40 Acres (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – In a post-apocalyptic world with food scarcity, a family of Canadian farmers descended from American Civil War migrants defend their homestead against cannibals trying to seize their resources.

My Take – At first glance this Danielle Deadwyler starrer looks like just any bare bones dystopian feature, but everything is so well-tailored in its 113 minutes run time that thrills alone carry the film.

Marking the directorial debut of Canadian filmmaker R.T. Thorne, the minimalist thriller not just works well as an absorbing story about a family’s attempt to survive in a world ravaged by disease, famine and a brutal civil war, but also touches upon resonant topical issues, starting with its title, which ironically refers to an unfulfilled Civil War promise: that every formerly enslaved Black farmer would be given 40 acres and a mule to set them up for a life of freedom.

Sure, the script, co-written by R.T. Thorne and Glenn Taylor, isn’t immune to genre familiarity, most notably the works of Octavia Butler, but its strong characters, tense plotting and fresh representation of the family’s race and history, makes this one worth at least a one-time watch.

If nothing else, the title proves that Deadwyler deserves to be seen in more action roles in the future.

Set 14 years after a fungal pandemic killed almost all animal life, which led to a civil war and a famine, leaving farmland to be the most valuable resource in the country, the story follows the Freemans family, led by the no-nonsense matriarch Hailey (Danielle Deadwyler), a former soldier, who along with her First Nations husband, Galen (Michael Greyeyes), lives by an unwavering goal: keep their family and their farmland safe at any cost.

This often means exerting strict authority over her children, Raine (Leenah Robinson), Danis (Jaeda LeBlanc) and Cookie (Haile Amre), causing the most friction with her headstrong, rebellious eldest son Emanuel (Kataem O’Connor). The family spends their days tending to the land, fending off looters, homeschooling, and maintaining communication with other survivors via radio. Life is as stable as it can be given the circumstances. However, when a roving gang of cannibals begins sweeping through their neighboring farms, the family discovers they are not as prepared as they thought they were.

Here, director Thorne structures his narrative with chapters. The early ones bolster our sense of the Freemans’ routine, showing the goings-on on the farm and peppers the proceedings with humorous moments that humanize its central characters. This family might be in survival mode, but that doesn’t mean they don’t laugh at the dinner table or poke fun during training. It’s also exciting to see how the director blends Black and Indigenous lore, underscoring the similarities of these historically marginalized groups in American history. Things pick up when it moves into the second chapter with the focus increasing on Emanuel.

While the film revolves around a family doing whatever it takes to survive, that mission is complicated by Manny’s teenage emotions clashing with Hailey’s severe regimen. Unlike his mother and stepfather, the youngster wants to commune with other survivors. A particular scene when he happens upon a neighboring farmland member girl Dawn (Milcania Diaz-Rojas) swimming at his favorite pond in the woods, shows his desperation to seek connection.

While the film explores, with some success, the limitations of family bonds and of parental authority, the film falters in its handling of some of the other themes it touches on, such as the conflict between isolation and community, the problematic nature of ownership, the value of empathy and, most crucially, the origins and legacy of slavery and racism.

The script also shies away from detailing the new world order that governs this land or offering more explanation for the violent, presumably white, nationalist militia trying to steal farmland. There’s plenty implied by brief conversations and Hailey’s attitude, but questions about who these people are and their role beyond that of antagonistic foils to our central crew.

But where the film really shows up to play in its final act, releasing all the long-simmering tension through a series of taut, satisfying combat sequences: close-range fights, tactical shootouts, and grim moments of unsettling gore.

Yes, this isn’t the most nauseating cannibal film ever made, but cinematographer Jeremy Benning and production designer Peter Cosco confidently push the film into solid horror territory. Director Thorne doesn’t lean into gratuitous shock, though barrels filled with hacked-off limbs, a chunk of flesh bitten from someone’s arm, and a grimy warehouse of consumed hostages are presented with a level of restraint, using horror as a complement to the personal stakes at the film’s center.

Performance wise, Danielle Deadwyler is naturally compelling as a steely woman trying to translate her painful experiences of war to her sheltered children. It’s a pleasure to see the actress, whose major roles have required a stoic resolve, lean into softer and even funnier aspects of her character.

She is excellently supported by Michael Greyeyes who does a great job of being the calm mediator and soulful protector. Kataem O’Connor fuses his role with enough confidence and does a fair amount of heavy lifting. Milcania Diaz-Rojas, Leenah Robinson, Jaeda LeBlanc, Haile Amre and Elizabeth Saunders also do when their assigned screen time. On the whole, ‘40 Acres‘ is a riveting post-apocalyptic thriller brimming with excellent performances.