Hailey Freeman (Deadwyler) and her family are the last descendants of African American farmers who settled in 1875 in rural Canada after the first Civil War. In a famine-decimated future, they struggle to make their last stand against those intent on taking their home.
The film, which stars Danielle Deadwyler (Till, I Saw The TV Glow, Carry-On), Kataem O’Connor (Murdoch Mysteries, Time Cut, Heartland), and Michael Greyeyes (The King Tide, 1923, Wild Indian), debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival last year to overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics. R.T. Thorne (Blindspot, The Porter) directed 40 Acres, which, along with a script he co-wrote with Glenn Taylor and a narrative by Thorne and Lora Campbell (#Interns, Yoga 101), is his feature debut.
40 Acres—at its core—is a post-apocalyptic survivalist horror in the vein of The Walking Dead or The Last of Us but without the zombies. The film—instead—takes inspiration from the horrific nature of humanity in a crisis and focusses on the terrible things that folks would do to each other to protect one’s clan. It’s a “Humans are horrible” horror that honestly hits the nail on the head. We are privy to the typical “Don’t trust anyone” wisdom of the family matriarch, clashing with the “but what if they need our help?” disillusioned and hopeful perspective of the youth. It’s a powerful but predictable film.
It’s not all biscuits and gravy, though. While I thoroughly enjoyed the film’s score as well as the unique cultural dynamic of the primary family being a blend of First People and African Americans, 40 Acres did suffer a bit with its pacing—or perhaps more accurately, its action. While the first act opens with a literal bang (a clever shootout sequence), we need to wait until the film’s finale before we get back to the action. It’s almost like a reversed sandwich where the excitement is all in the crust and the centre is filled with tedium.
It’s not that I didn’t enjoy the meat of the film, which speaks to the deeper ideals of isolationism, trust, and the “us vs. them” argument. It’s just that I have seen it before, and 40 Acres doesn’t really bring anything new to the story aside from the familial perspective. Now, I’d be a liar if I said that the film doesn’t go hard. The deeper we go, the harder it slaps. The last 30 minutes of the film’s nearly two-hour runtime make for some of the hardest wanton carnage I’ve witnessed in a long while. The finale is edge-of-your-seat hardcore with a number of really memorable moments. Really well choreographed, directed, shot, and acted. Absolute cinema.
The film is absolutely aimed at the audience that enjoyed The Walking Dead, The Last of us, Black Summer, etc, and it’s a great addition to the genre. It’s the kind of film that may not break into the mainstream, but genre fans will be recommending it to other genre fans for decades to come. Are there faults? Sure, it’s not a perfect picture, but it does start on a high and finish on a high, and that’s what filmgoers will remember. Add it to your watch lists or make an effort to see it while it’s doing the rounds.
Thanks for reading, and as always, stay sordid. 40 Acres will be in selected UK cinemas from August 1st and on digital platforms from August 4th. The trailer and promotional artwork are below.
