Left Behind: A Flight to Nowhere with a Side of Existential Dread
Imagine you’re at the airport, ready to board a flight that promises to take you far away from your problems. Only, instead of a relaxing getaway, you find yourself in a biblical apocalypse, complete with disappearing people and a pilot who has a serious case of existential dread. Welcome to Left Behind, the film that asks the question: what happens when you’re left behind while everyone else gets a divine upgrade?
Our story kicks off with Chloe, a woman bearing the emotional baggage of a strained relationship with her mother, Irene, who has taken up the role of the overzealous religious preacher. You know the type—always trying to convert everyone around her, even at family gatherings where the only thing that should be converted is the turkey. Chloe, irritated by Irene’s fervor, decides to visit her parents, perhaps hoping for a little family bonding or at least a good argument over the dinner table.
Enter Rayford, Chloe’s father, a pilot who is way too calm given the circumstances. He’s got a flight to catch, and as luck would have it, he’s also got a seat reserved for the Apocalypse Express. As passengers board, you can almost hear the collective sigh of relief from the audience: “Finally, a movie where the real horror begins at 30,000 feet!”
Just as the plane takes off, the unthinkable happens—millions of people around the globe vanish into thin air, leaving behind their clothes, shoes, and the occasional awkward family photo. It’s like the ultimate game of hide and seek, but instead of just hiding, they’ve decided to peace out of existence. And who’s left to deal with the aftermath? You guessed it: Rayford, Chloe, and the rest of the unfortunate souls on the plane.
Now, you might think this would lead to some gripping drama or a heartwarming reunion. Instead, we get a chaotic mix of confused passengers, a pilot trying to keep it together, and a daughter who’s just trying to figure out if her mother’s religious fervor was the cause of all this mess. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t. Instead, it’s just good old-fashioned divine intervention, and not even the kind you can negotiate with.
As Rayford navigates through the skies, he faces not only the challenges of flying an empty plane but also the emotional turmoil of being left behind—not just by the missing passengers, but by the very faith he once took for granted. Meanwhile, Chloe oscillates between panic and disbelief, all while trying to make sense of a world that’s suddenly lost a good chunk of its population. It’s like the worst family reunion ever, where half the guests just ghosted.
In a series of increasingly absurd events, we watch as the characters grapple with their new reality. There are moments of reflection, panic, and even some attempts at humor that land flatter than the missing passengers. The film seems to scream, “Hey, let’s talk about the rapture!” but instead, it mostly talks about how to keep a straight face while the world crumbles around you.
As the credits roll, you’re left with the unsettling feeling that maybe, just maybe, you’ve been left behind too. Perhaps it’s not just about the characters on screen, but a broader commentary on faith, loss, and the absurdity of human existence. Or maybe it’s just a poorly executed flight plan. Either way, Left Behind serves up a generous helping of dark humor, existential crisis, and a reminder to keep your seatbelt fastened—because you never know when the world will take a nosedive.