What would you sacrifice for your child? That’s a question that keeps cropping up in Maggie, the feature debut by director Henry Hobson. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Wade is the father of the title character, and has more to deal with than prom dates and puberty.  Maggie has been bitten by one of the infected, and is slowly going through “the turn.” The authorities want the infected to be able to spend as much time as possible with their families, but the threat of “quarantine” and what happens there is always looming. This is not your usual zombie pic. It’s not about killing zombies in lots of nasty and cool ways. It’s a film about watching a loved one suffer, and being able to do little to stop it. It’s an entire movie about that emotional aspect of the zombie genre that most films address with maybe one or two quick scenes. This could just as easily have been a drama about a father trying to deal with his daughter’s terminal cancer, for example.

It’s a dark, depressing film, and the washed-out palate and low-lit scenes contribute to the feelings of despair and hopelessness. And you can add to that shades of “fear of the teenager” here. After all, many of those we see being rounded up for quarantine are teenagers. And the parallel between “the turn” and puberty isn’t that much of a stretch. There are even a few “teenage angst” moments between some of the kids who are aware of what’s happening, but don’t know all that much about it. (Again, sounds like puberty.)

Every once in a while, Arnold finds the right fit in a film. Usually, it’s one where he doesn’t talk much, and isn’t on the screen all the time. That’s what happens here, and it works, so don’t not see this, just because you don’t like his films. He’s done fairly well in some of his “smaller” films lately (watch The Last Stand if you haven’t yet), and I think he does a good job as the protective, but concerned, dad. It’s a different Arnold than you’ve ever seen before. Abigail Breslin does a standout job, too, as Maggie. A lot of the film rests on her shoulders because we need to see her as sweet and sympathetic, but also dangerous, and she handles the role gracefully.

The pace is slow, so those with a short attention span, or looking for a Dawn of the Dead should probably stay away. But the pace HAS to be slow, as this film is about the transformation, and the longer it takes, the more heartbreakingly tense it becomes.

Ultimately, we know where this is heading, but we keep hoping that this time, it’s going to be different. After all, this is Ahn-nold, right? Daddy will come through in the clutch, won’t he?

IMDB says 5.9, and I’d have to agree, although I might round it up to a solid 6. (running time 1:35)