What would you do if you or someone you loved got infected and and slowly transformed into a zombie? Day by day losing your appetite as well as your humanity? Well that is exactly what Arnold Schwarzenegger and Abigail Breslin have to deal with in Maggie.

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Schwarzenegger plays Wade Vogel, a devoted husband and father to three kids, in a world that’s still barely picking up the pieces after a barely contained zombie pandemic. The eldest of Wade’s kids, Maggie (Breslin) has left home to go out on her own in this still not quite safe world and Wade goes off in search of her. After a couple of months of searching he eventually finds her in a hospital where she has been diagnosed with a virus called Necroambulist, which basically turns people into zombies. The doctor releases Maggie into Wade’s care so he can take her back home, but only after issuing him with a dose of reality – Her time as Maggie is limited and he will have a difficult decision to make in due time.

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After sending his two other kids away, Wade and his wife Caroline (Joely Richardson) settle in on their farm to spend what little time they have left with Maggie. This is a harrowing task to say the least as people who are infected by this virus are transformed over time and they, as well as those closest to them, are left to endure the agony and mental torture that these changes cause. The only outcome it would seem is to send the infected off to quarantine when the time arises or take matters into your own hands. It is more similar to someone dealing with a disease like cancer rather than the typical transformations we are used to seeing in zombie movies – and it’s a fantastic take on the genre.

Maggie is a refreshing spin on the traditional zombie story, with way more emotional and dramatic tones than horror or action and I found it very captivating. Making his debut, director Henry Hobson did a great job of creating a dark and emotional movie and visually it all works really well. The movie’s pacing is slow and deliberately so, with each scene weaving together the bond between father and daughter and building to an ending that keeps the viewer questioning what Wade will do when Maggie finally goes full zombie.

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The performances are good with Schwarzenegger and Breslin getting the majority of the screen time. Schwarzenegger for me was particularly good and landed the dramatic performance needed for the role comfortably, never pushing it too far or trying anything out of his comfort zone. Breslin, who is a proven great actress, could have done more with her role but gives a solid performance and her interaction with Schwarzenegger worked well.

For a movie that I have not heard too much about before, Maggie was very enjoyable to watch and will go down well with those that are fans of zombie movies and equally those who are not.

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Also starring Douglas M. Griffin, J.D. Evermore, Rachel Whitman Groves, Jodie Moore and Bryce Romero, Maggie is available on DVD now.

Last Updated: April 28, 2016

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