Film
It seems all of mankind has been wiped out, much of the Earth is irradiated, the result of a nuclear war. Ann Burden (Margot Robbie – Suicide Squad, The Legend of Tarzan) thinks she is all alone, farming in an area untouched by the tragedy that has befallen everyone. While out one day, she happens upon John Loomis (Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years A Slave, The Martian). He has got himself in a spot of trouble with the radiation, and she takes him back to her house to recover.
The two form a bond, with John thinking ahead to the winter, and food. His plan is to build a generator powered by the nearby waterfall. It is not long after these plans are conceived, than Ann encounters Caleb (Chris Pine – Star Trek: Into Darkness, Into The Woods). He is also offered sanctuary, and is soon earning his keep helping John.
Alas, being the end of the world, other humans are scarce, and it is not long before there is a spark of chemistry between Caleb and Ann, much like there had been between Ann and John. Now, set against the backdrop of survival, not just for themselves, but possibly the human race, this love triangle plays out.
Z For Zachariah is well cast, bringing exceptional talent to each of the three characters, the subtle nuances expressed by each makes for some intriguing dynamics, as each male vies for the love of Ann, yet is reliant on the other to help preparations that they may all survive. The ongoing turmoil of the need for the help of others verses the desire for the competition to leave. Yet this is offset by the innocence of Ann, creating a group dynamic that will hold a viewers attention as the story plays out.
The film is not one for extravagant science fiction visuals. The story is simple, as is the setting and presentation. Feeling a touch slow at times, the plot focuses more on the emotional than the instinctive, initiating thought, rather then allowing violence.
Directed by Jack Zobel, and based on the science fiction novel “Z for Zachariah” by Robert C. O’Brien, the film deviates from the original literature, where in the book there was just Ann and Loomis, the film brings along Caleb.
Z For Zachariah is a film about love and survival, and which of those two is the more important. Great acting, engrossing story, Z For Zachariah is film that will probe a viewers heart and intellect.
Disc
Z For Zachariah is available now, to purchase on disc, in South Africa.
Video
Video is encoded at a high bitrate, with no visible artefacts on screen. Colours are vibrant, with no bleed. Blacks are deep, keeping their detail in dark scenes.
Those with the necessary hardware or software would be able to scale the image up to a larger or higher resolution screen, should they wish.
Audio
Audio is also encoded at a high bitrate, and presented in a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Dialogue is clear, with the surround channels used to enhances scenes, and further draw the viewer in to the world on screen.
Navigation
Navigation is simple, and static, with easy to use menus. There is an option for scene selection, allowing viewers to jump direct to certain parts of the main feature.
Bonus Features
There are unfortunately no bonus features on the disc, other than trailers for The Brothers Grimsby, Touched With Fire and Regression.
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