Danielle Deadwyler stars as Hailey Freeman in the postapocalyptic thriller “40 Acres.” Freeman is a fierce mother who will do anything to protect her family and their land in rural Canada. The world has been devastated by a pandemic that wiped out most of the animals. A civil war rages on.
Famine has gripped the land for over a decade. In this harsh reality, farmland has become the most valuable resource. Freeman and her partner Galen, an indigenous man, work hard to defend their property.
It has been in Freeman’s family for generations, ever since her great-great grandfather escaped slavery in Georgia and settled there in 1875. The couple, along with their four children, patrol their land with an arsenal of weapons. They have fortified structures and underground tunnels for protection.
Attacks from marauders are a regular occurrence.
Defending precious farmland from marauders
A new threat emerges when cannibals begin massacring neighboring farms.
Freeman’s only friend, Augusta, goes missing. Her eldest son, Emanuel, secretly harbors an injured girl named Dawn. Throughout the film, we learn about Freeman’s past as a soldier and her family’s history.
Director R.T. Thorne presents a tense narrative, beautifully shot by cinematographer Jeremy Benning. The heartland’s golden landscapes are juxtaposed with the brutal reality of defending it. Deadwyler’s powerful performance as Freeman anchors the film.
She brings humor and depth to the character, a woman shaped by generational trauma and the need to survive. Michael Greyeyes also stands out as Galen, Freeman’s grounded partner. “40 Acres” culminates in a gripping final sequence that blends horror with historical context.
It is a disturbing yet compelling portrait of a family fighting to protect what is theirs in a world torn apart.
