Summary

Leave the World Behindwould havebeen an actor reunion 30 year in the making ifDenzel Washington ’s role in the 2023 Netflix thriller hadworked out . Written and directed by Sam Esmail , Leave the World Behindis based on Rumaan Alam ’s 2020 apocalyptical novel of the same name about a family holiday thatgets interrupt by the proclaimed owner of their rental abode warning of an impending blackout and subsequent societal collapse .

Originally , Denzel Washington was supposedto star as G.H. Scott inLeave the World Behind . However , it was announce in September 2021 thatMahershala Ali had replaced Washington inLeave the World Behindafter he entrust the project . While Ali did a big job as G.H. Scott , the role had a deeper signification for Washington because of his history with another member of theLeave the World Behindcast . If he ’d stayed on the project , impart the World Behindwould have been Washington ’s first movie with one of his past tense co - stars in three decades .

The Sandfords set aside a house for a fast getaway , but their plan transfer after there ’s a massive cyber flack and the homeowners return unexpectedly .

Rose looking at deer in the yard in Leave the World Behind

Leave The World Behind Would Have Been A Pelican Brief Reunion For Denzel Washington & Julia Roberts

Leave the World Behindwould have reunify Denzel Washington with Julia Roberts , who plays Amanda Sandford in the Netflix moving picture , after they first shared the screen in the 1993 legal thrillerThe Pelican Brief . function as Alan J. Pakula ’s penultimate film before his death in 1998,The Pelican Briefis a movie adaption of John Grisham ’s 1992 novel about a law student named Darby Shaw ( Roberts ) and a newspaper publisher newsperson named Gray Grantham ( Washington ) . While working on the titular legal brief about the assassination of two Supreme Court justice , Darby becomes a target herself and muster in Grantham ’s helper .

Washington ’s going prevented this 30 - yr reunion with Roberts from coming to realisation onscreen in Leave the World Behind .

Washington and Roberts have not asterisk in another movie together sinceThe Pelican Brief , but that was all about to shift withLeave the World Behindin 2023.In improver to starring , Washington was also plant to produce the film alongside Roberts . They were shape up to be quite the powerhouse duo both in front and behind the camera , but sadly , Washington ’s loss prevented this 30 - yr reunion with Roberts from do to realization onscreen inLeave the World Behind .

Denzel Washington in Fences with Myha’la, Julia Roberts, and Ethan Hawke in Leave the World Behind

Washington has also star in bothTraining Day(2001 ) andThe Magnificent Seven(2016 ) alongsideLeave the World Behindstar Ethan Hawke .

Denzel Washington was originally slated to play a pivotal role in Leave the World Behind , which would have modify the impact of this character .

Leave The World Behind Could Have Redeemed Denzel Washington & Julia Roberts' Thriller

Leave The World Behind Had Better Critical Reception Than The Pelican Brief

Leave the World Behindwas set to deliver Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts ' long - awaited onscreen reunification afterThePelican Brief , which could have redeemed the 1993 effectual thriller ’s pitiable vital performance . Despite its major star baron , The Pelican Briefwas not received well by critics , as reflected by its 55 % score onRotten Tomatoes . Though Roberts was already in a bit of a " lousy " slump sincePretty Womanin 1990,The Pelican Briefbroke Denzel Washington ’s " Fresh " Rotten Tomatoes streakin the ' 90s .

Rotten Tomatoes did not live for another five year afterThe Pelican Briefwas released , so these streaks are only in retrospect .

It would have been a different picture with Washington in it , but it ’s toilsome to conceive of that Leave the World Behind ’s reviews would n’t have amounted to a score that was as good or even better .

Keanu Reeves looking over one shoulder as John Wick in Ballerina

While it has a significantly downcast audience score of 35 % thanThe Pelican Brief ’s 61 % evaluation , Leave the World Behindwas a much bigger bang with critics . The Netflix apocalyptical thriller holds a 73 % critics score onRotten Tomatoes , on which the consensus is thatLeave the World Behindis " an exceptionally well - acted apocalyptic thriller . " If Washington never left , Leave the World Behind ’s " Fresh " paygrade could have made up forThe Pelican Brief ’s " Rotten " status .

Of course , it would have been a different film with Washington in it , but it ’s voiceless to imagine thatLeave the World Behind ’s reviewswouldn’t have add up to a score that was as good or even better with his comportment , especially paired with Roberts . critic concede that these two made for " a compelling squad " inThe Pelican Briefand were the high spot of the otherwise disappointing film . pull up stakes the World BehindwasDenzel Washingtonand Julia Roberts ' chance to fulfill their true collaborative potential afterThe Pelican Brieffailed to fully showcase their gift .

Movie Title

An image of Denzel Washington layered over an image of Mahershala Ali as G.H. Scott in Leave the World Behind

Custom Image by Debanjana Chowdhury

Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score

The Pelican Brief(1993 )

Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts in The Pelican Brief

55 %

61 %

Leave the World Behind(2023 )

Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington in The Pelican Brief

73 %

35 %

Sources : Rotten Tomatoes , Rotten Tomatoes

Leave the World Behind (2023) - Poster - Deer In Middle Of The Road

A family’s getaway to a luxurious rental home takes an ominous turn when a cyberattack knocks out their devices, and two strangers appear at their door.

A menage ’s lam to a luxurious rental household takes an ominous turn when a cyberattack knocks out their devices , and two strangers appear at their door .

Leave the World Behind