Former President Barack Obama is facing significant criticism in the aftermath of a film release for which he served as a consultant. The movie, titled Leave the World Behind, has sparked controversy due to its purported focus on warning about white people. This development has raised questions about Obama’s role in the production, particularly given his post-presidential involvement in the entertainment industry.
Obama’s production company Higher Ground’s latest film, Leave the World Behind, has generated backlash for its apparent thematic focus on white individuals.
The film, a 2023 American apocalyptic psychological thriller directed by Sam Esmail, features an ensemble cast including Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la, and Kevin Bacon.
The plot revolves around Amanda Sanford, played by Julia Roberts, who embarks on an unplanned vacation to a rented house on Long Island with her family. As the narrative unfolds, technological breakdowns escalate, leading to a series of mysterious and unsettling events, including a blackout, distressed individuals seeking refuge, and geopolitical tensions hinted at by cryptic messages.
Following the film’s debut on Netflix, individuals have turned to social media platforms to express their opinions about a particular moment within the movie. This specific scene depicts an African-American father-daughter duo, with the daughter saying, “I’m asking you to remember that if the world falls apart, trust should not be doled out easily to anyone, especially white people.”
One account on X called ‘End Wokeness’ shared the offending scene writing, “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 people.”
One individual called Will Cain posted on the same platform, “Barack and Michelle Obama executive produced, gave “major feedback” on the script, and “had a lot of notes about the characters” in Netflix’s Leave the World Behind. And this racist line is included: “trust should not be doled out easily to anyone, especially white people.”
