Z for Zechariah depicts the end of humanity. This lesser-known film stars Margot Robbie, Chris Pine and Chiwetel Ejiofor as the final three survivors of an apocalyptic event. Robbie plays Ann, a faithful Christian woman whose survival may have been pure luck, while Pine's character is a ragged coal miner, cunning and hard to trust. Ejiofor takes over the lead role from John Loomis, aka Zachariah, as the Last Man. Z for Zechariah it parallels the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. While Adam and Eve mark the beginning of humanity, Loomis and Ann mark its end.
The title of Z for Zechariah plays on the idea that if A stands for Adam (the first man), Z would stand for Zechariah (the last man on earth). The film is loosely based on the science fiction novel of the same name by Robert C. O'Brien, although the film's plot deviates significantly from the source material. In particular, the film inserts another character, Caleb, played by Chris Pine, into the story of the ultimate man and woman couple.
What is Z for Zechariah about?
The science fiction thriller, Z for Zechariahplays on the idea of Eden at the end of the world.Set in a post-apocalyptic world, where a nuclear weapon has wiped out nearly all of the earth's inhabitants, no one else is presumed to have survived except a young Christian woman and her dog. Margot Robbie plays Ann Burden, who seems to live a peaceful life and is unfazed by the fact that she is the only survivor. However, the situation quickly changes when he discovers another living human. John Loomis (Chiwetel Ejiofor), an atheist and scientist, stumbles upon the street near the house where Ann lives. Desperate for air, Loomis removes his radiation suit but accidentally steps into a radiation-infected waterfall. . Ann saves his life and brings him home, and after struggling for days, on the brink of death, Loomis recovers. Their companionship as the last man and last woman on earth soon becomes something more. However, it is difficult to ignore the violence, secrecy and conflict that underlies it.
Their seemingly peaceful life takes another turn when Star Trek the actor's coal miner, Caleb, shows up, also in need of help. Ann takes Caleb in, which makes Loomis jealous. Caleb is good looking and also a religious man like Ann. The chemistry between them seems more spontaneous than what Ann has with Loomis. Caleb manages to convince Ann to demolish the church her father built and use the forest to build a power plant. Z for Zechariah explores jealousy and the dark side of humanity as Caleb and Loomis talk about the worst things they've endured to survive.
Ann is caught between two men, who both want her, and it's becoming obvious who she will choose. However, Z for Zechariah it's not a story about just a love triangle or survival. It is essentially about self-destruction, jealousy and cruelty. As perhaps the last people on earth, the three turn against each other instead of forming a community. The ending takes a sudden turn when Loomis returns to Ann alone, informing her that Caleb is gone.
Z for Zechariah leaves things open-ended
The sci-fi film is famous for its ambiguous ending that leaves viewers wondering about what happened for days. If it weren't for the disturbing ending, the film wouldn't have achieved half of its impact. It's the ambiguous and somewhat sinister turn of events that has captivated fans, and it all comes down to one scene: Caleb slips off a cliff and Loomis holds the other end of the rope.
The film suggests that something sinister will happen after they exchange one last glance. Before this moment, Loomis immediately tightened the rope that prevented Caleb from falling down the waterfall when he slipped. Caleb climbs up, but slips back into the radiation suit. Loomis takes the rope in his hands. He tries to save Caleb again, but as the two look at each other, a smirk appears on Caleb's face. At the same time, Loomis' eyes change. That is the last time viewers see them together. In the next scene, Loomis informs Ann that Caleb is gone. Heartbroken, Ann attempts to find Caleb. The ambiguous ending leaves many viewers unsure of what really happened. Even if it seems that way Z for Zechariah strongly hints at Loomis being the killer, many argue that Loomis doesn't have what it takes to be a killer. Loomis couldn't kill the boy who begged him to take his own life. Instead, Loomis left the boy there to die. Even though the architect is cautious and nervous due to the horror he has experienced, Loomis proves to be a decent person. It's true that he's jealous that Caleb got the girl of his dreams, but when Caleb slips, Loomis' first instinct is to save the boy.
On the other hand, Loomis has a dark side. He attacked Ann when he was drunk. He also let a child die. Speaking of the unspeakable things one does, Loomis is capable of causing harm to another human being. With his jealousy growing all this time, the resentment he feels for both Ann and Caleb has nowhere else to go. Letting go of the rope when Caleb smirks at him, daring Loomis to kill him, seems like the perfect revenge. Loomis as a killer is heavily hinted at, although it is never made clear in the film.
Has Loomis left Caleb?
There are so many questions that viewers need answers to when the credits roll. While the film didn't give fans the satisfaction of clarity, director Craig Zobel later provided closure for curious fans. He clarified what really happened in an interview with Time Magazine and confirmed it Loomis had actually killed Caleb. When asked if John had left Caleb, Zobel replied, “I think you know.” He directly answered whether fans were under the right impression that Loomis was a killer and said, “Yes. I feel like it's strongly hinted at.”
This shouldn't be a surprise, as the tension between the two has grown intensely since Caleb appeared in Ann and Loomis' lives. Caleb's story of how he escaped a terrible fate in the mine by looking at the attacker also seems to foreshadow the tragedy. By giving Loomis the same look, Caleb is taunting him by suggesting that Loomis doesn't have what it takes to kill him. While it may have worked the first time, Caleb just doesn't have the same luck. Loomis is nothing like the miner who went on a killing spree. He is calculative and in full control of what he is doing. The lack of direct representation at the end, according to Zobel, doesn't stop fans from taking the hint.
However, due to the unclear nature of the scene, it also leaves a door open for hope. Maybe Loomis has changed his mind, or maybe Caleb has, although it's highly unlikely, given that they both want Ann for themselves. It's unlikely that Caleb will leave willingly. Let's assume Loomis didn't kill his competitor on the cliff. Then things could go in the direction of a horror movie. Loomis realizes that as long as Caleb is in their lives, there will be no peace. However, he didn't take the impact of the murder into account when he decided to eliminate Caleb as a threat.
Did Ann know that Loomis killed Caleb? Loomis actor Chiwetel Ejiofor thought so. “She must be deeply suspicious anyway,” the actor said in the same interview. Whether or not Ann knew what happened is not important. What's important is what happens to her and Loomis now. Loomis is seen contemplating suicide after informing Ann of the news. Even though Caleb is gone, what happened between the three of them is driving a wedge in his relationship with Ann. Will they be able to rebuild a peaceful life again? The film ends on a note of suspense. Sadly, it no longer follows their story, but one thing seems certain: What would have been two days after Caleb left could be drastically different than six months later. A stands for Adam, the first man, then Z stands for Zechariah, the last man on earth. Loomis is Zechariah in the film. Becoming the last man has everything to do with man's self-destructive nature. Loomis doesn't have to be the last man, but he made his bed.