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Z for Zachariah - Movie Review

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5 stars

Hailing all the way from Iceland, Z for Zachariah is a haunting post-apocalyptic thriller that, by focusing on the very human elements of selfishness and survival, breaks new ground in a science fiction genre that, these days, rarely produces a crop worth harvesting. The movie strips away the distractions involved in a nuclear holocaust and focuses its narrative on a small purchase of land that has somehow avoided the catastrophe that contaminates the rest of the world. With a narrowed focus, the movie operates as a faith vs science argument as three very real people triangulate for position across an untainted spot of earth.

Based upon the book by Robert C. O'Brien, the simple premise of an innocent young woman named Ann Burden (Margot Robbie) offering shelter upon her father’s undisturbed land to two men – Loomis (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Caleb (Chris Pine) – at overlapping times is compounded by the understanding exchanged in simple glances and locked eyes. I am being purposely vague here. The more that is left of the story untouched by this review, the better you, as a probable audience member, will be.

At the end of the world, there will still be humans. That is what this film is about. This is a beautiful film, mind you, and its narrative – while basic – is so incredibly ripe with understatement that to over explain it would be an absolute injustice to director Craig Zobel (Compliance) and writer Nissar Modi’s work.

Operating at a meditative pace across some of the most gorgeous New Zealand landscapes ever put on film, Z for Zachariah rings truthful as it displays some pretty raw human emotions in the wake of a nuclear holocaust. Most of the water is toxic and the air widely unbreathable but – due to the surrounding hills and the lower lay of the land within a thick valley – Ann’s family farm has thrived and no one knows that it is there. Her water is uncontaminated and her father’s land still yields harvest. For Loomis, who wanders upon it by accident, this stretch of land is heaven on earth.

Ann, who strongly believes in a higher power, knows her faith to be true. A close bond between the two survivors is established. And director of photography Tim Orr (known mostly for his work with director David Gordon Green) dazzles the senses with a highly-charged natural shoot that brings out the beauty in the surroundings while contrasting the ugliness of human errors as the arrival of Caleb upon their reality threatens to tear apart the freshly sewn seed of kindness existing between them.

This poignant film is brought to unexpected richness thanks to a fully engaged cast that surface more heart and warmth than expected. All three actors contribute to the overall success of this sci-fi indie and, as the script spends more time focusing on the future than dwelling on the past, they truly do live in the moment. It’s a risky move to be so short-sighted but that pays off with understated moments of racial and religious tensions as the three players on this stage come to terms with what they are capable of doing when want becomes need.

Mesmerizing. Above everything else, this film will shadow your conscience for hours after the credits roll. It is that electric (and, yes, the refernce is intended).  The film stimulates its audience’s intelligence through honest human emotion rather than through cheap Hollywood gimmicks. It is currently in limited release in theaters across the country and should not be missed.

Without blood and without angst, Z for Zachariah is a rather shocking look at humanity starting over.

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Z for Zachariah - Movie Review

MPAA Rating: PG - 13 for a scene of sexuality, partial nudity, and brief strong language
Runtime:
95 mins
Director
: Craig Zobel
Cast:
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Chris Pine, Margot Robbie
Genre
: Drama | Sci-fi
Tagline:
After the end of the world she thought she was alone. She was wrong.
Memorable Movie Quote: "As long as we stayed here, we'd be protected."
Distributor:
Grindstone Entertainment Group
Official Site:
Release Date:
August 28, 2015
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
No details available.
Synopsis: In the wake of a nuclear war, a young woman (Margot Robbie) survives on her own, fearing she may actually be the proverbial last woman on earth, until she discovers the most astonishing sight of her life: another human being. A distraught scientist (Chiwetel Ejiofor), he's nearly been driven mad by radiation exposure and his desperate search for others. A fragile, imperative strand of trust connects them. But when a stranger (Chris Pine) enters the valley, their precarious bond begins to unravel.

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