Those who read the Z for Zachariah synopsis and discounted it as yet another in a seemingly endless line of post-apocalyptic movies have lost out on viewing an outstanding film that takes a completely different approach to the end of the world setting. Rather than concentrating on the hows and whys of the apocalypse, or even the state of the world in general, Z for Zachariah focuses on one woman, her dog, and two strangers who enter her life after she’s spent years believing she’s completely alone.

The world’s over as we know it thanks to a nuclear war, yet one lush valley remains untouched by contamination and radiation, and that’s where the story picks up of Ann (Margot Robbie) and her loyal dog. Ann’s home was somehow miraculously sheltered from the attack and she’s been able to live off the land. It’s been tough going, but Ann’s survived by working hard each and every day.

Ann’s orderly – and lonely – life suddenly changes when she stumbles upon a man in a full radiation suit. Shocked by his presence but on the ball enough to hide and follow him, Ann watches him disrobe and enter a contaminated stream. Rather than let this stranger who’s invaded her idyllic valley inadvertently poison himself, Ann risks the possibility he’s not a good person and saves the stranger by warning him about the contaminated water he’s just begun to bathe in. Ann takes in her newfound fellow survivor, John (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and nurses him back to health, and he’s not only grateful for her care but also grateful to have found another human to talk to.

John has a wealth of scientific knowledge that comes in handy around the farm, as he can fix farm equipment and devise a new way to generate power. A friendship forms and Ann begins to want to take it to the next level, but John believes that would change everything.

Enter Caleb (Chris Pine), a man who looks as though he’s been hiding out in a cave since the nuclear war. Ann is much more trusting than John when it comes to Caleb’s sudden appearance, inviting him into her home to share meals and to join with her and John in working the farm. But two’s company and three’s a crowd even after the world has been wiped out, and the partnership in working the farm and running the household that had developed between John and Ann is thrown out of whack with Caleb’s arrival. Caleb and Ann have much more in common than Ann and John (including deeply held religious beliefs), and John begins to feel like the odd man out.

Robbie, Ejiofor, and Pine are fantastic, each delivering outstanding performances in a quiet film with a slow build. Robbie is a real revelation, playing a self-sufficient survivor whose life is thrown into turmoil with the arrival of the two men. Pine walks a fine line and leaves the audience to continually question his motivations, while Ejiofor has the most difficult task of the three actors as he’s constantly second-guessing his decisions as well as struggling to establish his place in the threesome’s hierarchy.

The gorgeous location is a silent fourth character in this dramatic tale of post-nuclear war life, and cinematographer Tim Orr deserves awards attention for his work bringing the farm and its surrounding landscape to life on the screen.

Z for Zachariah is an emotional journey told mainly through Ann’s perspective. It’s a touching, gripping, occasionally frustrating look into a world in which we both crave someone to share the responsibility of coping in a world gone mad but also fear the possibility of opening the doors to a stranger based solely on the need for human contact. Directed by Craig Zobel (Compliance) from a script by Nissar Modi, Z for Zachariah‘s spin on the post-apocalyptic drama genre results in a riveting relationship story with depth, heart, and soul.

GRADE: B+

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for a scene of sexuality, partial nudity, and brief strong language

Running Time: 95 minutes