5 Movies Like Leave The World Behind

There are several movies similar to Netflix’s Leave the World Behind that those who enjoyed the film might also appreciate. This suspenseful, apocalyptic thriller follows the Sandford family (Ethan Hawke, Julia Roberts, Charlie Evans, Farrah Mackenzie) as they go on a spontaneous vacation to a large, beautiful, isolated house. When strange events begin occurring around them, and strangers (Mahershala Ali, Myha’la) arrive at the home, the characters in Leave the World Behind must come to terms with the fact that an apocalypse may be upon them.

The film has a lot to say about the relationship between people and technology, connections between loved ones, strangers, and the government. Leave the World Behind‘s characters must navigate these relationships while also navigating the unfamiliar, new world they slowly find themselves in. The characters are also terrified by the lack of information available to them about what is really happening and why. While there are many films about apocalypses that take place in isolated environments, few movies combine the two genres to create a viewing experience like Leave the World Behind.

1 Us (2019)

Available on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and other streaming platforms

Us follows the Wilson family as they go on vacation to a beach house. The mother, Adelaide, can’t help but feel a mounting sense of impending doom as the vacation progresses. Dark secrets from her childhood come to light when a group of four strangers, doppelgängers of the Wilsons, arrive and rain terror on the family. The film soon reveals that what’s happening to the Wilsons may not be an isolated incident. It may be just one of many events in an apocalypse. The symbolism and hidden meanings in Us is designed to unnerve and make the audience think.

Both Us and Leave the World Behind follow a family of four going on vacation, only for an apocalypse to strike. The isolation each family experiences begins as a source of serenity for them, only for that isolation to become terrifying as the apocalypse commences. The movies contain beach scenes that initially seem tranquil, with the anxiety of what’s to come simmering beneath the surface. The apocalypses both films depict encourage audiences to question their relationships with each other and with the government. Considering these similarities, fans of Leave the World Behind would likely also enjoy Us.

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2 Knock At The Cabin (2023)

Available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and other platforms

Based on the novel The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul G. Tremblay, Knock at the Cabin is set in a secluded cabin in the woods where a family is on vacation. A group of four armed strangers arrive and challenge the family to make a sacrifice in order to avoid the impending apocalypse. Revelations about the family and the strangers call into question how real the threat of the supposed apocalypse is. As the hours pass, the family slowly runs out of time to decide what choice they will make.

Knock at the Cabin and Leave the World Behind follow families on vacation in an isolated location who must navigate a supposed apocalypse. The lack of information available to the families due to their isolation is part of the terror of both films. The families in Knock at the Cabin and Leave the World Behind must contend with strangers whose motives are unclear, adding to the uncertainty and horror of their predicaments. Both films challenge audiences to consider the nature of their relationships with people, especially in times of crisis.

3 Silent Night (2021)

Available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and other platforms

2021’s Silent Night follows a group of families who gather at the large, isolated home of one of the families to celebrate Christmas. What begins as a comedic yet understandably tense holiday gathering slowly devolves into terror as it’s revealed that everyone at the gathering is aware that an apocalypse is sweeping the world. Everyone believes they will be dead by the following morning.

With both featuring a beautiful, isolated home, an impending apocalypse, and tense interactions between many different people, there are plenty of similarities between Silent Night and Leave the World Behind. The movies balance comedy with the horror of societal or worldwide destruction. Silent Night and Leave the World Behind characters have conversations where they question what the apocalypse means for them, the world around them, their relationships with their loved ones, and their relationships with the government. Audiences who enjoyed the comedy as well as the philosophical questions raised by Leave the World Behind would likely also enjoy Silent Night.

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4 Bird Box (2018)

Available on Netflix

Based on the novel of the same name by Josh Malerman, Bird Box follows a woman, Malorie, over the course of five years as she attempts to survive an apocalypse and a post-apocalyptic world while also caring for two children. While Bird Box’s deadly unseen creatures are the primary cause of the apocalypse, strangers are also a source of danger. Malorie encounters many people throughout the film, some who are kind and helpful, while others have more malicious intentions.

Both Bird Box and Leave the World Behind explore how people attempt to navigate societal collapse during an apocalypse. A central source of tension in Bird Box and Leave the World Behind is whether strangers can be trusted during times of crisis. Each movie explores how interactions with strangers can impact people, for better or worse, in times of peril. While Bird Box has much more action and violence than Leave the World Behind, audiences who enjoyed the more human and personal sources of conflict in Leave the World Behind will likely also appreciate these aspects of Bird Box.

5 The Purge (2013)

Available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and other platforms

The Purge takes place in a futuristic America where all crime is legal and where all emergency services are suspended for one night every year. The film follows the Sandin family as they try to survive the annual Purge when a group of killers arrives at their home and threatens to rain terror upon them. While the other films in the Purge film franchise follow different characters, take place in different time periods, and occur in different locations across the United States, The Purge is distinct because it’s a home invasion thriller.

Both The Purge and Leave the World Behind star Ethan Hawke as a hapless father and husband doing his best to protect his family. Part of the terror of both movies is the fact that the characters are isolated from help. Also, the titles explore moral questions about what kind of responsibility strangers have towards each other in times of peril. Although The Purge is more of an action and horror film than Leave the World Behind, audiences who enjoyed Hawke’s performance and the moral questions raised by Leave the World Behindwould likely also enjoy The Purge.