When the network outage happened, Netflix’s “Leave the World Behind” began trending on social media. Simultaneously, Google search results for the Sam Email-directed picture increased, with queries like “Leave the world behind hidden messages” and “Leave the world behind conspiracy [R]eddit” charting. It isn’t surprising that “Leave the World Behind” became the cinematic poster child for the incident; the film, which debuted in late 2023, became one of Netflix’s most-watched original offerings. 

“Leave the World Behind” follows two families dealing with the breakdown of modern technology (including cell phone outages), leaving them helpless as they try to make sense of the unconnected world around them. The Mahershala Ali and Julia Roberts vehicle ends with the characters concluding that a rival nation is threatening the United States, with limiting access to technology a key part of the destabilization plan. For users affected by the network outage, it made sense that they would correlate their experiences to one of 2023’s most popular films. “Leave the World Behind” notably divided critics and fans, with the film sparking conversations about cyberattacks and our increasing reliance on technology for communication. 

People were particularly curious about the film’s ending, hidden messages, and conspiracies. “Leave the World Behind” was produced by Higher Ground Productions, a company backed by former United States of America President Barack Obama, leaving many on X (formerly known as Twitter) to suggest he is warning viewers of impending doom through the movie.