Chiwetel Eijofor and Margot Robbie deal with life, love, and the post apocalyptic fallout of a nuclear war in “Z For Zachariah”. Set in modern day Northwest America, Ann Burden (Robbie) survives on her own, fearing she may actually be the last woman on earth, until she discovers the most astonishing sight of her life: another human being. A distraught scientist (Eijofor), who’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 united bond begins to unravel. “Z For Zachariah” certainly tested the patience of this critic, and a lot of that is because of a pacing that is slow and doesn’t always pay off in the rewards of a simpleistic script. However, the acting performances of all three of the actors here play a bending game of psychological warfare that the audience can read without any words being spoken. We know a lot of these reactions because we can see the wheels turning on where this love triangle is going. Eijofor gave the performance of the year (In my opinion) in 2013’s “12 Years a Slave”, and his emotional depth continues in this role. I was also greatly impressed with Robbie’s role. For a lot of the first act, this is kind of a one woman show for her, so she is responsible for carrying a lot of the setup for future storyline arcs. I knew she could act, but i haven’t seen take the reigns like she has in this film. Her chemistry with Eijofor really felt natural, and presented a kind of hope for humanity in a world that has lost everything. I also greatly enjoyed the subtle musical score of the film. It’s easy to miss the tones that follow some of these scenes, because you are wrapped up in the events transpiring, but the score provided by Heather Mcintosh tells a story of it’s own. A lot of the movie is presented in actions, with a lot less dialogue, so the music is our narrator during a time when the film is a little confusing in it’s on-screen actions. There were a couple of these scenes, mainly in the ending which doesn’t quite capture the emotional payoff that i wanted. I would’ve liked a little more clarity and perhaps some answered questions for our characters moving forward. The cinematography was very well grounded, complete with forrest shots and even a waterfall, but the best vision for Director Craig Zobel’s work is in his ability to capture an essence of armageddon without showing the visuals known for such a demise. There’s some real nice bland of color tones to really make the viewer wonder what era this is taking place in if they miss a revealing piece of opening dialogue. I have seen his work in such films as “Compliance” and “Manglehorn”, but this is his best work to date. I hope more people get to see this film. Greatly acted, simple in story, and most importantly, a feeling of how faith can exist in a world without hope.

7/10