Leave The World Behind director reveals meaning behind Friends reference

Unless you've been too preoccupied doing a movie marathon of all the Christmas classics, then you'll know that Netflix has released an absolute banger to the platform and people are going wild for it.

The psychological-thriller is packed to the brim with hidden symbolism, peculiar metaphors and a whole load of cryptic mysteries.

Check out the official trailer here:

While many viewers have rushed to share their fan theories and speculation, the meaning behind the bizarre Friends reference in Leave The World Behind has finally been explained by the film's director himself.

The flick was first released to the streaming platform a few weeks back (December 8) but it's clear the buzz around it is no where near dying down anytime soon.

The official premise for Leave The World Behind reads: "A family vacation on Long Island is interrupted by two strangers bearing news of a mysterious blackout.

"As the threat grows more imminent, both families must decide how best to survive the potential crisis, all while grappling with their own place in this collapsing world."

Netflix

Boasting a star-studded cast including Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la and Kevin Bacon, Sam Esmail both directed and produced the film, which is based on the 2020 novel of the same name by Rumaan Alam.

Without giving away too much, the film ends with the characters trying to escape a bunch of weird goings on in the city and hiding out in a bunker.

In the final scene we see one character, Rose, played by Farrah Mackenzie, who was previously missing, finally find the bunker and pick up a DVD of the final season of Friends - which her on-screen mum Amanda (Julia Roberts) once starred in - which she then puts on.

As the opening theme song kicks in, the credits roll.

Many viewers were left beyond baffled by the ending - with some even hitting out that they felt 'cheated' by it.

But Esmail has since come to the rescue yet again to put all the confusion to bed once and for all.

Netflix

Explaining his decision to allude back to the hit 90s sitcom Esmail told Collider: "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."

He went on to reveal: "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."

Well, it sure has had quite the lasting effect.

Leave The World Behind is currently available to stream on Netflix.