Z for Zachariah (2015)

Drama, Thriller, Sci-Fi

Director: Craig Zobel
Writers: Nissar Modi, Robert C. O'Brien
Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Margot Robbie, Chris Pine

"The Garden of Eden isn't big enough for three people, it seems."

From the maker of Compliance comes a minimalist post-apocalyptic drama with only three actors in its cast.

In the wake of an nuclear disaster of sorts, Ann (Margot Robbie) is a young woman living as an apparent lone survivor on her family's farm in a remote area that has been somehow spared by the toxic fallout that destroyed civilization. But one day she comes across a distraught scientist wearing a protective radiation suit, traveling in the woods, nearly driven mad by by radiation exposure and his desperate search for others. The two realize how lucky they are to have met each other and quickly develop a symbiotic relationship, becoming fast friends and lingering romantic partners. But then a stranger enters the valley and their precarious bond begins to unravel.

Loosely based on an 1974 book of the same name, Z for Zachariah is not like most end-of-the-world films, with zombie cannibals or teenagers killing each other, tackling important issues, like the the idea of religion vs. science, or the complexity of human relationships, especially under unusual circumstances.

Plot summary from IMDb: In the wake of a disaster that wipes out most of civilization, two men and a young woman find themselves in an emotionally charged love triangle as the last known survivors.

Awards: 3 nominations.
Runtime: 98 min
PG-13