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Rumaan Alam’s 2020 New York Times bestseller “Leave the World Behind” returned to the top of bestseller lists this week following the release of the film adaptation on Netflix.
Directed by Sam Esmail and executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, the film follows a married couple (Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke) who book a weekend getaway with their children. be. In the middle of the night, as a potential apocalypse unfolds outside, the owner of the house, played by Mahershala Ali, shows up with her daughter (Maihara Herold) seeking refuge. While it’s unclear what exactly is going on in the world, the film focuses on how the two families work together to survive.
Esmail’s sci-fi feature film adaptation makes several diversions from the book, especially regarding the ending. But Arum, who also serves as the film’s executive producer, says these changes are “emotionally true to the original.”
“The theatrical experience of watching this movie is so powerful because I’ve had the opportunity to see audiences react to the ending three times now, and no one really knows what to make of this movie. “Hmm,” Aram said. variety About the twist ending. “They’re like, Is this funny? Is this scary? Is this really over? And I love it so much.”
The novel was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction and was later named one of President Barack Obama’s summer reads. It can also be purchased on Amazon and has been ranked #1 in bestsellers. You can also purchase it on Kindle for $5.99 or as an audiobook through Amazon’s discounted Audible membership for $5.95.