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...

The world changes at 6:12am. Zac Hobson wakes up to find himself alone. He's a scientist and suspects his work in Project Flashlight is responsible for the disappearance. It's a global energy grid thought up by the Americans. He starts to go mad with loneliness and then Joanne finds him. The flashes continue to happen. Zac is less than enthusiastic about finding survivors as he conducts experiments. Api takes him prisoner.

This is not the first man-alone-in-the-world movie. It takes the theme and breathe life into it. The life and death idea is terrific and well thought out. This is very well made especially for a New Zealand indie in the 80s. The low budget is used to maximum effect. Zac is a terribly flawed human being and the others are also very human. This is not a monster movie so they are truly alone on the quiet earth. The last scene evokes a sense of wonder and bewilderment. It's one of my favorite small sci-fi indie.

The scientist Zac Hobson (Bruno Lawrence) wakes up in the morning and sooner he finds that he seems to be alone in the world. He drives around unsuccessfully seeking out other survivors and tries to figure out what might have happened. After a few days, he shows traces of insanity due to the loneliness.

Out of the blue, Zac finds Joanne (Alison Routledge) and they stay together looking for survivors. Zac meets the distrustful black Api (Peter Smith) and Zac explains that he believes that the project that he was researching in the government laboratory might have caused the phenomenon. Now the trio decides to blow-up the laboratory to stop the experiment.

The overrated "The Quiet Earth" has an intriguing storyline, but unfortunately with poor execution. The plot is a sort of "The Last Man on Earth" or "The Omega Man" without the threatening creatures. The lead actor never convinces as a scientist and the director could be bolder regarding the relationship of Joanne with Zac and Api. Further, the writer and the director seem to be completely lost with the premise and do not know how to end their mess; so they use a beautiful image to end the film and the viewer does not really get the meaning of the ending. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Terra Tranquila" ("Calm Esrth")