Z for Zachariah (2015), directed by Craig Zobel

Based on a classic YA novel written in the 1970s, this film tries to tap in to the current penchant for post-apocalypse stories. Anne is alone, but for her dog, in a hidden valley that has somehow escaped the radioactive contamination seemingly affecting the rest of the world. She struggles to eke out a living on her farm, deserted by her family who left to look for survivors and who are probably dead. Into her world comes John, an engineer and scientist who offers some hope for a future even though they have little in common. Their fragile bond is tested by the arrival of yet another survivor, Caleb, a thief and liar who says he is on his way south to a city of survivors. Enormous plot holes are covered by the competence of the cast: Chris Pine suitably shifty as Caleb; Chiwetel Ejiofor earnest and just a little bit threatening as John; and Margot Robbie totally engaging as Anne. The tone of the film is uneasy and the symbolism a little heavy-handed but it poses some interesting questions about the nature and development of relationships. It may have made a better fist of this if it had stuck to the central themes of the book, rather than introducing a less interesting love triangle.