Maggie

The word “zombie” is never spoken in Maggie but that's exactly what Maggie (Abigail Breslin), the teenage daughter of a Midwest farmer (Arnold Schwarzenegger, in an uncharacteristic role), is becoming. In this alternate American history, a plague turns hundreds of thousands of people into ravenous, mindless creatures that infect every person they bite. This is the zombie thriller as disease drama, somber and shadowy and heavy with the doomed atmosphere of a devastated landscape in the aftermath of what appears to have been a near-apocalyptic battle. And it is centered on the parental instinct to protect family at all costs, as survivors have a hard time separating the person from the monster their loved ones have become. That's not exactly a radical twist on the zombie genre—movies and TV shows have been exploring this dynamic for years--but this is the first one to make it the focus and underplay the spectacle of violence and gore. Breslin is very good as the teenager tormented by the death sentence of her infection and terrified of the inhuman quarantine where the infected are locked up as the affliction progresses. Schwarzenegger delivers an earnest (if limited) performance as the helpless father, making a game effort to expand his repertoire beyond action and comedy. It's a wholly admirable effort that results in a fine film. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)