40 Acres (2025) | Film Review

It has been over a decade since the plagues and wars. What is left is very The Walking Dead meets A Quiet Place. One of the most valuable assets that remain in the post-apocalyptic world of 40 Acres is to secure private land. The more you can depend on and keep to yourselves, the safer you will be. The Freemans have owned these 40 acres of Canadian soil since 1875 and will stop at nothing to protect it and each other.

The Freemans’ mama bear, Hailey (Danielle Deadwyler, Till), is a former soldier who utilizes this skill set and continues to strategize like one. She and her husband, Galen (Michael Greyeyes), have strict orders and assignments for each of the family members from perimeter checks to foraging. In a world like this, every second and task matters for continued survival.

Hailey depends on her left-hand man – her son, Emanuel (Kataem O’Connor). Although still growing up himself, Emanuel feels the overbearing weight of protecting his family. But when Emanuel sees someone from a nearby farm, a beautiful stranger, he can’t escape the need for new human connection. Interestingly enough, Hailey seeks a similar connection with the leader of a nearby farm in her radio friend Augusta (Elizabeth Saunders). The problem is, there seems to others who wish to affix themselves to this valuable property, especially as farming has become a premium in this new world order. So, who do you trust? More importantly, who is coming and what do they want?

Director R.T. Thorne 40 Acres may appear on the surface as ‘just’ an entertaining soirée into close combat and long-range shooting fun (which it is), but it explores beyond that, infusing the drama with a careful dosing of American history, and further into the psychological human need of developing new relationships. Ideas such as the unconditional and undying love of family, and loyalty as an inherent value, for example.

With Danielle Deadwyler at the forefront, 40 Acres was already bound to be first-rate, but she truly is a standout actor supported by a lovely cast who inherently compliment Deadwyler’s performance. Every moment she blesses our screen has an immense shift in energy and tone, as Hailey’s no-bullshit demeanor is both compelling and intimidating. What she has seen has calloused her into this disciplined and tough leader, yet her motives are pure. Hailey may not exude tenderness and affection outwardly, but her outpour of love is integrated into every action she takes. Even when her own family struggle to see it.

What cannot be stated enough is how great the tension building and fight choreography are. If you can recall your time in a cornfield during Halloween, add in some guns, and that is fairly comparable to the horrifically tense opening sequence. As soon as the Freemans realize others are encroaching on their property, a silent military-like operation ensues – and the action continues to one-up itself as the film picks up steam each minute until its final act.

40 Acres doesn’t just raise the stakes, it digs them into the ground, booby-traps the perimeter, and loads the rifle. It is a tense, emotional, and sharply choreographed thrill ride that reminds us love can be loud, even when spoken in glances and survival drills. And if you’ve ever wondered what a bear trap, a family meeting, and a moral dilemma have in common—this film answers with a resounding everything.