A new era of action: Danielle Deadwyler’s powerful performance in ’40 Acres’
A fresh face in action cinema
For as long as Danielle Deadwyler has waited to take the lead in an action film like 40 Acres, it takes far less time for the ”Till” star to demonstrate the full range of her strengths. The film opens with a scene that would typically be reserved for the likes of Clint Eastwood or Bruce Willis: the camera runs up her back, only to reveal her face after she plunges a knife into an intruder on her property. This introduction hits differently when a Black woman is presented with such power. While R.T. Thorne’s dynamic siege thriller has some familiar moves, it is full of fresh ideas.
A dystopian future with a twist
Set in a dystopian future where the animal population has been wiped out 14 years earlier due to a fungal pandemic, 40 Acres presents a new world order. Farmers who can produce their own crops hold their own, while others shuffle along for survival after a civil war that broke out in the wake of the food-chain breakdown exterminated much of the population. Deadwyler’s Hailey Freeman knows how to fight this particular battle on two fronts. She has taken stewardship of the farm that’s been under her family’s control since the Reconstruction era, after spending some time away from it in active military service.
A unique approach to survival
Hailey runs the household like a commanding officer would oversee her cadets, mixing book reports with boxing practice and firearms training. When not out trying to save the world, she’s building one where her own family can reside in peace. Instead of traversing a wasteland, the characters have their hands full keeping the farm verdant—a strategy that sets 40 Acres apart from so much of its post-apocalyptic brethren.
The importance of secrecy
In such times, if you have a homestead, it’s best to keep that to yourself. Hailey remains in touch with only a network of fellow farmers over CB radio. The lack of socializing suits her just fine but is less appreciated by her kids, particularly her teenage son Emmanuel (Kataem O’Connor) and stepdaughter Raine (Leenah Robinson), who would be restless at their age even if they weren’t in a constant state of lockdown. Although ragtag militias have been reported to ambush farms, that outside threat produces less fear than dissent from within after the family, including Hailey’s partner Galen (Michael Greyeyes), dispatches such a group within the film’s opening minutes.
A generational divide
A tried-and-true conflict emerges when Emmanuel takes in a stray named Dawn (Milcania Diaz-Rojas), who arrives wounded outside the gates of the family farm and remains hidden from his mother as he tries to nurse her back to health. However, co-writers Thorne and Glenn Taylor find an additional gear in Emmanuel’s independence. Watching him grow into his own person apart from his overprotective mother touches on a broader generational divide, informed by centuries of contentious race relations. While Hailey’s experience supports closing the doors to the outside world, Emmanuel can see how doing so would limit the future. He simply isn’t carrying the same baggage, and the erosion of trust that guides Hailey’s every move starts to find its way into her relationship with her son.
Deadwyler’s commanding presence
With memorable supporting parts in The Harder They Fall and the HBO series Watchmen, Deadwyler has had opportunities to show she can wield weapons beyond her ability to shoot daggers with her eyes. In full-fledged action mode, however, the combination of her gravitas and physical prowess are mightily intimidating. Thorne also shows killer instincts in his first feature as a director. At the start of the third act, he knows that having Hailey cut short another character’s big emotional monologue will get a big laugh. Likewise, staging one of the big action sequences with only the light of gunfire is an exciting way to shake things up. 40 Acres may draw on plenty of past history for its foundation, but it shows there are benefits in not being entirely beholden to it.
Final thoughts
40 Acres is a film that not only entertains but also challenges the traditional norms of the action genre. It offers a fresh perspective by placing a strong Black woman at the center of its narrative, and it does so with a blend of intensity and thoughtfulness. For cinema enthusiasts, this film is a must-watch, offering a unique take on the post-apocalyptic genre and showcasing the incredible talent of Danielle Deadwyler.