Writer-director Sam Esmail premiered his latest film Leave the World Behind at the opening night of AFI Fest on Wednesday night, where he opened up about getting notes on the film from the Obamas — who served as producers — and comparisons of the project to his past work on Mr. Robot.

The film is based on the 2020 novel of the same name by Rumaan Alam, and unfolds as Amanda (Julia Roberts) books her family an impromptu staycation at a luxurious home in Long Island. As she and her husband Clay (Ethan Hawke) get settled in, two strangers — G.H. (Mahershala Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Myha’la) — upend their trip in the middle of the night, claiming ownership of the home. Together, they contend with the mysterious ramifications of a nationwide cyberattack that leaves them vulnerable to the earth’s elements and human nature’s darkness.

“It was a crazy time,...