Z for Zachariah 2015

In a world ravaged by nuclear devastation, Ann Burden (Margot Robbie) lives a tranquil existence on her family’s valley farmstead, shielded from the toxic fallout by the natural barriers of rocky hillsides, favorable weather patterns, and an abundance of ground-fed water. Her serene life is disrupted when she encounters John Loomis (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a refugee who claims to have emerged from a distant government bunker, where he had been sheltered by medicines and a radiation suit. As Ann nurses Loomis back to health, he gradually becomes an integral part of her humble rustic life, assisting her in pumping diesel fuel and reviving the farm’s long-dormant tractor to expand their gardens for the winter.

As they work together, Ann confides in Loomis about her parents and younger brother, who had left the valley in search of other survivors but never returned. Loomis, a former research engineer, shares his own harrowing tale of surviving the apocalypse by taking refuge in a government bunker one mile below the surface. He recounts how he was forced to venture out when supplies began running low.

As winter approaches, Ann and Loomis must stock up on provisions, as they had almost starved last year. They set their sights on replenishing their freezers with fish from the local pond, which requires fixing a hydroelectric system using a water-wheel crafted from the Burden church’s wooden beams. While Loomis is enthusiastic about this project, Ann expresses reservations due to her Christian beliefs and her father’s involvement as a preacher. Loomis ultimately chooses not to pursue the idea further.

As the seasons change, Ann and Loomis grow closer, tending to their crops and preparing for long-term habitation. Their domestic harmony is occasionally disrupted by tensions arising from matters of faith and Loomis’ occasional drinking binges. The two come perilously close to initiating a romantic relationship, but Loomis hesitates, citing the need for more time.

The peaceful coexistence is soon disrupted by mysterious occurrences, including pilfered food supplies and fleeting glimpses of a shadowy figure. The arrival of Caleb (Chris Pine), another survivor, further complicates their lives. While Ann warmly welcomes Caleb into their farmhouse, Loomis is wary, his distrust fueled by Caleb’s claim to have survived the apocalypse by working in the mines. Loomis questions Caleb’s true motives and backstory, sensing a potential threat to their fragile harmony.

As the trio’s fragile alliance gradually solidifies, the weight of their collective trauma begins to take shape. Loomis recounts the devastating image of a radiation-scarred child imploring him for release from suffering, a memory that still lingers like an open wound. In a moment of unguarded vulnerability, he confides in Ann about his suspicions that this wretched soul might have been her long-lost brother; his guilt-ridden confession to the boy’s murder hangs precariously in the air.

Meanwhile, Caleb’s relentless drive propels their partnership forward, as they begin dismantling Ann’s father’s abandoned church to salvage materials for their ambitious water-wheel project. As they work together, a palpable undercurrent of attraction simmers beneath the surface, with Loomis awkwardly giving his blessing for Ann to pursue a romantic relationship with Caleb - a decision that only serves to mask his own festering emotions.

The evening’s festivities are short-lived, as Loomis’s inebriated confession of love to Ann is met with a mixture of confusion and longing. As he succumbs to the effects of intoxication, Ann retreats to her bedroom, where she is later joined by Caleb in a moment of furtive intimacy.

The aftermath of this encounter serves only to exacerbate the tension between the two men, whose mutual distrust now simmers just below the surface. The trio’s labors are rewarded as they successfully complete their water-wheel project, relocating it and its wooden flume atop the valley’s majestic waterfall.

However, Caleb’s clumsy attempts to navigate the treacherous terrain in his bulky radiation suit result in a pair of near-fatal slips down the moss-covered cliff-side. As he teeters on the brink of disaster, Loomis stands by his side, their shared rope stretching taut as they lock eyes in a moment of mutual understanding.

In the days that follow, Loomis returns to the farmhouse alone, only to be met with Ann’s apologetic gaze and the crushing revelation that Caleb has abandoned their settlement in search of other survivors. Her pursuit of her errant lover ends in disappointment, and she lapses into a morose silence.

The farmhouse’s restored electric lights and refrigeration seem a hollow comfort, as Ann begins to uncover the truth behind Loomis’s manipulation of their relationship. She discovers that he has covertly relocated her beloved church organ and three pews to the barn, a betrayal that stings like a fresh wound.

As the tension between them reaches a boiling point, Ann takes up her father’s hymn on the church organ, her music weaving a mournful melody as she exchanges a wary glance with Loomis, who sits silently in the shadows. The scene fades to black, leaving the audience suspended in the midst of this emotional impasse.