Review of Maggie (2015) by Philip S — 07 May 2015

A change of pace from your usual undead fare, MAGGIE is a unique offering in the zombie subgenre, and it marks another chapter in Arnold Schwarzenegger's rather eclectic post-politics career. The film is admirable for the fairly low-key (some might say grounded or realistic) approach it takes to what a zombie outbreak might look like, painting a picture of a society just barely functioning/co-existing with the epidemic.

Indeed, I'd argue it's far more a drama than an outright horror film; while there are some tense and semi-gross-out moments, the movie is more concerned with its central father/daughter relationship than it is with attempting to viscerally terrify the audience.

On that front, it works rather well; the overall tone is melancholic and haunting, amplified by some nicely evocative cinematography, which is alternately spare and moody. As the title character, Abigail Breslin gets the showier of the two lead roles, and she's quite good as a very scared girl trying to deal with her deteriorating situation as best she can.

However, this really is Schwarzenegger's movie, and his work here is definitely worth talking about. He brings a beaten-down, world-weary quality to the table, and he is decidedly not just coasting on the fumes of his past life as a huge movie star.

He genuinely pushes himself into interesting and raw areas, and he's perhaps the best he's ever been, here. I mean that in a totally complimentary (and not damning-with-faint-praise) way. If nothing else, MAGGIE is worth seeing for Schwarzenegger trying something outside his comfort zone (and mostly pulling it off very well).

The overall movie is not a groundbreaking game-changer, but in an age of zombie ubiquity, it presents an interesting - and, at times, emotionally-fraught - spin.