They Cloned Tyrone, May December, and the 13 best Netflix movies (plus the 10 worst) of 2023

Best: Leave the World Behind

Based on Rumaan Alam’s acclaimed novel of the same name, Leave the World Behind is one of the most recent releases on this list and one generating significant buzz online thanks to its scarily realistic concept. The movie follows the Sandford family, Amanda and her husband Clay, played by Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke, and their two children as they travel to a beach town for a vacation.

During their stay, the original owners of the house, G.H. Scott (Mahershala Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Myha’la) return home and ask to spend the night in their own home. The whole thing throws the Sandford family off-kilter, particularly Amanda, who doesn’t trust the strangers, but they inform the family that they’re there because a blackout occurred in the city and they need to be somewhere safe.

Throughout the film, strange things continue happening, including animals acting weird, a high-pitched screeching sound, falling planes, and more. It seems like the blackout might just be the start of society breaking down completely. What will these people do if they only have each to depend on and the world as they know it is ceasing to exist all around them? Sam Esmail directs and writes the film, which stretches over two hours, but Esmail successfully maintains the tension across its extensive runtime, which is quite the feat.

Written by Maddy Lennon