Netflix's fictional film from Barack Obama's Higher Ground, Leave the World Behind, has caused a buzz over race and trust in times of crisis. Some netizens have liked it for its thoughts and themes, while others have opposed it due to one scene that seems to touch on racial bias.

The film depicts two families navigating an unsettling nationwide blackout. One scene between a black couple in bed got singled out for its litany that goes, If the world falls apart, trust should not be doled out easily to anyone, especially white people. That line has rankled some viewers, who think it sets up white characters with one broad brushstroke.

The film has invited mixed reactions to its depiction of race. Positive viewers have praised the film for raising controversial issues, especially emphasizing the urge to reclaim one's identity or people's failures in believing other people as tough times justify. Negative perspectives focus on the actual wording that the film portrays and find that it encourages stereotypes and adds more salt to divisiveness regarding race.

But Leave the World Behind goes even deeper than just that controversial scene. It touches on broader themes of societal breakdown, human nature, and the frailty of trust when under unexpected duress. The movie encourages one to think of his or her own way to respond and behave in a similar situation, irrespective of race or background.

While Obama did consult on the script for the film, he has actually distanced himself from the line that many have found most controversial and said that he does not endorse every single line of dialogue in the projects he supports. Instead, he suggests, he is committed to sowing productive conversations about difficult subjects like race and inequality.

This really should not be a divisive subject, the race, trust, and human being complexities in times of crisis. Therefore, Leave the World Behind is an excellent doorway for conversation because it makes the viewer think about his or her viewpoint, which is properly the point of where the other person might be coming from. It does not offer answers, probably, but at least one can ponder and try to understand something that they do not feel fine with.

While not for everyone, Leave the World Behind is unabashedly shy away from sensitive topics that create dialogues about race, trust, and living our lives while surrounded by an ever-increasing unknown. Whether a viewer finds merit in its sensibilities is irrelevant since it's an example of a movie unabashed at generating conversations and potentially outraging perceptions.