Controversial Movie Produced by Obamas Sparks Attention: ‘Questioning Trust in White People
It’s incredible how, even after leaving the White House, Barack and Michelle Obama continue to captivate and divide America.
One of their latest ventures is a production deal with Netflix, where they have their hands in various projects. From a documentary about Michelle called “Becoming” to a modern take on “Schoolhouse Rock” called “We the People,” their influence is far-reaching.
However, it’s their foray into fictional filmmaking with “Leave the World Behind” that has everyone talking and taking sides once again.
This apocalyptic movie, which seems like a low-budget imitation of an M. Night Shyamalan film, features a rich white family renting a mansion in the middle of nowhere. Suddenly, a black family shows up, warning them of chaos engulfing the city and the world. Trust becomes a scarce commodity.
While the trailer may pique your interest, the movie itself feels like a mashup of “Dr. Strangelove” and “Get Out,” without any originality or value.
Even the presence of Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, and Kevin Bacon can’t save this sinking ship. And just when you think it can’t get worse, there’s a heavy-handed twist ending that tries to make a profound statement.
But don’t worry, I won’t spoil it for you. If you’re curious, you can check out ScreenRant’s detailed explanation of the ending.
function ffp_getCookie(cname) { var name=cname + “=”; var decodedCookie=decodeURIComponent(document.cookie); var ca=decodedCookie.split(‘;’); for(var i=0; i Critics seemed to like it, with a 75 percent “fresh” rating on critical aggregator Rotten Tomatoes: “An exceptionally well-acted apocalyptic thriller, ‘Leave the World Behind’ steadily draws the viewer in despite its leisurely pace and somewhat simplistic messaging,” the site’s “critics consensus” blurb reads. So I guess they all got the memo that Barack and Michelle were involved and they all had to politely golf-clap, lest they be seen as political reactionaries. Anyhow, that twist ending or the critical acclaim isn’t what’s drawing attention on social media. Instead, it’s a scene where two of the characters, the black father and daughter who own the property, talk about the impending apocalypse. “If the world falls apart, trust should not be doled out easily to anyone,” the daughter tells the father in the scene. “Especially white people.” Obama: Don’t Trust White People… https://t.co/yqPEeazADB — Chris Djernaes (@ThorsValhalla) December 11, 2023 Barack & Michelle Obama just produced their first fiction film on Netflix called: “Leave The World Behind” The plot is about a cyberattack that shuts down all the power & cripples the United States. (Predictive programming?) They even managed to sneak in a scene bashing white… pic.twitter.com/55HPiEQSX2 — End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) December 11, 2023 Now, to be fair, neither Obama has a screenwriting credit for this. Director Sam Esmail wrote the script from Alam’s book. I’ve not watched the full movie nor read the Alam novel, although a negative review in New York Magazine’s Vulture by Bilge Ebiri indicated the screenplay deviated significantly from the original work. Whatever the case may be, you may just think this is woke Hollywood being woke Hollywood. Yes, but most films — be they for the cinema or direct-to-streaming — don’t have a former president and first lady’s names as producers. This, combined with the material itself, gave rise to negative reactions. Perhaps Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and Space X, and owner of the social media platform X, had the best question: Is this for real? — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 12, 2023 “Is this for real?” he wrote. But he wasn’t the only one. Why on earth would a former president of the United States be behind a movie that envisions the destruction of America and civil war? — J Michael Waller (@JMichaelWaller) December 11, 2023 If this was reversed and there was a scene about black people there would be an outrage and it demanded off the platform. But because it’s about being racist towards white people it’s completely okay. It is wrong in both ways and should not be on any platform. No shocker it was… — Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) December 11, 2023 Others just simply didn’t like it: I watched it. I didn’t know that it was an Obama film when I did, but I must say it has one of the worst endings that I have seen in a movie in a really long time. — Old School Eddie (@Old_SchoolEddie) December 11, 2023 Leave the World Behind is a weird, often funny, often stupid, and ultimately cynical mess of a movie. The film takes an awfully long time to finally arrive at the point, and when it does, the point is cartoonishly pessimistic and narratively unsatisfying. I did not care for it. pic.twitter.com/tUkhttZisD — Capital-O Opinions (@damespjuffy) December 8, 2023 That movie is garbage tbh. Wasted my time watching it — Edward (@edwardrussl) December 11, 2023 I’m watching Leave the World Behind. Here’s why that’s a mistake. I wanna watch other things and this movie is almost 2 & a half hours long. — Fujoshi Inc. (@SyGoFlyy) December 10, 2023 And yet, people are watching. According to FlixPatrol, a site that ranks streaming content, the film is the No. 1 movie on the streaming platform as of Tuesday morning. To be fair, it sits atop a list of anemic new releases and/or Christmas films, along with two “Fast and the Furious” movies. (Insert your own “Vin Diesel saves Christmas” joke here.) So, there’s this new movie that the Obamas are involved in. Yeah, the former president and his wife, who are known for their divisive rhetoric, decided to produce a film. Now, you would think that with all the attention this movie is getting, their team would have taken the time to review the script and make sure it doesn’t bash “white people.” But apparently, that didn’t happen. Now, when you have two influential figures like the Obamas connected to a movie, whatever it says is going to be associated with them. It’s a big deal. So, at the very least, you would expect them to do their due diligence and make sure there’s nothing controversial in the script. But it seems like either they didn’t bother to do that, or they did and didn’t find anything wrong with it. Either way, it’s concerning. The post New Movie Obamas Helped Make Raises Eyebrows: ‘Don’t Trust White People’ appeared first on The Western Journal. “Leave the World Behind,” the latest venture from Barack and Michelle Obama in collaboration with Netflix, has sparked mixed reactions among audiences. While the former president and first lady continue to captivate and divide America even after leaving the White House, their foray into fictional filmmaking has garnered attention once again. The apocalyptic movie tells the story of a rich white family who rents a mansion in the middle of nowhere, only to be confronted by a black family warning them of chaos engulfing the city and the world. Trust becomes a scarce commodity in this tense narrative. Although the trailer may initially pique your interest, the movie itself feels like a derivative imitation of other films without offering anything original or of value. Even the star-studded cast, featuring Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, and Kevin Bacon, fails to salvage this sinking ship. And just when you think it can’t get worse, a heavy-handed twist ending attempts to make a profound statement. Critics have given the film a 75 percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, praising its well-acted performances and atmospheric tension. However, what has drawn attention on social media is a particular scene where two characters, a black father and daughter who own the property, discuss the impending apocalypse. The daughter comments, “If the world falls apart, trust should not be doled out easily to anyone, especially white people.” This dialogue has sparked controversy and debate online, with some questioning the intentions behind such a statement. While it is important to note that neither Barack nor Michelle Obama have screenwriting credits for this film, their involvement as producers has raised eyebrows. Most films, whether for the cinema or streaming platforms, do not have the names of a former president and first lady attached to them. This, combined with the controversial material, has fueled negative reactions. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, questioned the film’s premise on Twitter, while others expressed concern about a former president being involved in a movie that envisions the destruction of America and civil war. Social media users have also criticized the movie for what is perceived as racism towards white people. However, there are viewers who did enjoy the film and praised the performances of the actors involved. Ultimately, the mixed reactions indicate that “Leave the World Behind” is a divisive and thought-provoking piece of cinema. Despite the polarized opinions, the film has been successful in attracting viewership. According to streaming content ranking site FlixPatrol, it is currently the number one movie on Netflix. In conclusion, the Obama-produced film “Leave the World Behind” has generated both positive and negative feedback. Its provocative themes
New Movie Obamas Helped Make Raises Eyebrows: ‘Don’t Trust White People’
And controversial dialogue have sparked debates on social media, while some viewers appreciate the performances and atmosphere of the film. The involvement of the former president and first lady in a fictional venture and the film’s success on Netflix also raise interesting questions
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