, Danny, who’s not just a contractor but also a conspiracy theorist and doomsday prepper.
After a tense standoff with guns drawn, involving George, Danny, and Clay, they reach an understanding, and Archie gets his medicine.
Back in the car, George shares his theory about the U.S. attack, predicting a civil war and government collapse based on intel from a defense sector client.
Meanwhile, Amanda and Ruth venture into the woods to search for the missing Rose. During the search, Ruth is surrounded by a group of deer, slowly approaching until Amanda scares them off with a scream.
Continuing their search, they stumble upon a view of the Manhattan skyline and witness explosions rocking the city.
What’s going on with Rose? Leave the World Behind Ending Explained
Rose is up to something, and we find her inside a house she’s broken into, enjoying a meal all alone.
Roaming around, Rose opens a sturdy metal door leading to what seems like a safe room below, stocked with supplies like food, water, computers, electricity, and a TV with DVDs.
On a computer screen, there’s an emergency alert flashing, saying the White House and major U.S. cities are under attack by “rogue armed forces” and warns about “elevated radiation.”
Rose settles on the couch, puts on an episode of Friends called “The Last One,” and that’s a wrap for the movie.
Author Alam, in an interview with Variety, says, “It’s a reminder that art is kind of a salve.”
Decoding the Deer’s Meaning: Leave the World Behind Ending Explained
The film features deer throughout, and there are various theories about what they symbolize.
Ruth in the movie thinks the deer are trying to warn her and Amanda.
Myha’la Herrold, who plays Ruth, explains, “The deer are a very prominent figure in the film. It’s indicative of what’s going on with the power and the lack of movement of people.”
Charlie Evans, aka Archie, believes the deer symbolize “the connection to the natural world, how we treat it, how it moves around us, and how we don’t really think about it as carefully as we should.”
Sam Esmail, the writer and director of Leave the World Behind, tells Tudum by Netflix, “Deer are peaceful creatures. To turn that sweet image into now this sort of ominous, menacing, almost warning—I thought was really interesting.”
Survival of the Families: Leave the World Behind Ending Explained
The fate of the families is uncertain, and that’s intentional, according to author Alam, staying true to the original book plot.
“It’s not that kind of story,” Alam explains. Unlike disaster movies that neatly save the main characters, he says, “I just don’t think this is that kind of film.”
While the film may differ a bit from the book, Alam assures it remains “emotionally faithful” to the overall story. Seeing the families reunite at the end, he believes, would be “emotionally dissatisfying.”