Some former presidents go on to get nearly 100 criminal indictments. Others settle for starting entertainment companies. That’s what Barack Obama’s done. Back in 2018 he and his wife, former First Lady Michelle Obama, formed Higher Ground, dedicated to not only film and TV but also podcasts. So far they’ve made four films, the most recently being the apocalyptic thriller Leave the World Behind. It arrived Friday, but where can one watch it?
The answer is: Netflix. It’s the latest star-studded film from the streamer, with Julia Roberts heading a cast also comprised of Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la, and Kevin Bacon. There’s also an apparent dig at Elon Musk’s self-driving Teslas, which Netflix posted on Elon Musk’s Twitter/X.
Here’s the film’s plot, per its IMDb page:
Amanda and Clay’s aspirational vacation with their teenage children is interrupted by the arrival of a middle aged couple who own the holiday home and who have fled an unprecedented blackout in the city. When the internet, television and radio stop working, as does the landline, they have no way of finding out what is happening. As strange sonic booms shatter the peace of the countryside, and animals start to migrate in strange ways, the physical and mental health of the families begins to disintegrate. The renters are upscale and White; the owners are upscale and Black. The issues of race clash and become distractions to the more alarming things are happening all around them.
If that sounds like something you’d enjoy, then mosey on over to Netflix.