Maggie

Just when you thought you've seen every side of Arnold Schwarzenegger and every type of Zombie movie, here comes MAGGIE.

A virus has swept the country, turning people into blood hungry animals six to eight weeks after they are bitten by an infected person. The film cleverly spells out all the rules of the infection early on, which come into play with dramatic effect later.

Arnold plays Wade, a rural farmer searching for his daughter Maggie, well played by talented young Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine, Zombieland) who has been bitten.

Wade leverages every friendship he has in order to bring Maggie home for her last six weeks, promising to watch her closely for signs of the final stages, when he needs to take her to quarantine.

Arnold is very good here, showing vulnerability and plenty of emotion as he realizes that his daughter is dying before his eyes. It's heartbreaking to watch their interaction as the disease advances and she becomes less and less Maggie and more mindless hunter.

Joely Richardson is also good as Maggie's step mom Caroline, wrestling with Maggie being home around her other children.

The film is quiet and serves up a slow build. It's never boring but it is very haunting. It's certainly one of Arnold's best performances and very unexpected. Kudos to him for tackling a very different role in a small independent film.

Maggie has some serious dramatic bite and gets a B.