Leave the World Behind: Obama’s Critical Conspiracy Theory on Netflix

If the streaming charts are true, then there’s a good chance you’ve watched the collapse of America in Netflix’s new film Leave the World Behind. The film is many things, including pretty good, but most notably, it’s a conspiracy theory built on racial division, brought to you by former President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama.

On one level, this is a classic disaster movie. There’re some great set pieces, it’s stylish and cinematic, and the whole thing feels pretty believable, but at another level, it’s a perfect manifestation of America’s cynical, elite nihilism. It’s an uncomfortable mix of warning and wish-fulfillment about national collapse that just happens to be executive produced by the Obamas.

It’s important for us as adults, and especially as parents, to confront this vision and understand where it goes deeply wrong so that we and our kids can escape its siren call to nihilism, disempowerment, and despair.