Apocalyptic thrillers are a dime a dozen these days. This year alone M. Night Shyamalan released his own take on the genre — also adapted from a popular novel — with this year’s “Knock at the Cabin.” But watching director/producer/screenwriter Sam Esmail’s “Leave the World Behind” makes Shyamalan’s film feel quaint by comparison, with the “Mr. Robot” creator telling a two-hour descent into chaos that is compelling and utterly terrifying.
Based on the novel by Rumaan Alam, the film follows Amanda and Clay (Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke), a couple who decide on a whim to leave their New York home with their two children and go on a weekend vacation to the small “hamlet” of Point Comfort in Long Island.