When audiences become used to seeing an actor or actress in a particular type of role, it becomes difficult for that person to be viewed in any other form than what the general public perceives them as being. Though when that chosen actor gets the opportunity to go against type and prove themselves as a serious actor, most cases often has that effort being overlooked. Very few actors have successfully made the transition from one genre to the next such as Robin Williams and Tom Hanks. With Arnold Schwarzenegger, audiences fondly remember him as The Terminator along with his noble attempts at comedy such as Twins, Kindergarten Cop, and Junior. Despite his ability to handle both genres, audiences questioned whether he could play a more serious dramatic role as his range has never been properly tested. With Maggie, audiences finally get to see Schwarzenegger handling a dramatic performance with him playing a straight father-figure trying to protect his daughter as she slowly transforms into being a Zombie. Though the film received little attention upon its initial 2015 release, Schwarzenegger's performance is often looked upon in high regard with it standing as being his most serious acting performance to date. That praise appears to be well-warranted as Maggie proves to be a different type of film than what Schwarzenegger is generally accustomed to starring in. The film is a quieter dramatic piece in comparison to the loud explosive action movies that Schwarzenegger generally plays in, but the performances as well as its thoughtful yet heartbreaking story make the film as powerful as it ultimately ends up being despite being horror-oriented. Maggie stands as being one of 2015's most overlooked films with key performances from both Schwarzenegger and Abigail Breslin being brilliantly understated.
The plot for Maggie centers around a loving father Wade Vogul (Played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) standing by his daughters side as she slowly transforms into a cannibalistic Zombie after being bit by one during an outbreak. Maggie's plot makes it stand apart from the typical Zombie fare with its story taking a more serious and dramatic approach in comparison to being strictly an action and horror-filled experience. The story moves at a slow beat but allows the audience to become invested in these characters, and the world that surrounds them. The film carries a bleak and depressing tone that makes it feel like one long goodbye message from a father to his daughter. What Maggie does well is properly set up the apocalyptic world and atmosphere, that instantly draws the audience into the story while allowing the performances of the main cast to define the film. The movie works as well as it does because of the strength of its main leads with breathtaking cinematography capturing the gloomy atmosphere, along with the emotion on the actors faces. Although the films pace may be too slow-moving for mainstream audiences and turn away those expecting the story to be a more action-oriented experience given Schwarzenegger's involvement, those looking for a different side of the actor will be satisfied to discover the surprising twist of the whole film which is that Schwarzenegger can act. Maggie is an emotionally absorbing horror drama that grabs audiences from the start and doesn't let go until the films heartbreaking final scene. For its main lead, it serves as being a testament that there's more to the iconic action star than just muscles.
The films strongest element that makes it work as effectively as it does is the performances from the main cast with both Schwarzenegger and Abigail Breslin giving the best performances of their careers. In Schwarzenegger's case, this is his best acting performance since T2: Judgment Day. He's terrific here and presents himself in a form that audiences have never seen him in prior. He manages to meet the demand in regards to conveying all the right emotions for the part of playing a simple father whose doing everything possible to comfort as well as stick by his daughters side as she slowly turns with him knowing what must be done when the time comes but can't bring himself to do it. For those who thought that Schwarzenegger had little to no range as a serious actor, they only need to look here to see that there's more to him than just playing the typical macho action hero. Along with Schwarzenegger making the film as emotionally powerful as it ends up being, Abigail Breslin delivers an equally moving and scene-stealing performance as Arnold's daughter Wade Vogul. Breslin makes her characters slow demise a gut-wrenching experience with her properly portraying her characters fear and confusion as she slowly changes with her also sharing strong chemistry with Schwarzenegger. Both actors nail the father and daughter dynamic perfectly and add a touch of sentimentality to the story. Along with their performances, Joely Richardson manages to shine as Maggie's stepmother Caroline Vogel with her becoming fearsome of Maggie as her transformation progresses. The rest of the supporting cast deliver notable performances such as Aiden Flowers as Maggie's younger brother Bobby, Carson Flowers as Maggie's mother Molly, Douglas M. Griffin as Sheriff Ray Pierce, and J.D Evermore as Holt. The cast for Maggie has much to do with why the film is so effective as a horror/family drama with the performances bringing sheer realism to the story. The acting delivered by both Schwarzenegger and Breslin alone is top notch and makes the film engaging to watch. It's a shame that the film didn't receive much attention during award season of its release as both performances are worthy of receiving recognition.
The films directing by Henry Hobson is a solid effort with him doing a noteworthy job of creating a post-apocalyptic feel of the Midwestern location of where the story takes place. He succeeds in giving the film the look and feel of a Zombie story with the twist being that the story plays out more as a family drama rather than a straight-forward horror flick. Hobson gives the film a pacing that's slow enough to allow the audience to become immersed in the story for the films 95 minute running time. For traditional Zombie fans, the slower than usual pace may turn some off as the intention is to make audiences feel the pain and dread the main characters are experiencing given the circumstances of the story. The violence and gore aspect of the story is handled in a way which its usage is minimal but effective in regards to being genuinely creepy for audiences with chilling moments such as the revealing of infected skin, creepy-crawlies, and a character breaking a finger then later chopping it off. While these moments may appear to be brief ones within the realm of the story, they ultimately prove to be most effective in driving home the shock that audiences feel towards it. The films make up effects are reasonably decent given its low budget of being just $1.4 million. Audiences end up buying the slow transformation of Maggie's character from human to Zombie with the effects emphasizing her physical transformation along with the brief glimpses of the other Zombies in the story. The cinematography in Maggie is wonderfully handled with the Midwestern location of the story being well-shot and believable. The films nature scenes are handled in a way which makes them small in comparison to the presence of Schwarzenegger's character despite being beautifully filmed. The movies camera work gives the film a Terrence Malick vibe meets George Romero with it excluding the traditional narration that comes with a Malick flick. The films score is beautifully done in regards to giving the film a presence that's haunting while making the whole experience an emotional rollercoaster ride. Hobson's work on Maggie manages to be effective with him properly bringing the world of the characters to the screen, as well as allowing the actors enough free reign to breathe life into their characters. He succeeds in setting up key moments of tension such as Richardson's character being asked by Maggie what her father is cooking in the kitchen with her stepmother going downstairs to inspect only to discover that nothing is being cooked, with her quietly realizing that Maggie is beginning to smell human flesh. Such a sequence is an example of one of the numerous ones in the film where the story is at its most effective. While it can be said that Hobson could've shown us more with the film, he does a good job of making due with the limited resources he had regarding the films extremely low budget and creating a world that serves as being both darkly and emotionally chilling.
Whereas both the acting and directing of the film work as being the films strongest elements, the screenplay by John Scott 3 serves as being both a hit and miss effort. What the writing does well is taking the popular Zombie genre and subverting expectations with crafting a surprising touching yet ultimately heartbreaking father and daughter drama, that serves as being a farewell story wrapped around the foundation of it being a horror story. Scott does well with showing a father's desperation to keep his daughter comfortable and safe as she slowly transforms while attempting to delay the inevitable. Schwarzenegger's character is constantly told throughout the film about what must be done when she transforms, but can't bring himself to commit to such an act. The writer also brilliantly shows Maggie's characters confusion as she slowly begins to turn into a Zombie with little subtle moments, that drive home the fear such as her character observing the bruise on her arm, or witnessing worms crawling out of it. Other intense moments that drive home the hellish circle that Wade is trapped in is when he ends up killing neighbors turned Zombies, that threaten both him and his daughters safety. The script works well in regards to both fleshing out the mind state of these characters, along with showing the bond that both Wade and Maggie have as parent and child. Wade's character is shown to be so committed to keeping his daughter alive that he turns a blind eye to many of the signals showing that she's getting closer to her inevitable switch while everyone else around them begins to become scared . In that regard, the script for Maggie works exceptionally well. The problems that arise with the script is the lack of events occurring throughout the film as the story strictly remains grounded around both Wade and Maggie's character. Instead of showing a more global scale of the outbreak described in the film, the writer opts for a more personal and sentimental story that tests the audiences patience in regards to it's slow-moving yet poignant narrative. The films ending also feels a bit underwhelming in a sense that the whole story builds up the anticipation that Schwarzenegger's character is tasked with having to figure out how to handle killing Maggie when she transforms into a Zombie with the climax ultimately being a betrayal of what the story was steadily building up to. While the ending doesn't automatically ruin the film, it robs it of the emotional payoff the final scene would've given audiences, as well as Schwarzenegger of an incredible dramatic moment if his character was presented with the choice at the end.
Despite its faults, Maggie still succeeds as being a surprisingly different type of Zombie story, that's aspires to be more than just a mindless horror flick. The film works as being an genuinely affecting story revolving around the concept of life and death with one family struggling to remain whole throughout the Zombie apocalypse shown. This is a different type of film than anything Schwarzenegger's been attached to previously with the transformation into a more serious approach being an ambitious one for the action star, that pays off. One can only hope that Schwarzenegger and other stars known for a particular type of genre role, become inspired to pursue other projects that'll allow them to be casted against type. Not everyone will enjoy Maggie as its slow progressing narrative may be off putting for those looking for a more eventful action style Zombie flick, but those looking for a story with a deeper meaning behind it will find much to appreciate with its artsy style approach to filming its story, as well as its ambition to standout from other horror flicks. It says something that the most dramatic Arnold Schwarzenegger performance of his career is the most overlooked as Maggie deserves to be commended for how hard it tries to add something new to the Zombie genre. The most surprising element of the film is despite its plot being horror oriented, the story is really about the bond between a father and his daughter with the film showing how far one will go to protect their family despite increasingly knowing that the end is near. In the end, the greatest tragedy won't be that Maggie was seen by few audiences in comparison to other films in Schwarzenegger's career, it would be that the iconic action star didn't feel inspired to tackle more projects that tested his range as a serious actor after delivering an impressive performance here. Maggie serves as being one of 2015's overlooked gems.
Final Verdict: For fans of both the Zombie genre and Schwarzenegger's work in general, Maggie proves to be a pleasant surprise that'll shock, entertain, and reaffirm audiences belief that Schwarzenegger is a more serious actor than what's been revealed of him thus far.
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