12 Biggest Unanswered Questions After Leave The World Behind’s Ambiguous Ending

Sam Esmail’s new Netflix thriller Leave the World Behind features some high-concept and thought-provoking theories of a plausible path toward the complete downfall of American society. Built on a three-step plan which G. H. Scott (Mahershala Ali) explains toward the film’s end, the United States rapidly becomes a land of total confusion once the internet, cell service, and television are essentially wiped out and inaccessible. The events turn out to be a coordinated cyberattack by rogue forces working against American interests, but there are still many questions left unanswered as the end credits roll.

Leave the World Behind was executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama and directed by Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail. The innovative film combines elements of a family vacation movie with several powerful instances of disaster movies, including multiple terrifying crash scenes involving a massive oil tanker, two commercial airliners, and hundreds of automated Teslas. Full of on-the-nose societal commentary about the dangers of advanced technology and the threat of highly sophisticated computer hackers, Leave the World Behind has left many viewers engaged while still scratching their heads.

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12 Where Was The Noise Coming From?

One of the strangest occurrences in Leave the World Behind is the screeching noise that sounded throughout the atmosphere. The source of the noise was never addressed in the film and there’s no clear indication about the subsequent effects or the general intention of the noise at large. The best estimate is that the noise is a reference to those that caused the Havana Syndrome in Cuba in 2016, which caused neurological issues to American diplomats from directed microwaves that emitted damaging radiation.

11 What Happened To G. H. Scott’s Wife?

G. H. Scott witnesses a commercial airliner crash directly into a beach not far from his Long Island vacation home. The plane was presumably full of passengers, as evidenced by the horrific scene of another plane crashing earlier in the exact same location. Scott’s wife was thought to be either on a flight or stuck waiting for a flight at an airport. G. H. speculates that her flight was redirected to Ohio, but chances are if she was already on the flight, there’s a good chance that the hijacked Autopilot took over.

10 Why Were Flamingos In The Pool?

One of the most bizarre scenes of Leave the World Behind was the sudden flock of flamingos in the Long Island swimming pool. The film mentions that geopolitical catastrophes likely altered the migration patterns of many wild animals, but flamingos are non-migratory birds, which highlights the unusual circumstance of seeing the tropical birds in the Northeastern United States. This would indicate that the flamingos could have possibly fled some type of geographical disaster in the Southern U.S.

9 Why Were Archie’s Teeth Falling Out?

One of the most disturbing scenes in Leave the World Behind features Archie waking up one morning only to start pulling his teeth out one by one. Archie heard the loud noise just like everyone else, which makes it uncertain whether his teeth falling out is a side effect of the microwave radiation. He was also bitten by a bug or tick while no other character was, indicating that the tick could have somehow caused him to lose his teeth. Teeth falling out is also a very common nightmare, which he certainly was experiencing.

8 Who Is G. H. Scott’s Client?

G. H. Scott references a significant mysterious person he knows through his work, describing him as someone high up in United States Defense. The identity of the elite American figure is never revealed, although based on his last conversation with Scott, it appears he knew exactly what was about to happen before it started happening. The man gave no warning or advice to Scott, other than a “Take care of yourself” before leaving Scott completely in the dark.

7 Why Were There So Many Deer?

The staggering amount of deer that showed up specifically to the Scott’s Long Island home is never fully explained other than Ruth’s assessment that they know something bad is happening. In Ruth’s perspective, it’s how nature’s intuition presents itself similar to how dogs know that it’s going to rain. The deer could be on a new migration route that is obstructed by the Scotts and the Sandfords, which might explain why they act so uncharacteristically aggressive toward humans.

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6 What Kind Of Bug Or Tick Bit Archie?

The apparent tick that latched onto Archie is the best guess at what caused his teeth to literally fall out of his mouth. The tick could have been an agent of biological warfare, like a robotic bug whose only purpose is to spread a deadly disease. This would fit well with the dystopian themes of Leave the World Behind. Archie vomits a dark mass and could potentially be dying from the tick bite, but the film ends before those questions are answered.

5 How Did Danny Know About The Attack?

Danny knew about the attack long before the Sandfords showed up on Long Island. He gave Amanda a concerned stare at the beginning of the movie as he loaded up on water and other survivalist supplies. It’s unclear by the film’s end whether Danny was simply a Doomsday prepper or if he actually knew that something catastrophic was going to happen. Regardless, he was extremely prepared when American society started to collapse in Leave the World Behind.

4 Will Rose Tell Her Family About The Bunker?

Ruth is the most accepting of the apparent end of the world but to a fault, choosing to indulge in junk food by herself before finding a Doomsday bunker only to watch the series finale of Friends. Ruth heard her mother call out her name in the film’s final moments and still proceeded down to the bunker in the Thornes’ house, making her future willingness to share the supplies and coexist with her family in the bunker all the more uncertain.

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3 Why Aren’t The Thornes In Their Bunker?

Another mysterious aspect of the Thornes’ bunker is that no one is home to use it. G. H. Scott had mentioned that most people aren’t around in the neighborhood during that time of year, but it is unusual that Ruth was somehow able to break in and discover it all on her own. Danny tells Clay and G. H. about the Thornes’ bunker, so it is likely that they will reunite with Ruth and stay with her in the bunker until the Thornes return home.

2 Who Attacked The United States?

The biggest unanswered question is exactly who attacked the United States in Leave the World Behind. It’s clear that whatever rogue force is behind it intends to wave no nationalist flag, hinting that it could have been an anti-government terrorist organization with a vested interest in the downfall of America. It could also be a combination of American enemies covertly working against America or, interestingly, America itself instigating its own Civil War for some inconspicuous reason. There is no indication of who the attacker really is.

1 Will There Be A Civil War?

The end of Leave the World Behind does imply that a Civil War will break out as a result of the tragic events and catastrophes throughout the film. According to the plan explained by Scott, the first two steps of the theoretical plan to destabilize a country have been effective, them being isolation and synchronized chaos. The third step, for Americans to turn on one another, is designed for people to complete themselves, which has already started to take place between Scott and Danny at the end of Leave the World Behind.