Netflix's Leave the World Behind is crushing the streaming charts despite divided opinions

Sam Esmail's movie Leave the World Behind, his first directing work since Mr. Robot ended, is Netflix's most-watched original at the moment despite causing a bit of division among viewers.

The star-studded apocalyptic thriller has been well-received by critics, earning a 75% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but it appears that many subscribers who watched it all the way through aren't nearly as positive; the audience rating sits at 35% with over 2,500 votes. If we turn to other renowned film sites such as IMDb or Letterboxd, things are looking more positive, with the movie earning 6,6/10 on the former and 3,1/5 on the latter. It's a decent-enough turnout for a Netflix-backed flick, but it's the actual viewership numbers that are raising it to the top.

At the time of writing, Leave the World Behind has cracked and held the #1 spot on the streamer for almost an entire week in most territories where the platform is available. Moreover, it's currently edging out in raw popularity even Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, which is now available digitally on Apple TV. Even if opinions around the movie aren't super high, it appears the Sam Esmail hype and a pretty impressive cast were enough to catch the attention of millions of viewers.

Leave the World Behind is based on the 2020 novel by Rumaan Alam and tells the story of a gradual breakdown that affects phones, TV, and other regularly used technology, all pointing to a potential cataclysmic event. With the real world currently looking like utter shite and the future sounding pretty bleak, it's no wonder that people want to either find catharsis or embrace the doomer mindset by consuming apocalyptic fiction. We're strange beings.

Leave the World Behind stars Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Myha'la, Farrah Mackenzie, Charlie Evans, Kevin Bacon, and Mahershala Ali. The latter recently offered an update on the status of Marvel Studios' long-troubled Blade reboot, which he hopes to start shooting early next year.