The Quiet Earth (1985) User Reviews

The sky up above - zing boom - Is caving in...

[BA_Harrison · 8/10 · 17 July 2020]

I've often wondered what it might be like to be one of the only people left alive in the world - the kind of scenario seen in 'Night of the Comet' (1984), 'The Last Man on Earth' (1964), the TV movie 'Where Have All The People Gone?' (1974), and 'Day of the Dead' (1985). If the post-apocalyptic premise of this type of film appeals to you as well, then The Quiet Earth should keep you more than entertained.

In this cool New Zealand sci-fi flick, it's a top-secret scientific experiment gone wrong that results in the Earth being so quiet. Designed to create a power grid around the planet, Project Flashlight triggers a cosmic event that makes everyone disappear. Well, nearly everyone: Zac Hobson (Bruno Lawrence), a scientist on the project, wakes to find himself all alone in the world, and does what anyone would do in the same situation: he moves into a mansion, loots all the shops, and goes a little bit insane.

Eventually, he finds out that he's not alone after all: he meets another survivor, Joanne (Alison Routledge), who, luckily for him, is pretty, young, has a nice ass, and puts out. Things appear to be going great for Zac, but then the film effectively illustrates that old idiom 'two's company, three's a crowd' by chucking another character into the mix, alpha male Api (Pete Smith). Tension between the two men is understandably high, but Zac has more important things to worry about: he's been monitoring strange solar activity and is convinced that another 'effect' is imminent...

Despite its cast of just three (dead bodies not counted) and a leisurely pace, The Quiet Earth never bores, the gradual drip-feed of well-rounded characters ensuring that the dynamic of the film keeps changing: loneliness, madness, companionship, romance, jealousy, danger. Also serving to make The Quiet Earth more interesting than many a post apocalyptic movie is its off-beat metaphysical nature, which keeps one guessing throughout.

I can understand how some might be left disappointed or a bit confused by the somewhat surreal ending, but I loved the ambiguity (and the visuals): where is Zac? Has the effect whisked him to the farthest reaches of the galaxy or into another dimension? Is he dead? Is he on a planet ruled by apes? Will he be sent on a quest to find the Necronomicon? Your guess is as good as mine...

Engaging

[BlackMonk · 7/10 · 30 July 2001]

An engaging sci-fi drama about a man who awakens to find himself, seemingly, the last person alive on earth. What does he do? What would you do? Everything's free. You could drive what you want. Wear what you want. Live in the fanciest hotel or simply pick a house to move in to. No laws to obey except those imposed by reality.

But might it not get lonely? And what if you did find someone else?

I plucked this movie off the rental rack on a whim, not expecting much really, but I was pleasantly surprised. By no means was it a 'great' movie, but I think virtually anyone would find it interesting--certainly more so than the claptrap currently being churned out by Hollywood.

I Always Liked This Movie

[SeanHaff · 8/10 · 25 October 2004]

I first saw "The Quiet Earth" on Cinemax in the late-1980's (every Wednesday night, Cinemax would show foreign films). Yeah...as many other users have pointed out, this isn't your typical sci-fi flick (no monsters, no extended action scenes). But this movie is unique in that way -- it's a sci-fi flick without much sci-fi in it.

Don't get me wrong -- I'm a huge sci-fi geek -- but the thing that kept my interest while I was watching this movie the first time (and what makes it stick in my mind to this day) is the realistic way this movie deals with a totally unrealistic subject. Bruno Lawrence's reactions to his situation were not your usual Hollywood teen flick "Hey, there's nobody else in the world...let's party!" reaction. Instead, you see Zac (Lawrence) change from a man who couldn't care less about people into someone so desperate for companionship that it drives him temporarily insane (to the point of where he thinks that he's God).

Yeah...strangely enough, the addition of other characters into the picture actually hurts the story a bit, but it also allows Zac to explain to everyone what may have caused the world's population to disappear. It also gives Zac a reason to try to right a wrong that he had a hand in (thus redeeming himself).

The amazing beach/planet-rise visual at the very end of the movie is an image that has stuck in my head for all of these years. It's one of the few actual sci-fi elements in the film, and it has a great look to it (almost a modernized version of those classic "Forbidden Planet" backdrops). As enigmatic as the ending is, I always felt that it was a perfect ending for a movie that had an enigmatic beginning -- it basically brings the movie full-circle.

Sure, "The Quiet Earth" isn't your classic sci-fi movie...and it definitely is NOT for all sci-fi fans, but if you're looking for something different without all of the overdone Hollywood flash, you may want to check it out. I'm on a bit of a search thru my local DVD stores to find a copy of it, myself (I'm sure I'll find it in one of the bargain bins...because I doubt any video store manager will appreciate the quality of this forgotten gem).

Still walks through my my memory after all these years

[andersox · 20 March 2003]

I'm another person who saw this movie in a small art theater on Balboa Island, CA, in 1985. "Quiet Earth" was so haunting that, while channel surfing 15 years later, I saw just a flash of the image of Zac awakening and recognized the film instantly. I settled in to watch the film again--even knowing the ending--and its impact was still incredible.

Maybe it's not for serious sci-fi fans but definitely for people who like movies with apocalyptic themes, such as "A Boy and His Dog".

Good Science Fiction

[caspian1978 · 7/10 · 14 March 2001]

If you're looking for a science fiction flick that has nothing to do with little green aliens or intergalactic civil war, check out this film. A terrific story about a man waking up to find out that everybody in the world is gone. Vanished! He is the only one on Earth. A great part of the film deals with the struggle of having to be alone. Very original, very interesting, and very entertaining. Check it out.

future in nihilism

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 30 November 2011]

Years before Peter Jackson's movies brought New Zealand cinema to the fore, Geoff Murphy's adaptation of Craig Harrison's novel was an interesting release from the tiny country. "The Quiet Earth" is not really a post-apocalyptic tale, per se. It seems to be posing the question to the viewer of what you might do if thrown into this absolutely bizarre situation. The late Bruno Lawrence plays a man who wakes up to find out that everyone else on the planet has simply vanished. But it turns out that a project on which he has been working holds the answer to this.

Without a doubt, the end scene is up for interpretation, in the same way that the end of Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" is. But most importantly, "The Quiet Earth" is not an action movie. It's very much about the characters, and I really liked it. Also starring Alison Routledge and Pete Smith (an Orc in "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King", on which Geoff Murphy served as 2nd Unit Director).

Simply exceptional

[nemo-1 · 9/10 · 3 March 2001]

How would you handle it if you were the last person alive on the earth? This is the question posed by the Quiet Earth, also beyond this how would react knowing that an action or lack of one on your part had wiped out every living person on the face of the earth. Scientist Zack Hobson must deal with this reality when he wakes from his suicide attempt to find himself on the other side of an altered reality, alone. He at first goes quite insane, blaming himself for the accident because it was caused by the malfunction of a project that he was heading up. Later when he discovers two other "survivors" he formulates a plan that will reunite the two separated realities. The ending is one that will keep you thinking long after the credits have rolled.

worth a watch, but patchy

[paddy-2 · 6/10 · 28 September 2004]

For some reason, I saw this film at the cinema when it first came out. I think I might have been attracted by the classic S.F. poster, with the ringed planet rising behind a city. Well - I remember being intrigued by the film, but a little disappointed, and on watching it again on DVD all these years later, I feel just the same way.

It's worth a watch, and in many ways it's a neat and original little film. It's much more effective in the first half, when the narrative is driven by the main character's discovery of the disaster that has occurred.

The reaction of the protagonist to his new found "freedom" is well handled, believable and treads just the right line between comedy and tragedy. But when the other characters start to appear, the rot sets in, and I felt the film lost its way.

Also - the basic film-making began to creak. Some really bad acting began to be noticeable, and the director seemed to be grabbing at Hollywood action clichés to bulk out his film (eg the narrow squeeze driving the lorry through the gap, the pointless and unresolved stand-off between the two guys over the girl etc).

In science fiction terms, the basic premise was neat and interesting, but not really explored at all. And the more that was revealed, the worse it got - disbelief was NOT suspended!

But - I still like the film, would recommend it, and might even watch it again myself in another 20 or so years!

Inbalanced Rationale

[Magnet-2 · 10/10 · 18 December 1998]

I should begin by stating that I LOVE this film, which may explain, if not justify the following comments.

This is an excellent exploration of the human mind in a fantastic situation, but more simply just a damn good science fiction thriller.

I would agree that the first half is the better part, but to those who criticise the second half as being cliched and unstructured I would argue that a new impetus is needed by the time Zac has lived out his various fantasies and flirted with insanity.

Where many appear to feel the film is confused and leaves many matters unresolved, that very ambiguity and bewilderment was what I enjoyed most. For most of the film you DON'T know where the characters have found themselves, whether they are actually alive or dead, or what reality they're living in.

In accordance with this fascination I found the ending superb, accompanied as it was by that haunting theme music. Maybe it came as a result of the writer not knowing how to end the thing but it was never going to be a film where everything fell into place by a few cunningly worded lines at the conclusion! Therefore I liked the fact things were left unexplained, unsatisfying though it may be.

In short, I would definitely recommend this film, which seems to be dusted off and screened late at night on a regular basis by BBC 2 (English terrestrial channel). I know it won't appeal to everyone, but there will be those surrealists who do love it, if only as a fun and bizarre Sci-fi.

Not for action fans

[Rob_Taylor · 6/10 · 7 July 2004]

This movie has little action, instead focussing on the realities of being put in a situation where you are the last person on Earth. It deals with the mental problems that might arise and one man's descent into, and ascent out of, madness.

The science behind the disappearance of the whole human population is best ignored as complete nonsense, but otherwise the movie is solid enough fare.

Likewise the non-Hollywood ending appealed to me, even if I haven't the faintest idea what happened, or why.

And if you find yourself sneering at what the hero gets up to on screen ask yourself this - What would you do if you were the last person on Earth?

First half good, last half bad

[admatha-767-524200 · 2/10 · 17 August 2013]

Honestly the beginning of this movie is great. I really liked Bruno Lawrence, and his travel through dubious sanity was hysterical and yet relatable. I know I'd wander around on a deserted earth finding better houses to live in and deciding how to live off the land and, yes, probably going slightly mad in the process. He did that very well. His balcony speech is delicious. But the instant other people begin to show up the whole movie stalls and never starts again. There are only two other people. They are uninteresting. The love triangle is uninteresting. The finale is ... sudden, and quiet honestly I haven't got the slightest freaking clue what that final scene is about. I read the summary of the book and I feel like it did a much better job of an ending. For the movie, it felt like they started with a great script about one man waking up alone in an empty world, then ran out of creative juices as soon as they had to focus on more than one character and just kept writing anything, *anything at all* for the remainder of the film. Then they hit the hour and thirty minute mark and went "thank god, I can end this!" and just slapped an ending on to what had been happening for the last 90 minutes. A highly disappointing end to a promising beginning.

film with apocalyptic atmosphere

[andre-71 · 8/10 · 6 April 2001]

I love films with an apocalyptic theme. And this is definitely one of the better ones. Even though the basic story has been around quite a few times, e.g. "Omega Man, The (1971)", it is always interesting to see what has happened before and how it ends. Here, the emphasis is put on human relations, not so much on action. The scientific explanation for the "effect" is also somewhat implausible, but due to that rather authentic scientist Hobson I believed it anyways. And fortunately, the authors chose a non Hollywood-style ending for the movie!

I loved the ending!

[Sonatine97 · 7/10 · 19 June 2000]

* SPOILER EMBEDDED AND SIGN POSTED HALF WAY DOWN *

A sci-fi film from New Zealand, a country not renowned for such things but nevertheless, Quiet Earth soon addresses all that.

Zac, a scientist, or astronomer, wakes up one morning to find himself very much on his todd. The neighbourhood, the town, the country and probably the world is all his.

After the initial rush of being able to do whatever he wants he begins to realise that materialism counts for nought without some form of human interaction. By the time we reach the middle of the film Zac is on the way to being 4 beers short of a six-pack!

So far so good. The film intrigues us, fascinates us, and makes us wonder what it would be like if we were in Zac's shoes. However, the second reel is somewhat of a disappointment.

Zac finally meets two other adults - a man & woman, and all three try to comprehend what has happened to the world, but also how the two men try to win the affections of the woman.

For about 40 minutes not a lot happens apart from lots of psycho babble, male posturing & bickering. Only at the very end does it really "hit" you, especially after Zac decides to blow up his research lab to see if it will cure Earth's problem.

******* SPOILER - MISS THE NEXT SECTION *********

The explosion is timed perfectly with a massive surge of solar energy from the Sun, which may have triggered the initial problem right at the beginning of the film when Zac and his scientists did some experimental work of their own against the Sun.

The explosion coupled with the Solar Surge seems to have created a wormhole - which is a cosmological possibility in reality - that sucks Zac through a space/time event horizon and dumps him on what seems to be another habitable planet on a differnt solar system -

the scene on the beach is truly inspired!!!!

******** END OF SPOILER PLEASE CONTINUE *********

For some the ending seemed vague, misleading, confusing; I suspect the director assumed the audience would be suitably aquainted with the surge towards the unknown when deciding to shoot this scene - justifiably so when you consider most of us were brought up on Star Wars & Star Trek films where wormholes & blackholes are taken for granted.

However, with the exception of the very last scene, the second half ruins the film - from what began as a promising adventure/mystery it ends up like a soap opera and we really don't care very much for the other two characters since they don't offer us anything of interest anyway.

However, its a film to watch for all its shortfalls - and there's always the fast forward button if it gets too abstract.

***/*****

Failed Sci-Fi plot filled with drama

[IMDB-20-towwang · 4/10 · 26 October 2006]

This movie is way over-rated (7.1/10 as of this writing). I read several reviews hailing this a out-of-the-ordinary science fiction movie, without involving green aliens, laser blasts, space ships, etc. Well, despite doing away with all the usual sci-fi clichés of Hollywood, its plot has way too many gaping holes.

For one thing, it intends to emphasize the atmosphere of solitude experienced by the main characters, especially by Zac, and to achieve this it relies on the severely mistaken notion that the world can come to a stand-still when 99.999999% of the human population simply vanishes. Anybody ever read Stephen King's "The Stand"? Or seen the depiction of post-apocalyptic chaos in TV series like "Babylon 5"? When people vanish, ovens don't turn themselves off, cars don't come to orderly halt, nuclear power plants don't just shut down gracefully. Huge fires would burn up the cities, most roads would be blocked by massive accidents and pile-ups, all food would rot; in short, all hell should break loose. And yet, in "The quiet Earth", the characters seem to have no trouble driving around town, picking up groceries and hardware supplies, and use electronic devices anywhere anytime they feel inclined to.

Some may argue that story is based on the premise that these characters were "transported" to a parallel universe, where the normal laws of physics don't apply. Well, if that is the case, it is just too convenient to twist the Universe to provide for the needs of three human beings at every twist and turn, and the film makes no substantiable effort in showing how this parallel universe is different from ours, except for a few vague hints here and there about how the "charge of the electron is now different", etc.

The only redeeming quality of this film is its study into the human psyche, in portraying the effects of isolation and boredom on individuals. Even then, this is based on the hypothetical premise that these individuals have all their physical needs met, and only have to contend with the fact that they have no sense of purpose, and no good idea of what had happened to their world. Api got introduced into the story line way too late, and his interactions and relationship with the other two characters had to be developed in such a hurry that the behavior of these characters became far too irrational in the second-half of the movie. Then add a pointless sex scene, and we find ourselves gravitating back towards Hollywood clichés, for lack of a better way to make the ending interesting.

As for the final scene, the scenery was beautiful, but they just had to strike another chop to the already dead credibility of this movie. Couldn't they at least get one thing right, i.e. show Zac freezing to death on the surface of Titan, the only moon of Saturn with a sea... of liquid methane?

My score: 4 out of 10, and I'm being generous!

Hope over Hell

[thorn-19 · 26 July 2004]

This was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. Instead of being yet another it's-the-end-of-the-world-so-let's-kill-everyone-left movie it beautifully illustrates human hope, self-realization and sacrifice.

We begin with Zac in his depressed, selfish self. On day one, we get a taste of how Zac must have treated the world when people were in it. Now that the people are gone a happier Zac moves through the Kubler-Ross stages, to the audience's amusement. Eventually he meets another person, a woman - Joanne. Joanne is the embodiment of nurturing, femininity and compromise, herself having been alone as long as Zac.

Once they find each other, Joanne and Zac form an alliance that quickly becomes romantic, quirky and easy. Then the third player arrives, Api, who seems far better prepared for living after the world has gone empty.

Two men and one woman - from the moment they all meet it's strained with only Joanne bridging the distance. Jealousy and suspicion begin, there are poignant examples of human frailty and attempts to reach out to each other, except with Zac. Zac knows something that neither Joanne or Api could possibly know and eventually, he has to tell them.

The tension of the living situation builds and hits an apex when Zac finally tells the truth, the horrifying secret that is not only the answer to how the people vanished, but to what is about to happen. The ending, Zac's decision to change who he was, to love Joanne and Api enough to put himself aside turns weirdly mystical in the final scenes.

Overall, the story is an allegory of what we do to ourselves, how we can overcome our tendencies for base, selfish behavior and learn to love. It's one movie I walked away from thinking about so much more then when I began it.

The Quiet Earth

[jboothmillard · 6/10 · 28 March 2018]

I read more about this film after I found it listed in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, movies like The Omega Man had already succeeded with the "last man on earth" plot. So it was not an original concept, but it didn't stop this film from New Zealand being made, and I was interested in it, directed by Geoff Murphy (Under Siege 2: Dark Territory). Basically on a normal winter morning in July in Hamilton, New Zealand the sky is darkened for a moment, and a sudden red light surrounded by darkness is seen. Scientist Zac Hobson (Bruno Lawrence) works for Delenco, part of an international consortium working on "Project Flashlight", an experiment to create a global energy grid. He wakes to find no radio broadcasts, and getting dressed and driving around, he finds the city is completely deserted, and a plane crash wreckage with no bodies. Zac investigates his underground laboratory at Delenco, a monitor displays the message "Project Flashlight Complete", the disappearance of humanity coincides with the moment Flashlight was activated, he is lucky to escape the lab as a security breaks causes a fire. Zac broadcasts a repeating radio broadcast, referring to the crucial malfunction as "The Effect", he is asking for any survivors to contact him, first at his home, then at a large millionaire's mansion. As the days pass, his state deteriorates, he at first embraces the fact that he is the only man in the world, feeling exhilaration as he does whatever he wants, including causing his own mischief and havoc, but slowly he returns to despair. Eventually he breaks down altogether, assembling cardboard cut-outs of famous people (including Adolf Hitler, Elizabeth II, and Pope John Paul II) and declaring himself as "President of this Quiet Earth", and shooting up a church, he contemplates suicide with a shotgun, but changes his mind witnessing an explosion caused by his own destructiveness. Zac settles into a more normal routine, but he is surprised when a woman named Joanne (Alison Routledge) suddenly turns up at his doorstep, he is relieved to have company, he is attracted to her, and after a few days they do have sex. They decide to scour the countryside together to find other survivors, and on the outskirts of the city, they find a third survivor, a large Maori man named Api (Pete Smith). The three determine why they survived: at the instant of The Effect, they were all at the moment of death - Api was drowning, Joanne was electrocuted by a faulty hairdryer, and Zac had overdosed on pills attempting suicide, Zac feels guilty as he knew the experiment carried serious dangers. A love triangle develops, but Zac is more concerned about his observations about the Earth, the Sun's output is fluctuating, Zac fears the Effect will occur again, and decides to destroy the Deleco facility in an attempt to stop it. The three put their differences aside to drive a truck full of explosives to the installation, only stopped when Zac determines there is high radiation emanating from the plant. Zac goes to town to retrieve a remote control device that can send the truck into the facility, while he is gone, Api and Joanne have sex, Api doubts that Zac's device will work and says he will sacrifice himself and drive the truck. But then Zac reappears in the truck, he drives the truck onto the weakened roof of the underground laboratory, it collapses, as the effect is reaching a maximum, he triggers the explosives. Once again, a red light is seen surrounded by the dark tunnel, Zac finds himself lying face down on a beach, strange cloud formations, resembling waterspouts, rise out of the ocean, as he walks to the water's edge, an enormous ringed planet slowly appears over the horizon. Lawrence carries the first third of the film alone with a beguiling performance, Routledge and Smith are average, so it is a scientific error that caused everyone to be wiped out, it is faultless in capturing the feel of loneliness and eerie dystopia in the early scenes, and the solo man enjoying himself without guilt and interference is interesting to watch, it is when the other two appear it gets a bit predictable, but it is a really worthwhile science-fiction thriller. Good!

Strange

[Royalcourtier · 6/10 · 7 February 2009]

As with many sci-fi films, it is best to ignore the science in The Quiet Earth. It makes little or no sense. Partly that is due to the very poor script, which is the weakest part of the film. That weakness is ironic, because in many ways the film relies on the script to carry the action forward.

Bruno Lawrence's performance has been well-rated, though his diction is rather poor for a scientist- in fact he really doesn't sound - or look - the part at all.

It isn't explained how it is so easy to fix meals while travelling south. The absence of power and fresh food would make such mundane matters rather difficult.

Generally an intriguing film, and sure to be remembered for a long time.

The Quiet Earth

[wan-ed · 10/10 · 23 July 2005]

This movie sticks in your mind for days. The opening scenes immediately pull you into this eerie, lifeless world as we see our hero driving around ghost towns, looking for signs of life. A terrifying concept that hooks you. There are classic moments throughout the first half of the movie as we witness the various states of madness our hero goes through before he accepts his situation and takes control. It's this part of the movie that made it a cult classic. As soon as the plot starts to thicken and the focus is taken away from his desolate existence, the magic starts to ebb. However, you are still left on the edge of your seat until you get an answer to any of the questions the story line produced. The end scene, is beautiful, perplexing but I've got to say, a bit of a cop-out. However, its' lack of answers keep you guessing. A superb, off the wall film, that stays inside you.

A good watch with a seemingly satisfying climax.

[Saturnfly · 7/10 · 14 March 2010]

At first I had no idea this movie was filmed in New Zealand, and as a resident of the country myself; I know all too well the kind of productions that are delivered. Most of them unfortunately are a crap-fest.

However, with The Quiet Earth, I was very pleasantly surprised. The plot is original, it has never (in my geeky, sci-fi junkie knowledge) been done before. The camera work is superb, the way the movie is set out on a striking background makes this film all the more beautiful.

The plot is surprisingly simple, it does not involve a lot of consideration, which in my particular case, allowed me to enjoy what was happening visually. A man wakes up only to find civilization has vanished, and he is the sole remaining species.

I'm sure we have all fantasized about this, and what we would do. The main character relates to his imagination, and to ours, he takes a small advantage and delivers it with such passion and comedic structure. Of course however, this would drive anyone insane if they weren't used to living a life of recluse and complete solitude, and he eventually does dance along the rope of reality, slipping momentarily until the plot drives forward.

It is an entertaining movie, it has it's thrills, it certainly has a tad suspense and a slight nudge of bad acting, however in saying that; the movie makes up for this tedious flaw with a terrific script, and a most peculiar story-line which will leave the viewers wondering what on Earth will happen (ignore the pun).

I enjoyed this movie a great deal, it was a fun way to spend an evening watching the well adapted characters explore the possibilities of their flawed world.

Excellent movie on a low budget.

[johnson50 · 8/10 · 29 November 2003]

I first saw this film many years ago and have been looking for it ever since - just bought it on DVD for 6 quid! (10 dollars).

I love these post-Apocalypse movies and suspect that this one was made on a virtually non-existent budget. The storyline is very cleverly unfolded as the film progresses - no boring preamble required - and Bruno Lawrence is excellent in the lead role. I especially enjoyed the scenes of excess once he realises that he is alone and do as he pleases.

Once he is joined by Alison Routledge at around the halfway mark, the whole film changes and Bruno's character becomes far more serious and sensible. We are now prepared for the fact that, if there are two of them, there may be more. Enter Api, the third survivor.

I feel that the film loses it a little from here on but I just love the ending. It makes no sense but allows you to put your own interpretation on it.

Favourite bits? When I realised that Zac had actually committed suicide just as Flashlight occurred - hasn't suspected that at all.

A Film That Should Only Be Seen Once

[Theo Robertson · 6/10 · 23 July 2013]

This is one of those movies that after seeing you'll be thinking hey what a great movie . It's a film that lingers long in the memory then when you see it again you're left thinking , oh I wonder why I liked it so much ? There's little dispute as to why I thought it so good first time I saw it and that's because of the very memorable ending which overwhelmed all the other elements of the film that came before it

TQE has a very old fashioned attitude to science as in " These nasty scientists have just gone and destroyed the human race again " which was common in 1950s sci-fi where nearly every alien menace was a metaphor for the atomic bomb . Yes science might have given humanity the power to destroy itself but it's also given us medicine , electricity and the internet so the good outweighs the bad

It's a film that has three distinct acts with one being Zac waking up to find himself alone and flirting with madness caused by his loneliness , the second act featuring Zac finding a fellow survivor Joanne and the third act dealing with sexual rivalries caused by a third protagonist Api joining the duo . It's not often you see all the men in the world fighting over a ginger and this is probably the first and last film you'll see this as a premise

In this type of film which concentrates on character instead of action and spectacle it's important that the casting is perfect but unfortunately I wasn't compelled by the acting . Bruno Lawrence is merely okay , Alison Routledge is bland and Pete Smith lacks the dangerous edge his character cries out for . I read online that Jack Nicolson was asked to play Zac but wanted too much money and perhaps the producers would have been better getting a well known bad boy actor to play Api

The film ends with a great image which makes the film . Of course when you're left to ask what it means in both he context of the film and a possible future for Zac you'll be be left scratching your chin . In effect this is one of these movies that is remembered for its imagery or rather one final image at the end . Everything leading up to it isn't all that good except perhaps for the deserted streets sequences

Good for a while, bad ending. Overall: Not good.

[ralf_nader · 3/10 · 3 December 2007]

At first this seems like a very intriguing movie. In fact, for most of the movie I just kept wondering and wondering, "Where are they going with this? How can this be explained? Man, this took some imagination. I am really enjoying this."

I gave this movie a 3 because the lack of explanation, ambiguity, and the very lame ending. For me the ending totally ruined it. I felt betrayed by the writer. Maybe I have a preference towards sci-fi movies that try a little harder to explain things. To me, the ending of this movie seemed like one of those movies such as 2001 Space Odyssey or Solaris, but without having read the books. If you have seen either of these movies you may get my analogy. Or maybe I just didn't understand it... it's possible.

This movie got high ratings from other people, so chances are you will like it. However, keep my warning in the back of your mind before you run out and get this movie.

The best aspect of this movie: Pretty unique conceptually. As you watch, your desire to know more grows (if you like Sci-Fi).

The worst aspect of this movie: Lack of in-depth explanation. The worthless ending.

A splendidly singular & often stimulating sci-fi end-of-the-world sleeper

[Woodyanders · 9/10 · 29 May 2006]

Fiercely self-reliant ordinary chap scientist Zac Hobson (a marvelously vivid and vibrant performance by Bruno Lawrence) wakes one one fateful morning to discover that a top secret experiment he's been working on called Operation Flashlight has created a lethal tear in the universe that in turn has caused every living creature except Zac to completely disappear. The opening third of this smart, witty, wholly absorbing and wonderfully idiosyncratic science fiction end-of-the-world thriller ingeniously mines a fresh and inspired line in surprising off-center humor. At first the resourceful Zac makes the best of a bad situation by residing in a swanky palatial abode, eating exquisite expensive cuisine and joyfully pillaging an abandoned shopping mall of its choicest material products. Eventually the hopelessness of Zac's wretchedly lonely plight makes him go gloriously off the wall bonkers. Zac talks to himself while playing a solitary game of pool, resorts to wearing a woman's half-slip as his sole article of clothing, declares himself ruler of the planet, blows up a gas station, and, in the film's single most sublimely audacious scene, storms into a derelict church toting a shotgun and threatens to blast a statue of Christ to pieces unless God manifests himself in the flesh for a face-to-face confrontation ("Come out or I'll shoot the kid!").

Alas, this divinely fruitcake nuttiness dissipates when Zac discovers plucky redhead Joanne (radiantly played by the lovely Allison Rutledge) and intimidating mystical Maori native Abi (the commanding Peter Smith). Zac and Abi engage in a predictable mano-a-mano competition to be the sole recipient of Joanne's affections and have an immediate distrust of each other due to racial differences. Fortunately, the plot gets back on suspenseful track when a second possibly more disastrous catastrophe looms on the gloomy horizon, thus forcing our beleaguered trio to take action to prevent this holocaust from wiping out the human race altogether. Geoff Murphy's bang-up direction skillfully creates a potently troubled sense of compelling mystery, places marked emphasis on the engaging characters, makes wisely judicious use of special effects, shifts the tone from playfully funny to grimly serious with remarkable adroitness, and concludes the feature with an unforgettably haunting final image. The bright, wryly preceptive script by Lawrence, Sam Pillsbury and Bill Baer thoughtfully explores man's poignant need for the company of other people in order to retain both sanity and humanity, the human race's deep-seated will to survive no matter what, and the dire consequences beget by mankind's arrogant tampering in delicate areas where he quite frankly does not belong. A splendidly singular and oftentimes stimulating sleeper.

An engaging sci-fi drama.

[Amyth47 · 6/10 · 23 December 2018]

My Rating : 6/10

'The Quiet Earth' is about a man who awakens to find himself the last person alive on earth. What does he do? What would you do? Everything is free. You could drive wherever you want. Wear whatever you want. Live in the fanciest hotel or simply pick a house to move in to. No laws to obey. But might it not get lonely? And what if you did find someone else? What happens then?

We see our hero driving around ghost towns, looking for signs of life. There are classic moments throughout the first half of the movie as we witness the various states of madness our hero goes through before he accepts his situation and takes control. It's this part of the movie that made it a cult classic.

The ending is not satisfactory but what the hell! It's engaging majority of the time and super fun to watch!

Dated and Over-Dramatic

[shaws4god · 3/10 · 19 March 2008]

While many people seem to have fond memories of this 1985 film (based on the high ratings), I am baffled as to why.

Watching for the first time this year (2008), Quiet Earth comes off as campy, over-dramatic, and just flat out cheesy. The special effects seem like something out of a 60's movie, the actors do things relational-wise that are on a whim, without showing motivation. And the ending is muddled and doesn't explain the last 90 minutes. As the credits role, we are presented with an image that leaves us completely baffled as to what happened. Is the actor in Heaven, or an alternate reality? Who knows? ...but better yet, who cares.

Frankly, the best part of the movie was Alison Routledge revealing her perfect backside in scene 10. Other than this, not much to remember.