Maggie (2015)

Completed in 2014 and shelved for months by missing the Sundance Film Festival for January 2015, then eventually screened in delay at Tribeca Film Festival in April 2015, "Maggie", an independent movie directed by debuting Henry Hobson, who translates an original script on a U.S. mid-west family struggling through a contagion epidemic, where a teenage daughter, performed by actress Abigail Breslin with no further challenges under heavy zombie make-up, had sex with an infected teenage boy on a party out evening. The father, portrayed by serious-looking Arnold Schwarzenegger, guards over the slowly zombie-transforming daughter, ringing with the decision to put a shotgun to her head, while the mother, shallowly performed by Joely Richardson, left weeks ago to not witness ending a misery. Director Henry Hobson hardly finds the appropriate angles to tell his story, lingering in light-flared profile shots with out moving the camera, while most of the supporting features as production design within fair locations just slip away in weak coverage through an misengagement of TV action cinematographer Lukas Ettlin, who did not find any solid fundament for an continuous image system to carry the story and build some suspenseful moments in an otherwise poorly written script full of misgivens on the issue of a self-determined death sentence; a major theme on life and death in cinema, which the director unfortunately had at no time under control nor in focus to an disappointed shy-away conclusion.© 2017 Felix Alexander Dausend (Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC)

To put it simply: This movie had to be made.Both Arnold and Abigail are doing a superb performance. The movie just feels real, like it's really happening. I've heard many criticism about the movie being slow, but it has to be slow to give time to those fine details that only come through the fine print. And they do come through.I'm still stunned - something that not many movies managed to achieve. And this movie definitely deserves some serious awards, terrible shame that it didn't get in front of the mainstream audience.It is a unique addition to the zombie genre, making it believable and realistic.Powerful and horroristic. Not jump scare way. The brutal realistic way.If you have liked The Road, you don't want to miss this one and vice versa.It is a true gem in Arnold's career. Sad twist that this movie wasn't successful in the box office.

Farmer Wade Vogel (a fine and affecting performance by Arnold Schwarzenegger) discovers that his teenage daughter Maggie (a touching and credible portrayal by Abigail Breslin) has been infected with a lethal virus that slowly transforms people into zombies. Wade decides to stay with Maggie to the bitter end knowing full well in advance that at some point he will have to make a difficult decision concerning Maggie's ultimate fate.Director Henry Hobson maintains a leisurely pace throughout and ably crafts a bleak and brooding somber tone rife with despair and melancholy about the unfortunate frailty and fleeting nature of basic human existence. John Scott 3's thoughtful and reflective script refreshingly eschews the usual formulaic end-of-the-world apocalyptic scenario in favor of offering instead a sad and subdued dramatic meditation on life, death, and mortality. Moreover, this film further works as a deeply moving ode to a father's unwavering love for and protective loyalty to his beloved daughter. Breslin and Schwarzenegger do sterling work in their demanding roles; they receive sturdy support from Joely Richardson as Maggie's distraught and frightened stepmother Caroline, Douglas M. Griffin as sympathetic sheriff Ray, J.D. Evermore as mean deputy Holt, Jodie Moore as the amiable and helpful Dr. Vern Kaplan, Bryce Romero as the doomed Trent, and Raedon Greer as Maggie's perky gal pal Allie. Lukas Ettlin's stark widescreen cinematography provides an appropriately grim and grayish look. David Wingo's moody score does the mournful trick. A quietly potent and heartrending film.

OK, to make a long Story short, I actually didn't expect any Thing from this film. It sounded like a really fuc.... B-Movie.... but....No, it is not!!! Arnie Acts in this film like never seen before, yeah, it is quite unusual, but hell yeah, I like that. Of Course, nothing to do here, the film is more quiet and about the relationship between him and the Family, but hell yeah, Arnie managed it real good. I was very impressed seeing him as a loving Father without seeing him killing all the bad guys at once. No, I actually has been very impressed, Arnie Acts like a real father and I saw tears... yes, unbelievable, but it really fits into it This film is like a B-Movie, but I really like the way how it goes and wow, Arnie is great in the role of an old loving Father.Like this very very much! Not to see every night, but I think it is a real good one.Sorry for my English, I'm from Germany! Many Greetings!