By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
Forget about “Jurassic World: Rebirth,” go see this sci-fi thriller instead this holiday weekend. “40 Acres” is a post-apocalyptic suspense drama that features one of the best actresses in the business, Danielle Deadwyler. Mix in a well-written story of a tightknit family trying to survive with interesting backstories, and you have yourself a winner.
A fungal pandemic has wiped out nearly all animals on earth, leading to widespread famine and societal breakdowns. Farmland has become the most important commodity in the world, and the Freeman Farm has provided a sanctuary to Hailey Freeman (Danielle Deadwyler) and her clan. As a former soldier, Hailey runs a tight ship, empowering everyone with important jobs and training them in military combat to properly defend their homestead.
Hailey’s group consisting of Galen (Michael Greyeyes), her oldest daughter Raine (Leenah Robinson), Danis (Jaeda LeBlanc), her young daughter Cookie (Haile Amare), and her son Emanuel (Kataem O’Connor) may not look like much, but they pack a serious punch when threatened. As a massive group of cannibals start taking out surrounding farms, they must be ready to defend their home at all costs.
To put it bluntly, without the riveting performance from Danielle Deadwyler, this movie would be mediocre at best. This is a profoundly talented actress with seemingly limitless range who should be getting much more credit than she’s been receiving. In fact, her performance in “Till” a couple years ago should have garnered her an Oscar win for Best Actress, but she wasn’t even nominated.
There is a palpable level of intensity she brings to all of her roles, and her role in “40 Acres” is no exception. The way she can stare down another character like she’s boring a hole into their soul is incomparable. There’s even a moment in the film where her intensity is so unnerving, only to completely release that tension with well-timed humor that catches everyone off guard, making it even funnier. On top of that, she’s able to infuse her character with a multi-layered emotional depth that she carefully conceals beneath this tough-as-nails exterior.
This is the feature film directorial debut of R.T. Thorne, who also co-wrote the screenplay, and even though his experience is primarily directing music videos, he generates a satisfying dystopian thriller. He seems fully aware that he has a world class actress in the lead role, and he wisely focuses many of the scenes on her to carry the film. Thorne also incorporates a tribe mentality into the storyline as the familial bond, which symbolically strikes a chord of familiarity with America’s sordid history with Native American tribes. He also imparts an emotional connection with viewers by focusing on the mother/son relationship as well as the concept of trust, even when that trust could put everyone in mortal danger. This along with the fast pacing is what solidifies and holds viewer interest.
As a Canadian born filmmaker, Thorne imparts his culture and heritage in this production, filming it exclusively in Canada. This is a well-shot film with a cinematography style that harnesses the suspense and keeps audiences on the edge of their seats. Thorne balances the suspense with an equal measure of character development that provides the foundation of that suspense. He then rewards viewers with an explosively entertaining climax that delivers on all fronts.
Instead of watching man-eating dinos for the umpteenth time, check out this hidden gem that is flying under the radar. “40 Acres” may not be a big budget blockbuster, but it is certainly better than most of them. It is worth it to see Danielle Deadwyler’s performance alone, but the suspenseful, action-packed, emotionally impactful plot is a nice cherry on top.
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