by Kristin Ciliberto, Contributing Writer
It’s all about the strength of survival, as Zac Efron is at the center of Anthony Hayes’ film Gold. Do Efron and Hayes go for the gold? The filmis set in the not-too-distant future, andfollows two drifters — Efron and Hayes — who come across a big gold nugget. Together, the two come up with a plan to protect the gold that would give them each plenty of wealth. However, greed gets the best of them. Efron stays with the gold to protect it, while Hayes goes off to find equipment to move the gold. Efron undergoes horrendous desert elements, vicious wild dogs, a scorpion, constant gross and annoying flies, and strange intruders, and he must come to terms with the fact he has been abandoned.
As the director, Hayes lets Efron shine and truly showcase his dramatic side. Efron stars as a character with no name — he goes by Man One in the credits. Over the years, Efron has been known for starring in musicals and comedies, but this is a rare performance. In Gold, he reaches his breaking point — the film is more of a character study, showing a man alone on his own left with his thoughts. It’s focused on Efron’s actions and emotions.
Hayes drew in some great inspiration from other films such as The Grey, the Mad Max films, and The Book of Eli, which focus on survival being the absolute goal. He co-wrote the film alongside Polly Smith, making it a fascinating watch. There aren’t any clear details about how the world came to be, but there is a lot of detail about Efron’s character, who is hoping to be on the path to a promising future. It’s a story that shows the strong power of greed humans have towards each other. Full of betrayal, it’s clear Efron and Hayes don’t trust each other. Efron has to rely on the little food and resources he has, including an SAT phone, while protecting and staying close to his little tent.
Hayes also makes great use of the environment of southern Australia, where the film was shot. It’s the perfect location, as it’s dusty, dirty, and captures the apocalyptic backdrop. It also helped illustrate all the torture Efron goes through, suffering the heat during the day and the long cold nights while being isolated. Credit deserves to be given to cinematographer Ross Giardina.
Gold is an engaging, harsh, and brutal drama that lets Efron shine in a very compelling performance. The 96-minute runtime is truly worth a watch, and shows Hayes has a promising career ahead of him.
Score: 8/10