SIFF 2025: '40 Acres' Capsule Review

Music video and TV veteran R.T. Thorne directs his feature debut, 40 Acres. In the apocalyptic wake of a fungal pandemic, new civil war, and sweeping famine, a family, led by no-nonsense former soldier Hailey (Danielle Deadwyler), must protect their fortified farm from threats within and without. Including potential cannibal invasion. 

 

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Thorne and company don’t rewrite the formula, but do it well, mixing strong world-building, escalating tension and stakes, and gruesome violence. Beautifully shot, with a killer score, it’s a touch long, but generally moves at a good clip. Taut and thrilling, straddling genre boundaries, it offers a different POV from many similar stories. With a primarily Black and Indigenous cast, the narrative weaves themes of legacy, heritage, generational trauma, culture, and coming of age in unprecedented times. [Grade: B+]

 

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