The Spotlight: Leave the World Behind (2023)
The Spotlight series takes a fresh look at works of climate cinema
By Benjamin Hone
Sam Esmail’s slow-burning thriller, Leave the World Behind (2023), follows the Sandford family on a vacation out of the city to a hamlet in Long Island. After they settle into their vacation home, the unexpected arrival of strangers, the loss of internet connections, and other odd occurrences create an ominous environment that forces them to piece together what appears to be a mysterious, large-scale event and face their own prejudices.
The film, which stars Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Mahershala Ali, and Myha’la, features one particular scene that is subtly filled with climate symbolism. In an establishing shot, we see a beautiful blue sky and calm waters with only a tiny dot on the horizon to disturb the perfectly parallel lines in the frame. But as the Sandfords settle in, and the kids go for a walk, the camera pans over a beachscape that is unfortunately familiar to anyone who has spent time on the shore in the past decade: a tide line of seaweed littered with plastic soda bottles, Solo cups, and food wrappers.
The idyllic setting is tainted with plastic pollution, in sharp contrast to the establishing shot that depicted a bluebird day. The camera’s gaze over the litter makes it impossible for the audience to ignore, even as it is overlooked by the characters. But while young Archie (Charlie Evans) is busy ogling two young women, his sister Rose (Farrah Mackenzie) first notices a boat on the horizon. She comments on how large it is, although to the audience it is just a small speck on an expansive horizon, one easy to ignore unless you care to pay attention.
In the next cut, the family is snacking under the shade of their umbrella and Archie gets a match in his dating app. Rose is the only one who pays attention to the ship, which she notes is getting closer. Clay, the father, says, “Oh yeah, she’s a beaut’. Looks like an oil tanker,” minimizing his daughter’s obvious concern while signaling to the audience what the impending danger represents.
Time passes while the family naps. When the mother glances up from her book she sees Rose staring off into the distance and hears her say, “I think that ship is heading towards us.” Finally, the ship comes so close that the parents can no longer ignore the threat. At the last moment they hurry their family out of the way just as the tanker crashes onto the shore.
There are other references in this scene to the crisis we face. The youngest member of the family is the first to notice that something is amiss, and her elders quickly and easily dismiss her concern. How can we not think of the throngs of young people who have taken to the streets to demand action on climate change, only to be dismissed, mocked, and even demonized by the older establishment?
In some ways, the scene points out the pleasant banality of life that keeps us from recognizing approaching danger. The Sandfords nap, snack, and ogle their way through a day at the beach, oblivious to the swiftly approaching threat pointed directly at them. Film buffs will connect this scene with the masterful beach scene in Jaws (1975, dir. Steven Spielberg), where another sun-drenched day at the shore ends in terror. The final shot appears to make this connection by paying homage to Jaws’ famous poster.
In a moment of sarcastic levity, Rose and Archie’s mom, Amanda (Julia Roberts), gleefully spots a Starbucks on the drive home, and for the time being, the comforts of consumerism allow the Sandfords to ignore the traumatic events that have already begun to unfold around them.
Ben is the Climate Film Festival’s Communications Lead. He brings over a decade of experience in marketing for Fortune 500 companies along with a deep passion for climate solutions and love for the natural world.