An Untraditional Color Palette
There is not a clear antagonist in this movie that necessarily fits the eco-horror genre, but there are eco horror aspects that are shown in the film through the environment. An illustration of this is when Ann tells Loomis to get out of the water due to its radioactive nature ("Rotten"). This conveys to the audience that even the natural environment has become inhospitable, making it harder for the characters to survive. Additionally, Z for Zachariah does not follow the traditional color palette of most apocalyptic films. Apocalyptic movies often create a bleak environment filled with the aftermath of destruction to intensify the story. The film's setting adds to the tension as characters struggle to survive in dangerous situations. Typically, these landscapes have a muted color scheme and a suffocating atmosphere. In a Vox article, the author, Emily St. James says, "Our vision of the world’s end is heavily influenced by the post-nuclear war stories of the mid-20th century, which took place in a gray, barren landscape where low-hanging clouds blocked out the sun. That notion of the end of things is what everything would look like after a nuclear war" ("Colors"). This film in particular does the exact opposite. In the film, we are exposed to the expanse of rolling hills carpeted in a velvety green cover and grassy fields that stretch out as far as the eye can see. The majority of the film has a very bright color palette as well. This message to the audience highlights the possibility that not all apocalyptic situations have to end in the deterioration of a big city and potentially the birth of something new.
