40 Acres, 2025.
Directed by R.T. Thorne.
Starring Danielle Deadwyler, Kataem O’Connor, Michael Greyeyes, Milcania Diaz-Rojas, Leenah Robinson, Jaeda LeBlanc, Haile Amare, Elizabeth Saunders, Tyrone Benskin, Myriam Côté, Jacob Gabriel, and Patrick Garrow.
SYNOPSIS:
In a post-apocalyptic world with food scarcity, a Black family of Canadian farmers descended from American Civil War migrants defend their homestead against cannibals trying to seize their resources.
Co-writer/director R.T. Thorne’s 40 Acres wastes no time jumping into action, depicting Danielle Deadwyler’s former soldier Hailey Freeman defending her generational farm from a mob of white men. There are two spins here, the first of which is that this story (brought to the screen with help from co-writer Glenn Taylor and a story conceived by Thorne and Lora Campbell) is that this is set over a decade into the future following a societal collapse in the wake of a fungal virus, meaning that crops have become the most valued currency. There is a history reckoning with a cyclical future here, as this family looks to maintain control of their farm by any means necessary from white people looking to steal it and possibly do worse (some of them are indeed up to much worse in this apocalyptic way of life).
The other chilling surprise is that, as we watch these men mowed down by bullets, it becomes immediately apparent that it’s not just Hailey doing the defending, but also her children of varying ages who seem to be comically desensitized to violence, as if self-defense murder is as normal as doing their assigned homework or helping set the dinner table. There is a startling yet darkly humorous tone here, especially when a child realizes that their stabbing did not kill one of the raiders upon impact; there is still much to be learned. Much of this sets the film up to be about a family hyperdesensitized to violence, which is something that apocalyptic survival would do to anyone.
Rather than continue down that amusingly glib path, 40 Acres not only transitions into something tired but also drops the action for a nearly unforgivable length of time, especially considering that it is the strongest element here beyond the talented ensemble doing what they can to elevate familiar material. Naturally, Hailey has a strictly enforced “don’t trust anyone” policy, which she reassures her oldest, now a young adult, Emanuel (Kataem O’Connor), set to take on more duties such as journeying away from the farm to scavenge for supplies.
It is here where 40 Acres primarily descends into boredom and clichés, with Emanuel, who has likely never even had the chance to have a girlfriend before, becoming infatuated with a young woman he observes by a river. Eventually, they meet, and he learns that her name is Dawn (Milcania Diaz-Rojas). Unfortunate circumstances cause him to bring her home, while also hiding her from his mom, as she is the type of survivor so distrusting that she might kill anyone. Hailey believes that anyone could be working for the white raiders, whether it be against their will or not, and would rather kill than give away her position or jeopardize their chances at protecting the homestead. The problem with this is that Hailey is also rendered as a type of character seen countless times before in stories like this, bordering on distrustful to the point where it doesn’t feel believable, but somewhat contrived to put other plot aspects into motion.
If the pacing hadn’t been suffering enough, there is also a flashback to explain the connection Dawn has to Hailey, alongside her relationship with other survivors that she briefly communicates with via radio during the apocalypse, albeit not offering much support.
Fortunately, 40 Acres eventually realizes that it’s most compelling when mining this setup for action thrills, with a third act containing no shortage. Anyone who has seen The Harder They Fall already knows Danielle Deadwyler is more than capable as a hardened, stoic fighter. It’s a sentiment that still rings true here, whether gunning down raiders or engaging in close quarters with survival knives. However, her partner, Michael Greyeyes’ Galen, also has several memorable moments and kills, at one point using his impaled hands to stab the enemies around him. Their offspring also gradually become more capable during the most tense moments. The film even regains its sense of humor with a terrific one-liner that goes awry. Only 50% of 40 Acres sticks to what’s working, but that might just be enough here.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association, Critics Choice Association, and Online Film Critics Society. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews and follow my BlueSky or Letterboxd
