I Am Legend (2007)
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A lone virologist must survive in a deserted New York City overrun by mutated creatures after a failed cure for cancer turns deadly.
The story
In 2012, following a catastrophic outbreak of a mutated measles virus that decimated the human population and created 'Darkseekers,' U.S. Army virologist Robert Neville lives in a fortified home in Manhattan. As one of the few survivors, Neville spends his days experimenting on rats to find a cure and his nights barricaded against the nocturnal mutants. He broadcasts his location on the radio, hoping for a response from other survivors. The story follows his daily struggle to maintain his sanity and safety while navigating a desolate city, searching for supplies, and attempting to find a way to stop the infection that has transformed the world into a wasteland.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a mutated virus creates 'Darkseekers'—vampiric-zombies that hunt at night—Robert Neville lives in a fortified Manhattan home with his dog, Sam. He works to find a cure while broadcasting on the radio for other survivors. During a search for supplies, Sam is nearly captured by Darkseekers, and Neville later captures a female Darkseeker to test his serum. After being ambushed and nearly captured by an 'Alpha' leader, Neville is rescued by two survivors, Anna and Ethan. They travel toward a rumored sanctuary, while Neville continues his work on the captured female Darkseeker. In the climax, the female begins to turn back into a human. Neville gives the cure to Anna and Ethan, who escape through a coal chute, while he stays behind to face the encroaching Alpha and his pack, ultimately sacrificing himself to ensure their escape.
- First release year
- 2007
- Runtime (minutes)
- 101
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Francis Lawrence
- Writers
- Akiva Goldsman · screenplay; Mark Protosevich · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Will Smith · Robert Neville; Alice Braga · Anna; Dash Mihok · Alpha Male; Emma Thompson · Dr. Alice Krippin; Salli Richardson · Zoe Neville; Willow Smith · Marley Neville; Joanna Numata · Alpha Female
- Genres
- post-apocalyptic; action; horror; thriller
- Themes
- isolation; survival; sacrifice
- Tone and mood
- dark; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- zombie; post-apocalyptic; survival; medical-fiction
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1954 novel by Richard Matheson
- Franchise connections
- I Am Legend
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews, with Will Smith's performance praised, though it faced criticism for its differences from the original novel and its ending.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 68% · scale: percentage · review count: 213; Metacritic · score: 65 · scale: 100 · review count: 37
- Awards and nominations
- Saturn Award · Best Actor · win; MTV Movie Award · Best Male Performance · win; Visual Effects Society awards · four nominations · nomination; Screen Actors Guild Awards · Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble · nomination; Image Awards · Outstanding Film and Actor · nomination; Satellite Awards · Best Sound · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was originally set in Los Angeles before being moved to New York City.; A $5 million scene was filmed on the Brooklyn Bridge.; The film's score features several songs by Bob Marley.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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