Leave The World Behind is probably the most surprising Netflix hit of the week. The post-apocalyptic drama, which is produced by Barack and Michelle Obama (no, really), has a star studded cast including Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Kevin Bacon, and, of course, Julia Roberts.
Based on the novel by Rumaan Alam, Leave The World Behind depicts the collapse of society after technological infrastructure fails. And despite only being released recently, it is proving to be a big success for Netflix success already and one of best thriller movies on the platform right now, with the Julia Roberts movie shooting to first place on the streaming service‘s charts.
It’s also proving to be popular with critics as well as audiences, with a 76% Rotten Tomatoes rating overall. Roberts’ performance especially struck a cord with reviewers, with The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey, for example, writing that “America’s sweetheart [Julia Roberts] has sprinted over to the dark side, and it’s a thrill to see what she does with it.”
If this new movie leaves you insatiable for more Julia, check out our guides to the best Julia Roberts movies, best rom-coms, best romance movies and the best ’90s movies.