Not Exactly Sci-Fi, Z for Zachariah Is a Slow but Insightful Film

There is a reason a lot of the seemingly monthly religious movies aren’t reviewed by a majority of critics. It isn’t that they are poorly made movies—although A LOT of them are—it’s the fact that they make it very clear that they’re not meant to be consumed as popular entertainment by the widest possible audiences.

Most are marketed purely to religious organizations and suggested as possible church outings. Just this past weekend, we had War Room, which was advertised as having group rates. Many do well their first week (War Room was number two at the box office) by marketing their films this way. What’s unfortunate, however, is while a lot of these movies are marketed and made to appeal to specific religious groups, using popular entertainment to openly explore religious conversations and debate rarely will have the same success rate. One of the best shows on TV right now, Rectify, is one of the most thoughtful shows about religion and faith, and it barely has an audience. Likewise, Z for Zachariah, which is interested in this kind of debate, hid the religious aspects of its story in trailers, likely out of concern that it would ultimately keep audiences away.