The World, the Flesh and the Devil

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L M @darnit Mar 13, 2026 I saw this movie as a kid watching the Late Late Show and I loved the "Twilight Zone" element of it when a man finds himself to be the only survivor after the world comes to an end and people die off and of course, the world coming to an end and certain individuals being the "only one(s) left" has been a genre and has been rehashed in some way or other, but only decades after seeing the movie and I am grown and can express myself, can I say that the movie does (as one other person stated here) seem to lose the intrigue and interesting eerieness when other characters (people who also survived) are introduced and the movie takes TOO much of a dramatic turn toward racial relations (even though realisitically it could happen between certain persons who would find themselves as "the last survivors"). The movie is classical in its own way since it was made decades ago, but by the end of the film I did find myself asking "Then what?/ What for?" See more Alec B @Alec97 Sep 6, 2025 The stylized dialogue and almost surreal scenes of deserted New York streets are reason enough to see it, along with the trio of strong performances. The ending might be a bit of a cop-out but also isn't as bad as everyone thinks. See more Mark B @Mbindon Apr 11, 2025 Starts to ff strong, 1st 2 acts really work and held my interest. The last act does not work and lost me. The ending safe and disappointing. See more David S @RT68837966 Feb 8, 2025 Belefonte showcases heart and emotion in a fascinating idea- the conclusion, though, leaves something to be desired in a way. See more Dave S @RT68722908 Nov 25, 2023 In the aftermath of a nuclear war, Ralph (Harry Belafonte) and Sarah (Inger Stevens) come to the realization that they may be the only survivors of the disaster. The World, the Flesh and the Devil, despite its wordy title, is a fairly decent post-apocalypse drama as the two protagonists struggle to come to terms with their situation in an eerily silent New York. Does it have some issues? Yup. There are a ton of plot holes and leaps of logic, the race issue feels unnecessary in light of the apocalyptic circumstances (they actually live in different apartments), and the introduction of a third character towards the end turns it into a bit of a soap opera at times. On the bright side, the two leads do a good job, Belafonte gets to sing a couple of songs, and the visuals are often downright chilling. See more Jon N @RT35750319 Jul 17, 2020 If you've seen 1985's The Quiet Earth, this is the film that it was a remake of. The two films are pretty similar, except that this one features a racial barrier that comes between the first man and woman that was a commentary on the taboos of the late 50s. This must've been a pretty progressive movie for 1959, since it stars a black actor as the main, sympathetic character and encourages us to want to see him and the white woman fall in love, or, at least, asks "why not?" Unlike a lot of "end of the world" films that can be depressing, this is one that seems positive and hopeful. I felt good after having watched it. See more Read all reviews

The World, the Flesh and the Devil

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