Vanessa Aspillaga as Salvadora in Leave the World Behind

Netflix’s apocalyptic movie, Leave the World Behind, was their most-watched title in the second half of 2023. Written and directed by Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail, based on the novel by Rumaan Alan, the apocalyptic thriller film follows a family’s getaway to a luxurious rental home, which takes an ominous turn when a cyberattack knocks out all communications, and two strangers arrive at their door. The Leave the World Behind cast includes Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la Herrold, and Kevin Bacon.

As revealed by the streamer’s second-ever engagement report (via Variety), Leave the World Behind was the most-watched title overall on Netflix in the second half of 2023 with 121 million views. One Piece was the most-watched show with 71.6 million views. Leave the World Behind is also Netflix’s fifth most-watched movie of all time.

Mahershala Ali looking off as G.H. Scott in Netflix's Leave the World Behind. 

Leave the World Behind‘s success and popularity was something of a surprise when it was released on Netflix in December 2023. It premiered at the AFI Fest in October 2023 and was released in select theaters the following month, and Leave the World Behind‘s reviews praised its outstanding performances and captivating premise, even though the film unfolds at a slow pace and its themes are somewhat simplistic. It has a strong 73% score on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics. However, critical acclaim doesn’t always guarantee popularity on streaming services like Netflix.

Leave the World Behind‘s popularity on Netflix could also be attributed to its star-studded cast. Though she isn’t as big of a draw today, Roberts was a bankable movie star during the 1990s, starring in Pretty Women, the fifth-highest-grossing film at the time of its release, and Erin Brockovich, which won her an Academy Award for Best Actress. Ali is also one of the best actors working today, having won two Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Moonlight and Green Book). Hawke is also highly respected, earning four Oscar nominations over his career.

Though its cast could have been a draw, the movie’s mysterious elements are more likely what got audiences talking and streaming the movie in masses. Some of these mysterious elements include a character’s illness, an inexplicable loud noise, and some creepy deer symbolism. The Leave the World Behind ending was also ambiguous and polarizing. Though this may have gotten viewers talking, they didn’t love ambiguity, indicated by its 35% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.