Maggie
Lionsgate | Release Date: May 8, 2015 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
52
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 31 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
16
Negative:
4
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
IndieWireEric KohnApr 22, 2015
The movie subtly examines whether people accustomed to a precise way of life can deal with cataclysmic change; by extension, it implies similar questions about Schwarzenegger's career as he heads toward his seventies, and makes a solid case that more new directions await. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzMay 7, 2015
Maggie has some rough edges — what caused the epidemic, for instance? — but it's still a worthwhile effort, especially for a first-time director. And for an old pro like Schwarzenegger, trying something different and succeeding. Read full review
70
VarietyGuy LodgeApr 23, 2015
Though Henry Hobson’s hugely promising debut feature is generating buzz from the casting of a fine, low-key Arnold Schwarzenegger as the anguished father of a semi-zombified teen, it’s Abigail Breslin’s gutsy, nuanced turn as the reluctantly undead title character — at once a heroine to be protected and a mutant threat to be destroyed — that makes the film unique within its grisly canon. Read full review
67
Portland OregonianJeff BakerMay 14, 2015
It's an odd concept, turning a zombie movie into a downbeat actor's showcase, but first-time director Henry Hobson gets great work from a subdued Schwarzenegger and an even better performance from Abigail Breslin in the title role. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyJoe McGovernMay 7, 2015
The sight of Schwarzenegger in this small, subdued role makes us root for his survival. That’s the power of star wattage at work. Not even the undead can kill it. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubA.A. Dowd May 6, 2015
The words “Arnold Schwarzenegger zombie movie” create certain expectations. Maggie, the glum new indie that technically fits that description, meets almost none of them. Read full review
63
RogerEbert.comOdie HendersonMay 8, 2015
Maggie” is Schwarzenegger’s “Cop Land,” that is, a feature designed to highlight and showcase that which an action movie hero could only hint at in glancing moments between explosions. Read full review
63
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanMay 7, 2015
The film suffers a bit for its slowness. But once you get used to the fact that this is not “World War Z,” it has its small pleasures, which are both cerebral and emotional. Read full review
63
USA TodayClaudia PuigMay 7, 2015
Downbeat but humanistic, Maggie is the rare zombie tale that's less about the appetites of the walking dead and more about their complicated emotions. Read full review
63
Rolling StonePeter TraversMay 7, 2015
Gore is kept to a minimum, a fact likely to disappoint audiences out for blood. It's a changed Schwarzenegger on view in Maggie, and the change becomes him. Read full review
63
Movie NationRoger MooreMay 5, 2015
Sad and forlorn as Maggie is, there are no surprises left in Zombieland. Read full review
60
EmpireKim NewmanJul 21, 2015
It feels a little like ‘a very special episode of The Walking Dead’ and might be a tad low-key for its field, but Schwarzenegger and Breslin are good and the payoff is affecting. Read full review
60
Total FilmPaul BradshawJul 21, 2015
A sad, gloomy family drama dressed up as horror, Maggie proves that Schwarzenegger can act when he wants to – even if he still looks like he’d rather be blowing shit up. Read full review
60
New York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinMay 8, 2015
It’s not a great movie, but it’s haunting, a sort of one-stop shop for a range of cultural anxieties — plague, environmental catastrophe, big government threatening the sanctity of home and family. Read full review
60
New Orleans Times-PicayuneMike ScottMay 8, 2015
A rewarding, moving and satisfyingly original film. Read full review
60
The DissolveScott TobiasMay 6, 2015
Past the novelty of its conceit and casting, and the animating intelligence of its first-time director, Henry Hobson, Maggie is a bit of a drag. Read full review
60
Time OutDavid EhrlichMay 5, 2015
Henry Hobson’s zombie movie does for coping with terminal illness what "Dawn of the Dead" did for consumerism, the difference here being that Hobson isn’t interested in satire, only sadness. Oh, and he’s got Arnold Schwarzenegger. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeApr 23, 2015
While Hobson's smarts are evident here, the picture's uniformly dim visuals and sometimes overplayed sound design are static enough to do a disservice to his work with the cast. Read full review
60
Screen DailyDavid D'ArcyApr 23, 2015
The surprise in Maggie is Abigail Breslin, playing a teenager who flares and burns with dread as she becomes aware of the horror of her infection. For a zombie film, her performance delivers real emotion which is rarely seen in this genre. Read full review
59
Paste MagazineScott WoldApr 3, 2018
On the strength of the leads’ performances—as well the semi-original setting in which the zombie apocalypse is relatively (and somewhat refreshingly) contained—Maggie nearly warrants a recommendation. Read full review
58
The PlaylistKevin JagernauthApr 23, 2015
Maggie is not your standard zombie movie, and while it tantalizingly puts action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger into the lead role, the film is actually low on setpieces, and instead is a ponderous, sombre take on the genre that may leave those looking for a traditional horror flick disappointed. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleMichael OrdonaMay 7, 2015
Abigail Breslin (“Little Miss Sunshine”) plays the infected daughter. Her performance seems unsettled at first, but it doesn’t take long for Breslin to sink into Maggie’s (rotting) skin, aided by some fine makeup work. Her most effective moments come when the teen faces the inescapability of her death. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesBetsy SharkeyMay 7, 2015
The plot is lean, the dialogue is spare and there are some intriguing stabs at intellectual and emotional terrain. But the pacing is deadly, so slow there might be time for a catnap or two without missing anything important. Read full review
50
HitfixDrew McWeenyMay 6, 2015
The film feels very tiny, and intentionally so. This isn't a horror film at all, which is an odd thing to say when you're talking about a movie with zombies in it. Read full review
40
Village VoiceSimon AbramsMay 5, 2015
While zombie drama Maggie seems intended as a showcase for Arnold Schwarzenegger's acting range, the star's performance is smothered by the film's deeply affected style. Read full review
40
TheWrapDan CallahanApr 23, 2015
A zombie movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger sounds like it should be campy fun, but first-time director Henry Hobson’s Maggie is grimly one-note, a small mood piece and character study that relies heavily on its three main actors: Schwarzenegger, Abigail Breslin and Joely Richardson. Read full review
40
The GuardianJordan HoffmanApr 23, 2015
I give the odd, small film Maggie all the points in the world for experimenting with genre-blending and subverting audience expectations, but there’s just too much about it that fails to connect. Read full review
38
New York PostKyle SmithMay 6, 2015
Bidding to be the “Terms of Endearment” of zombie movies, Maggie sucks all the life out of an idea that just won’t die. Read full review
38
Slant MagazineEd GonzalezMay 4, 2015
Its only claim to uniqueness becomes running the standard zombie narrative through a Hallmark-card filter. Read full review
30
The New York TimesManohla DargisMay 7, 2015
Zombies, Arnold Schwarzenegger and a certain Terrence Malick je ne sais quoi — what could go wrong? More or less everything in this low-budget head-scratcher and periodic knee-slapper. Read full review
20
New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierMay 13, 2015
Its creepy atmosphere aside, Maggie is a slog of the living dead. Read full review
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