The star-studded psychological thriller “Leave the World Behind” sees writer-director Sam Esmail serving up what appears to be another end-of-the-world movie. But don’t let your first impressions fool you. This genre-defying treat quickly uncoils into something provocative, insightful, chilling, and even darkly funny at times. Considered together, it all amounts to a wildly entertaining and unexpectedly absorbing doomsday feature – one that has a lot going on underneath the thrills and chills.

Technology, race, misinformation, conspiracy theories, and paranoia are just some of the issues touched on in this slippery thriller which is based on Rumaan Alam’s 2020 novel of the same name. It tells a well-crafted story with interests that extend beyond Esmail’s clear love for genre filmmaking. It’s just as intrigued by the idea of society under pressure and the psychology that accompanies the collapse of civilization. At the same time it never loses sight of what makes these kinds of movies so much fun.

Seemingly on a whim, Amanda Sandford (Julia Roberts) and her husband Clay (Ethan Hawke) decide to get away for the weekend with their two kids, Archie (Charlie Evans) and Rose (Farrah Mackenzie). Sandra books a posh Long Island Airbnb that’s nestled in a quiet patch of woods just a few miles from the beach. Soon they’re packed up and leaving Brooklyn for what they hoped would be a fun family getaway.

While enjoying a sunny afternoon on the beach the first of several strange events takes place when a massive oil tanker slams ashore (it’s a brilliantly conceived and shot sequence). The family hurries back to the rental home where they discover the phones, internet, radio and television are all out. But later that night the mystery really ramps up when they’re visited by a man named G.H. Scott (Mahershala Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Myha’la) who claim to be the owners of the home.

Immediately Esmail hits us will all kinds of questions. First off, is G.H. and Ruth really who they say they are? Why are they showing up late at night unannounced? Should we believe their cryptic speak of a looming catastrophe? Most of all, should Clay and Sandra honor their request to stay overnight? Those are all reasonable things to ask. But among his many strokes of genius, Esmail slyly turns the table and asks different but equally pertinent questions. Why is Sandra so suspicious of G.H. and Ruth? What drives her (and our) mistrust? The answers may not be pretty.

The dynamic between the four is compelling. You have the tightly wound Amanda and the more easygoing Clay; the gentle G.H. and the snarky Ruth. Amanda’s cynicism routinely clashes with Clay’s optimism. G.H.’s temperance frustrates the more outspoken Ruth. It creates a pressure-cooker tension within the house. Meanwhile outside things are growing more dangerous and even more perplexing.

I won’t say much more, but Esmail creates some harrowing scenarios and shoots them with some of the most impressive lensing I have seen this year. He and cinematographer Tod Campbell incorporate an assortment of wild angles, rotating cameras, sweeping overhead shots, and dizzying pans. Some of the flourishes may come across as too showy. But they keep the film visually interesting whether it’s something as simple as scanning a room or as thrilling as a commercial airliner falling out of the sky.

Animals acting weird, crippling ear-piercing noises from nowhere, even Kevin Bacon playing a crackpot survivalist – you never know what you’ll get in this heady genre smorgasbord. The simmering tensions and growing anxieties create some terrific character moments while the apocalyptic signs raise all kinds of questions. Interestingly some may not like the ‘answers’ we eventually get. But it’s fitting, as is the utter hopelessness that Esmail leaves us with. “Leave the World Behind” premieres December 8th on Netflix.

VERDICT – 4 STARS