In the event of an apocalypse, the world will no doubt divide into two groups: people intent on survival no matter what, and those of us who take the view living will only prolong the suffering and get it over with. Hailey Freeman in 40 Acres is the former – it’s in the genes. Her great-great-grandfather was a slave who escaped a plantation and made his way to Canada to farm. Now the land is Hailey’s and helpfully she’s ex-military, which comes in handy fending off cannibalistic marauders in a post-apocalyptic hellscape. Even better, she’s played by Danielle Deadwyler, the actor inexplicably snubbed for an Oscar nomination for Till.
Set 14 years after a fungal pandemic wiped out the planet’s animal life, 40 Acres is essentially a home invasion thriller. Unfortunately, not everyone has gone vegan; gnarly cannibals prowl in packs, human body parts dangling from their necks as trophies. On the farm, Hailey (Deadwyler) lives with her partner Galen (Michael Greyeyes), his daughter, their kids, and her teenage son Manny (Kataem O’Connor). Galen is of Indigenous heritage, and is teaching the family Cree. To survive, Hailey rules her household like a general: iron discipline and daily push-ups. Deadwyler plays it with grit and feeling; her beautifully expressive eyes convey Hailey’s strength but at the same time the constant terror.
Deadwyler’s performance is the driving force here. Without her, the audience’s attention might drift to the predictability of a plotline that hinges on Manny’s adolescent rebellion against his mum. There’s also the matter of some unnecessary flashbacks filling in backstories, leaking out tension. Which is a shame because first time feature director RT Thorne skilfully executes the cat-and-mouse games between the farm and the invaders, resulting in some uncomfortably suspenseful moments. And there are really interesting ideas, too, about this new horror in the context of Black and Indigenous experiences: displacement, generational trauma and survival.
• 40 Acres is in UK cinemas and on MGM+ from 1 August.
