Since his return to films from the world of politics in 2013 with The Last Stand, movie fans have been waiting for Arnold Schwarzenegger to get a role he could sink his teeth into.

While far from being the most original film, I’m happy to say that Maggie gives Arnold a chance to showcase a side of him we’ve never seen - and the movie is all the stronger for it.

Coming off of the current wave of hot zombie properties such as The Walking Dead, Maggie takes a smaller, more intimate approach to your standard “virus hits, zombies appear” world.

Feeling much like the world found in the hit video game The Last of Us, Maggie enters us into a world where the zombie outbreak is still somewhat fresh - and the virus still being studied. Farmers are burning their crops to prevent contamination, and those who are found with the virus are being put into quarantine to be studied.

Schwarzenegger plays Wade - a strong, stoic father. His teenage daughter Maggie, played by the Academy Award nominated Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine), finds herself bitten after she runs away from home. And with the clock ticking until she turns, he decides to take her into his farmhouse until things get worse.

From that description alone, you can see that the scope is smaller than even the most inmate of recent “zombie outbreak” films. In this instance, the trope of becoming one of the undead could be seen as an allegory for any number of illnesses - but ultimately, the movie focuses on the idea of a strong man losing his daughter to a disease he can’t prevent.

Performances across the board are reserved, yet strong. But it’s really Schwarzenegger who surprises. Playing subtle (which has never been his forte), you’re more amazed by seeing the pain and intimacy of his performance than any of the explosions found in his recent filmography. Yes, the characters presented in Maggie seem to be loosely written ideas, but it gives Breslin and Schwazenegger the freedom to explore and own each moment.

First-time director Henry Hobson, combined with first-time writer John Scott 3, give Maggie a heavy, depressed feel, which weighs over every frame. The movie is rarely horrific, but a sense of dread and sadness is felt throughout.

Maggie isn’t a movie that’s going to win awards, or going to blow you away, but it’s a film that captivates for each of its 95 minutes. A showcase for a different Schwarzenegger than we’ve known before, if you give the movie the time - it will draw you in.

Maggie is currently available on VOD via iTunes and Amazon Instant Watch, and is in select theaters.