Why Friends Was So Important to the Netflix Thriller Explained by Director

Summary

• Friends plays a crucial role in Leave the World Behind, with its iconic theme song providing perfect commentary on the dramatic ending.
• The show serves as a comfort for the character Rose, representing her strive for normality amidst abnormal circumstances.
• The involvement of Barack Obama in producing the film has led to conspiracy theories, but Esmail clarifies that Obama’s input came after the script was already written.

The sitcom sensation that is Friends plays surprisingly plays an important role in the recent Netflix apocalyptic thriller, Leave the World Behind, and director Sam Esmail has now explained why it was imperative to include the beloved comedy. Speaking with Collider, Esmail explained how crucial Friends was to the development of Farrah Mackenzie’s character, Rose, with the lyrics also providing the perfect commentary on the dramatic ending.

“That was a big conversation that we had for a long time, and you run through all the sitcoms that are these classics that could potentially work but none of them really had that theme song that was so iconic. And, I have to stress this, the lyrics of that song were so perfect for how the film ends. I honestly don’t know what I would have done. There was a point where, after we ran through other options, I think I looked at the team and I said, ‘I don’t think we can afford to lose Friends.’ There’s no show that fits that moment more perfectly than that show, so we had to use all our powers to make sure that we got the rights, and we luckily did.”

Released earlier this month, Leave the World Behind stars Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la, and Kevin Bacon and follows two families as they attempt to make sense of the gradual breakdown in technology amid a mysterious cyberattack.

Friends has become very much a “comfort” show for many (and a controversial show for others), and this is certainly the case with Rose, who watches the show whenever she can and turns to it even when the world is collapsing around her. Possessing an “emotional connection” to show, says Esmail, Friends became important to both Rose and as a representation of the strive for normality even when surrounded by seriously abnormal circumstances.

“So, from a character perspective, it just felt too perfect.”

RELATED: What Happens to Archie in Leave the World Behind (And What Was Up With That Deer)?

Leave the World Behind Is Produced by Barack Obama, Which Has Led to Some Conspiray Theories

Produced, written, and directed by Sam Esmail, and based on the 2020 novel of the same name by Rumaan Alam, Leave the World Behind was produced by none other than former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama through their Higher Ground Productions. The involvement of Obama has led to many conspiracy theories online, with Esmail now offering some clarification.

“I think the silly thing about the whole thing is President Obama really came on a couple of months before we started shooting, so the script had basically been written and done. He obviously gave notes on the script, but the bones of the story and the sequences were already written. I would just say they’re pretty wrong in terms of his signaling. It had nothing to do with that.”

Leave the World Behind is now available to stream on Netflix and has been met with positive reviews due to the powerful performances from its A-list cast.

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