Movies Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke get paranoid in teaser for apocalyptic thriller Leave the World Behind Kevin Bacon and Mahershala Ali round out the cast with their mysterious figures in Sam Esmail's end of the world feature. By Lauren Huff Lauren Huff Lauren Huff is a writer at Entertainment Weekly with over a decade of experience covering all facets of the entertainment industry. After graduating with honors from the University of Texas at Austin (Hook 'em, Horns!), Lauren wrote about film, television, awards season, music, and more for the likes of The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline Hollywood, Us Weekly, Awards Circuit, and others before landing at EW in May 2019. EW's editorial guidelines Published on October 2, 2023 08:10AM EDT Strange patterns, scary truths, and paranoia are the name of the game in the teaser trailer for Sam Esmail's mysterious feature, Leave the World Behind. The apocalyptic thriller from the Mr. Robot mastermind, who writes and directs here, follows Amanda (Julia Roberts) and her husband Clay (Ethan Hawke), who rent a luxurious home for the weekend with their kids, Archie (Charlie Evans) and Rose (Farrah Mackenzie). Myha’la as Ruth, Mahershala Ali as G.H., Ethan Hawke as Clay and Julia Roberts as Amanda in 'Leave the World Behind'. JoJo Whilden/NETFLIX As shown in the teaser, below, their vacation is soon upended when two strangers — G.H. (Mahershala Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Myha'la) — arrive in the night, dressed to the nines and bearing news of a mysterious cyberattack, while seeking refuge in the house they claim is theirs. Things seem to go from bad to worse, as Ali ominously tells the family things like "there is no going back to normal" and "the truth is much scarier." He also teases, "In my line of work, you have to understand the patterns that govern the world. It can help you see the future." Julia Roberts as Amanda in 'Leave the World Behind'. NETFLIX Myha’la as Ruth and Mahershala Ali as G.H. in 'Leave the World Behind'. NETFLIX Per the official synopsis, after the newcomers' arrival, the two families "reckon with a looming disaster that grows more terrifying by the minute, forcing everyone to come to terms with their places in a collapsing world." The trailer also peeps Kevin Bacon, who seems to be playing some sort of doomsday prepper who believes "we've all been deserted." 'Leave the World Behind' still. NETFLIX Julia Roberts as Amanda, Ethan Hawke as Clay, Mahershala Ali as G.H. and Myha’la as Ruth in 'Leave the World Behind'. NETFLIX Based on the National Book Award-nominated novel by Rumaan Alam of the same name, Leave the World Behind is produced by Esmail Corp, Red Om Films, and executive-produced by Higher Ground Productions. Leave the World Behind will be in select theaters Nov. 22 and world premieres on Netflix Dec. 8. Watch the trailer about and see more images from the film below. Mahershala Ali as G.H., Myha’la as Ruth, Farrah Mackenzie as Rose and Julia Roberts as Amanda in 'Leave the World Behind'. NETFLIX Mahershala Ali as G.H. in 'Leave the World Behind'. NETFLIX Writer/Director Sam Esmail and Julia Roberts. JoJo Whilden/NETFLIX Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more. Related content: Rumaan Alam goes zingy-dystopian in fall fiction breakout Leave the World Behind: Review Rumaan Alam's Leave the World Behind is the fall's biggest novel. It's about the end of the world Barack Obama gave script notes on Netflix's new disaster movie starring Julia Roberts