You Should Have Left

{{About|the film|the novella from which it is adapted|You Should Have Left (novella)}}

{{Infobox film

| name = You Should Have Left

| image = You_Should_Have_Left_Poster_2020.jpeg

| alt =

| caption = Official release poster

| director = David Koepp

| producer = {{Plainlist|

Jason Blum
Dean O’Toole
Kevin Bacon

}}

| screenplay = David Koepp

| based_on = {{based on|You Should Have Left|Daniel Kehlmann}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| music = Geoff Zanelli

| cinematography = Angus Hudson

| editing = Derek Ambrosi

| production_companies = {{Plainlist|

Blumhouse Productions

}}

| distributor = Universal Pictures{{cite web|url=https://www.filmratings.com/Search?filmTitle=you+should+have+left&x=0&y=0|title=You Should Have Left|website=Film Ratings|access-date=January 7, 2020|archive-date=June 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630101618/https://www.filmratings.com/Search?filmTitle=you+should+have+left&x=0&y=0|url-status=live}}

| released = {{Film date|2020|6|18|United States}}

| runtime = 93 minutes{{cite web|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/you-should-have-left-vod|title=You Should Have Left|website=BBFC|access-date=May 11, 2020|archive-date=June 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604160849/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/you-should-have-left-vod|url-status=dead}}

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $4 million{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/you-should-have-left-why-horror-works-at-home-1299213|title='You Should Have Left' and Why Horror Works at Home|author=Richard Newby|date=June 18, 2020|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=June 18, 2020|archive-date=June 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618213344/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/you-should-have-left-why-horror-works-at-home-1299213|url-status=live}}

| gross =

}}

You Should Have Left is a 2020 American psychological horror film written and directed by David Koepp, based on the 2017 book by Daniel Kehlmann. It stars Kevin Bacon and Amanda Seyfried. Jason Blum served as a producer through his Blumhouse Productions banner.

Originally intended to be theatrically released, the film was released digitally via Premium VOD on June 18, 2020, by Universal Pictures. It received mixed reviews from critics.

Plot

Theodore Conroy is a retired banker married to Susanna, a young actress, and they have a daughter named Ella. The family books a vacation in Wales, but there is something strange about the house—time passes unusually fast, and everybody experiences nightmares while staying there. The couple also discovers that neither one of them made the booking, each thinking the other did it.

One night, Ella sees the shadow of a man on the wall. The next morning, she asks Susanna why people dislike Theo. Susanna reluctantly explains that Theo's first wife drowned in the bathtub, and people suspected that he killed her, though he was acquitted at trial. While in town for supplies, the shopkeeper asks if Theo has met Stetler, who Theo presumes is the home owner. He mysteriously gives Theo a drafting triangle and tells him to measure the right angles, leaving Theo confused.

Theo has a dream that night and sees someone has written in his meditation journal: "You should leave. Go now." The following morning, Theo discovers Susanna has been hiding a secret phone from him. He confronts her, and she admits to an affair with an actor. Theo asks her to leave for the night, and she goes into town to stay at an inn.

He returns to his journal to see that someone has now written "You should have left. Now it's too late." Upon discovering an anomaly in the angle between the wall and floor, Theo and Ella measure the kitchen and find that it is larger inside than outside. They get separated, and they experience separate visions in the dream world. Once reunited, Theo calls Susanna, wanting her to come back and take him and Ella away from the house, but her phone is turned off. He then calls the shopkeeper, inquiring whether he knows of any cab services in the area. The shopkeeper replies that there are none and speaks of the house cryptically, saying that the Devil collects souls from there.

Desperate to escape the house, Theo and Ella decide to go to town by foot, but see a shadowy figure observing them from inside as they walk away from it. After some time, they find they have circled back to the house. Seeing no other option, they stay there for the night, but Theo enters the dream world again and sees his and Susanna's past selves as they first arrived at the house. He then meets Stetler. Theo asks Stetler to let Ella go, and Stetler says Theo is the one who is keeping her here.

The next day, Susanna returns to the house. Theo finally confesses to the true circumstances surrounding the death of his first wife: he did not directly kill her, but did not help when she was drowning; he simply watched her die because he had been miserable with her for so long. He accepts that he belongs in the house, and lets Ella go with Susanna. Theo's spirit is then seen trapped inside the house, revealing he had been the figure watching himself and Ella leave the night before, having tried to warn his past self by writing the messages in his journal. The shopkeeper's voice says that some people do not leave the house and that "the place finds them anyway."

Cast

Kevin Bacon as Theo Conroy/Stetler
Amanda Seyfried as Susanna
Avery Essex as Ella
Colin Blumenau as Shopkeeper
Lowri Ann Richards as Welsh Woman

Production

In March 2018, it was announced Kevin Bacon would star in the film, with David Koepp directing and writing, based on the novel of the same name by Daniel Kehlmann; Koepp and Bacon had previously collaborated on the 1999 film Stir of Echoes. Jason Blum served as a producer under his Blumhouse Productions banner.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/03/kevin-bacon-david-koepp-blumhouse-you-should-have-left-1202353611/|title=Kevin Bacon, David Koepp Making 'You Should Have Left' For Blumhouse|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Anthony|last=D'Alessandro|date=March 26, 2018|access-date=December 14, 2018|archive-date=March 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180326213555/https://deadline.com/2018/03/kevin-bacon-david-koepp-blumhouse-you-should-have-left-1202353611/|url-status=dead}} In June 2018, Amanda Seyfried joined the cast of the film.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/amanda-seyfried-joins-kevin-bacon-you-should-have-left-1118206|title=Amanda Seyfried Joins Kevin Bacon in Blumhouse Thriller 'You Should Have Left'|website=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Borys|last=Kit|date=June 7, 2018|access-date=December 14, 2018|archive-date=June 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616201626/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/amanda-seyfried-joins-kevin-bacon-you-should-have-left-1118206|url-status=live}}

Filming took place at various locations in Wales, including at the Life House in Llanbister, Radnorshire.{{cite web|url=http://www.brecon-radnor.co.uk/article.cfm?id=108979&headline=Hollywood%20star%20Kevin%20Bacon%20stays%20in%20Llandrindod%20Wells%20hotel§ionIs=news&searchyear=2018|title=Hollywood star Kevin Bacon stays in Llandrindod Wells hotel|work=The Brecon & Radnor Express|date=2 October 2018|access-date=11 June 2020|archive-date=11 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611201038/http://www.brecon-radnor.co.uk/article.cfm?id=108979&headline=Hollywood%20star%20Kevin%20Bacon%20stays%20in%20Llandrindod%20Wells%20hotel§ionIs=news&searchyear=2018|url-status=dead}}

Shooting also took place in Cresskill and Jersey City, New Jersey.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nj.gov/state/press-2020-0623.shtml|title=Universal Pictures' You Should Have Left Available on Digital Rental Services|access-date=September 1, 2021|archive-date=September 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901214847/https://www.nj.gov/state/press-2020-0623.shtml|url-status=live}}

Music

The film's score was composed by Geoff Zanelli.{{cite web|url=http://filmmusicreporter.com/2018/05/22/geoff-zanelli-to-reteam-with-david-koepp-on-you-should-have-left/|title=Geoff Zanelli to Reteam with David Koepp on 'You Should Have Left'|website=FilmMusicReporter|date=May 22, 2018|access-date=December 14, 2018|archive-date=May 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180528083208/http://filmmusicreporter.com/2018/05/22/geoff-zanelli-to-reteam-with-david-koepp-on-you-should-have-left/|url-status=live}} Back Lot Music released the soundtrack on June 18, 2020, coinciding with the film's streaming release.{{cite web|url=https://filmmusicreporter.com/2020/06/16/you-should-have-left-soundtrack-album-announced/|title='You Should Have Left' Soundtrack Album Announced - Film Music Reporter|access-date=17 June 2020|archive-date=17 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617142727/https://filmmusicreporter.com/2020/06/16/you-should-have-left-soundtrack-album-announced/|url-status=live}}

Release

You Should Have Left was released digitally via PVOD on June 18, 2020, by Universal Pictures. Universal decided to forego the film's originally scheduled theatrical release in the United States and Canada due to movie theater closures since mid-March, because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2020/06/universal-continues-vod-reign-with-the-king-of-staten-island-1202236052/|title=Universal Continues VOD Reign with 'The King of Staten Island'|website=IndieWire|first=Tom|last=Brueggemann|date=June 8, 2020|access-date=June 9, 2020|archive-date=June 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609165545/https://www.indiewire.com/2020/06/universal-continues-vod-reign-with-the-king-of-staten-island-1202236052/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/you-should-have-left-why-horror-works-at-home-1299213|last=Newby|first=Richard|title='You Should Have Left' and Why Horror Works at Home|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|date=June 18, 2020|access-date=June 20, 2020|archive-date=June 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618213344/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/you-should-have-left-why-horror-works-at-home-1299213|url-status=live}}

Reception

=VOD sales=

In its first weekend, the film was the second-most rented on FandangoNow and the iTunes Store.{{Cite web |title=Box Office: A Polish Erotic Drama Is Among The Most Watched Movies Of The Weekend |url=https://uproxx.com/movies/365-days-box-office-kevin-bacon-you-should-have-left/ |last=Roweles |first=Dustin |website=Uproxx |date=June 21, 2020 |access-date=June 21, 2020 |archive-date=June 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622123921/https://uproxx.com/movies/365-days-box-office-kevin-bacon-you-should-have-left/ |url-status=live}} In its second weekend, it fell to number three and number six, respectively.{{Cite web|title=Weekend Box Office: Jon Stewart, Will Ferrell, And The Most-Watched Movies At Home Over The Weekend|url=https://uproxx.com/movies/my-spy-box-office-irresistible-eurovision/|last=Roweles|first=Dustin|website=Uproxx|date=June 28, 2020|access-date=June 28, 2020|archive-date=July 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200702070700/https://uproxx.com/movies/my-spy-box-office-irresistible-eurovision/|url-status=live}} In its third weekend the film placed sixth on FandangoNow, but ranked second on Spectrum's weekly chart,{{Cite web |title='Hamilton' Rules Disney+ Over July 4, but the VOD Success Story Is Rod Lurie's 'The Outpost' |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2020/07/hamilton-rules-disney-over-july-4-but-the-vod-success-story-is-rod-luries-the-outpost-1234571459/ |last=Brueggemann |first=Tom |website=IndieWire |date=July 7, 2020 |access-date=July 7, 2020 |archive-date=December 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225215311/https://www.indiewire.com/2020/07/hamilton-rules-disney-over-july-4-but-the-vod-success-story-is-rod-luries-the-outpost-1234571459/ |url-status=live}} then the following weekend placed fifth on both services.{{Cite web|title='The Old Guard' Opens to Number One on Netflix as 'The Outpost' Flies High Again on VOD|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2020/07/the-old-guard-outpost-vod-box-office-1234573047/|last=Brueggemann|first=Tom|website=IndieWire|date=July 13, 2020|access-date=July 13, 2020|archive-date=August 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808012452/https://www.indiewire.com/2020/07/the-old-guard-outpost-vod-box-office-1234573047/|url-status=live}} Over the weekend of July 31, Universal lowered the price of the film from $19.99 to $5.99, and You Should Have Left finished second on FandangoNow and fifth at Apple TV.{{Cite web |title='The Secret: Dare to Dream' Soars on PVOD as 'The Rental' and 'The Outpost' Hold Strong |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2020/08/the-secret-dare-to-dream-pvod-the-rental-the-outpost-vod-1234577589/ |last=Brueggemann |first=Tom |website=IndieWire |date=August 3, 2020 |access-date=August 3, 2020 |archive-date=August 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805211525/https://www.indiewire.com/2020/08/the-secret-dare-to-dream-pvod-the-rental-the-outpost-vod-1234577589/ |url-status=live}}

=Critical response=

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of {{RT data|score}} based on {{RT data|count}} reviews, with an average rating of {{RT data|average}}. The site's critics consensus reads, "You Should Have Left hints at a genuinely creepy experience, but never quite manages to distill its intriguing ingredients into a consistently satisfying whole."{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/you_should_have_left|title=You Should Have Left (2020)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Fandango|access-date={{RT data|access date}}|archive-date=2020-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630032848/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/you_should_have_left|url-status=live}} At Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 46 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".{{cite web|title=You Should Have Left Reviews|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/you-should-have-left|website=Metacritic|access-date=July 8, 2020|archive-date=June 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200625065101/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/you-should-have-left|url-status=live}}

Kate Erbland of IndieWire gave the film a "B−" and said, "when You Should Have Left is at its best, it's unconcerned with mapping out such easy clarifications and leans into the raw madness of corrosive guilt and a house made to punish people who dare come inside its walls."{{cite news|last=Erbland|first=Kate|title='You Should Have Left' Review: Kevin Bacon Is Terrorized in Creepy Haunted House Horror Story with a Twist|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2020/06/you-should-have-left-review-kevin-bacon-haunted-house-1202237938/|access-date=June 18, 2020|work=IndieWire|date=June 18, 2020|archive-date=June 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618073239/https://www.indiewire.com/2020/06/you-should-have-left-review-kevin-bacon-haunted-house-1202237938/|url-status=live}} Critic Terry Mesnard wrote that the larger-than-it-seems house in the film felt "ripped" from the 2000 novel House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski.{{cite web |title=[Review] You Should Have Left Overlooks a House of Leaves |url=https://www.gaylydreadful.com/blog/review-you-should-have-left-overlooks-a-house-of-leaves |first=Terry |last=Mesnard |website=Gay is Dreadful |date=18 June 2020 |access-date=26 June 2020 |archive-date=30 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630190414/https://www.gaylydreadful.com/blog/review-you-should-have-left-overlooks-a-house-of-leaves |url-status=live}}