We Need to Talk About the 'Leave the World Behind' Ending, Stat
Netflix has really been doling out heavy fare lately, hasn't it? Last week, it was the stellar—if uncomfortable—May December. In a couple weeks, we'll see Bradley Cooper's uber-dramatic Maestro. This week? It's the apocalyptic Leave the World Behind.
Based on Rumaan Alam’s novel of the same name, the film follows the Sanford family, who head on an impromptu trip from Brooklyn to Long Island. Their rental house is beautiful, the kids are happy, and there’s even a pool! (A true luxury for a New York City family.) Of course, there's a twist. Two strangers, George (Mahershala Ali) and Ruth Scott (Myha'la), knock on the door and claim they own the property. They’ve traveled from the city as well—and say there’s been a blackout. As the world around them unravels, both families are forced to rely on each other for survival. Now, if you’ve made it this far, it’s safe to assume you’ve watched Leave the World Behind and have a question or two (or seven!) about its ending. If you haven't? Turn back now—this is spoiler territory from here on out.
Still here? Great. Let’s break down the puzzling final scene. By the time we’ve reached the end of the film, both families have done the one thing you’re not supposed to do in a horror movie: Split up! To be fair, one of their children's teeth started to fall out—and another child was on the run—so I suppose it made sense to divide and conquer. Nevertheless, this is where things go awry for the Leave the World Behind crew.
The two fathers, George and Clay Sanford (Ethan Hawke), team up to find medicine for the latter's son, Archie. This leads them to the abode of George's contractor, Danny (Kevin Bacon). George points his gun back at Danny—they nearly shoot each other—before brokering a deal. Clay offers Danny a thousand dollars in cash for a bottle of antibiotics, and they leave unscathed—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 reflects on Danny’s irrational behavior, finally understanding that the apocalypse will turn everyone into ruthless monsters. He makes a pact with Clay: they need to look out for each other, and they need to seek shelter in the Thornes' doomsday bunker. They drive home to find their respective families.
When Rose disappears the next day, Amanda figures she’s looking for a solution to their problems. This leads Amanda and Ruth to search for Rose in the woods—until a giant flock of deer corners Ruth. Right when you think Ruth is about to be trampled, Amanda jumps in front of her and screams at the top of her lungs to scare them off. Just when Amanda and Ruth think they're in the clear, the bombings begin. From their spot in the forest, they see Manhattan go up in smoke as explosives land all over the city.
And Rose? Well, she can hear her mother calling for her—but instead of finding her way back, she goes inside an abandoned house in the woods. The pristine-looking home is entirely untouched. As she wanders around the property, Rose finds a doomsday bunker in the basement. Yes, that doomsday bunker—Rose has wandered into the Thornes' home. It’s equipped with food, water, electricity, and even a wall of DVDs. Throughout the entire movie, Rose has been trying to watch the finale of Friends—and when she approaches the DVD collection, she finds it. Naturally, Rose grabs the disc, pops it into the DVD player, and presses play. Just as the theme song begins, you see her face illuminated by the television. Then? The film cuts to black. The end.
In a literal sense, all Rose wanted was to watch Friends. She made it clear from the moment her family arrived in Long Island. Every day—despite an unfolding apocalypse—she begged her family to fix the television or restore the Internet to her iPad. When she tells her mom, “I’m tired of waiting,” we're meant to understand that she’s tired of waiting for someone to save them. What if she was just tired of waiting to see what happens to Ross and Rachel? Hell, if that’s the case, we have a wryly dark ending where Rose finally got what she wanted.
The other potential meaning? Maybe Rose had the best chance at survival because she didn’t want to be like "The Drowning Man." While everyone else wasted time investigating each other and downplaying the situation, Rose remained steadfast in her belief that danger was imminent. Perhaps Rose realized that if she wanted to survive, she’d have to save herself—and that’s what prompted her to leave. While her family and the Scotts rely on grand missions for survival, Rose turns to what’s around her. The house she discovers isn’t far from the rental property. Anyone could've found it! In fact, others probably passed it during their exhibitions. Rose was just the only person who thought to walk in.
Though the final scene is unsettling—we never find out what happens to the other characters—it's a lesson in and of itself. When a solution presents itself to you? Take it.
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