40 Acres – Canada – 2024 – Sci-Fi, Action, Thriller
Directed by: R.T. Thorne
Written by: R.T. Thorne; Glenn Taylor
Main Players: Danielle Deadwyler; Kataem O’Connor; Michael Greyeyes; Milcania Diaz-Rojas; Leenah Robinson; Jaeda LeBlanc; Elizabeth Saunders
A dark and realistic dystopian future is on full display in 40 Acres. After a pandemic wipes out 98% of animal life on the planet, eventually war breaks out as the food chain collapses. Famine and violence are ingrained in the surviving society, leading to usable farmland becoming the biggest commodity on the globe.
14 years later and any fertile soil is protected by fences, barbed wire, and gun-toting groups, such as the Freeman family in Canada. They have 40 acres where they grow corn and any other crops which will take to the earth, and they will not give it up without a fight.
This land makes them a target, as the film opens with armed men storming the fields to look for a better way of life. This group of men proclaim they are just ‘cutting through’ the land, looking for a place out west. The family does not buy their bullshit, and are also highly trained for events just as these. As this armed gang is decimated quickly, the violent future is in full display.
Men, women and children are seasoned for this new and violent world. Knowing who to trust is key, and mostly that just means helping your family and no one else. The Freemans are merciless to any intruders, which is typical for these rough and rugged days. Led by a commanding mother Hailey (Deadwyler), the family does their best to get by even in the worst of times, and defend their own.
40 Acres is an action drama featuring a bleak and realistic future, along with a sympathetic group of family members trying to do their best for each other, and to survive. While not all of them fully agree with what they must do, there is little choice in this world. They help each other train, learn to communicate via coded whistles, and learn survival techniques.
The film is well acted and well shot with a good enough script to carry its runtime. It brings drama, action and plenty to ponder along with its story. If you dig dystopian worlds, this will be a good fit for you, however there is plenty of violence attached as well. It’s depressingly accurate in many ways, and may be a realistic take on this planet’s future. Come check out this serious take on a possible future.
It takes hard work to survive. Work now, and rest when you are dead.
See This If You Liked:
The Road (2009); Snowpiercer; It Comes at Night; Children of Men; Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga; The Book of Eli; The Hunger Games; The Long Walk (2025)
Score:
7.0