Z for Zachariah

Z for Zachariah is a 2015 apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Craig Zobel and starring Margot Robbie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Chris Pine. Written by Nissar Modi, it is based on the 1974 posthumously published book of the same name by Robert C. O'Brien, though the plot differs in some significant ways. The film's plot also resembles that of the 1959 Harry Belafonte movie The World, the Flesh and the Devil, which features a love triangle between a black engineer, white woman, and white man who may be the last people on Earth. The film was released on August 28, 2015, in the United States by Roadside Attractions. It received generally positive reviews from critics who mostly praised Robbie's performance. It grossed $121,461 at the box office. Plot Nuclear-apocalypse survivor Ann Burden lives an agrarian life on her family's valley farmstead, sheltered from radioactive contaminants by rocky hillsides, favorable weather patterns, and an abundant ground-fed water supply. One day, Ann encounters refugee John Loomis. He claims to be an engineer, who, aided by medicines and a radiation suit, walked from a distant government bunker to Ann's valley. Loomis bathes in contaminated water, and immediately sickens, but is nursed back to health by Ann, who welcomes him into her farmhouse. Loomis regains his strength, and gradually, becomes part of Ann's humble rustic life. He helps Ann pump diesel from local petroleum pumps and gets the farm's long-disused tractor running to expand her gardens for the winter. Ann tells Loomis about her parents and younger brother who left the valley to find other survivors... but never returned. Loomis speculates hydro-electricity might be generated from the nearby waterfall, using a water-wheel fashioned from the Burden church's planks and beams. Ann is uncomfortable with this proposal, citing her father's involvement as preacher and her deeply-held Christian beliefs. Loomis chooses to not pursue the project further. Ann and Loomis grow closer, cultivating crops and preparing for long-term habitation. Their domestic accord is marred by occasional tensions, notably involving matters of religion and Loomis' drinking. The two come to the verge of initiating a sexual relationship, but Loomis demurs, claiming a sexual relationship will change them, and he needs more time.