Is G.H. Right About Leave The World Behind's Events?
An in-depth analysis of G.H.'s theory at the end of Leave the World Behind and the director's perspective on the unknown events in the movie.
G.H.'s Theory and Director's Perspective
Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Leave the World Behind! Leave the World Behind director Sam Esmail opened up about G.H.'s theory at the end of the movie, discussing if he was right about everything going on. During the final minutes of the film, G.H. theorizes the cyberattack and other odd events transpiring are part of a nationwide destabilization process. He indicates the plan is likely happening from the inside - a military coup against the United States. Speaking on The Big Picture Podcast, Esmail addressed whether G.H. is right about his theory during Leave the World Behind's ending. The director neither confirms nor denies the character's belief about what happened, saying the point of the movie is to tap into the fear of the unknown. Check out what Esmail had to say below: “So that was tricky because when G.H. draws that conclusion, I remember when I wrote it I was like, okay, for the people that need some answer, this I thought was an answer that could feel satisfying yet still mysterious. Plausible but unconfirmed. And so - because, again, I did not want to pull punches. I think, look, we're 3 years out from Covid, we still don't know what the f*** happened, how this happened, and there's no confirmed answer as to why this occurred. So I think it is realistic to have your theories - to have good theories - but I resisted just saying 'Well, this is it.' And what's funny is, when people get upset about that, and say, 'Well, what is this? Who did this? What was behind this?' I always say, 'Okay, well let's say I had Mahershala [Ali] say 'It was Russia.' Would that make the movie better for you? I don't think they want to answer too. Because I'm telling you, every time I have that conversation with a person who reacted that way, when I would put it to them like that, they were sort of like, 'Yeah, that's not...that wouldn't make sense, that's not what would satisfy.' It would actually make it worse! And so for me, it's the discomfort of not knowing. That's what this movie's about. And hopefully that provocation, like I said earlier, sits with them after they've left the theater or turned it off Netflix or whatever. And then they kind of come around to it.”
Julia Roberts in sunglasses and Mahershala Ali in a tux in Leave the World Behind
Exploring G.H.'s Theory and the Movie's Adaptation
In the original book by Rumann Alam, the events of the story are never fully explained, leaving the cause up to readers to theorize about. However, Leave the World Behind's adaptation changes this, as G.H.'s theory offers the most concrete explanation of what's transpiring. Even so, Esmail's lack of clarity about the theory means the exact cause of the cyberattack and subsequent events is still up in the air. Even though it's still unclear if G.H.'s theory is correct, the movie presents his explanation before cutting to Amanda and Ruth watching bombs fall on New York City. The implication is that his hypothesis is correct, or is close enough to the truth given the attack shown right after. While the movie doesn't outright show who is attacking the United States, the information it presents means it could be a military coup. Given how tense Leave the World Behind is thanks to the mystery of its events, Esmail's lack of clarity aligns with how much the movie taps into paranoia. While G.H. could be right about what's going on, plenty of smaller puzzle pieces like the noise and Archie's teeth falling out never get explained. Even if the coup theory were to be confirmed, there are still plenty of factors in the film that add terror to the unknown.
Sam Esmail's Directorial Style and Other Works
Outside Leave the World Behind, Sam Esmail is also known for directing the TV shows Mr. Robot and Homecoming season 1.
