40 Acres (film)
| 40 Acres | |
|---|---|
Poster | |
| Directed by | R. T. Thorne |
| Written by |
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| Produced by | Jennifer Holness |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Jeremy Benning |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Todor Kobakov |
Production company | Hungry Eyes Film & Television |
| Distributed by | Mongrel Media |
Release dates |
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Running time | 113 minutes[1] |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $475,000[2][3] |
40 Acres is a 2024 Canadian post-apocalyptic thriller film written and directed by R. T. Thorne (in his feature directorial debut). The film stars Danielle Deadwyler as a matriarch of descendants of African American farmers who settled in 1875 in rural Canada after the first Civil War. Two hundred years later, they are trying to survive in a decimated future.
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2024.[4] It was theatrically released on July 4, 2025, by Mongrel Media in Canada.[5][6]
Cast
- Danielle Deadwyler as Hailey Freeman
- Kataem O'Connor as Emanuel Freeman
- Jaeda LeBlanc as Danis Freeman
- Michael Greyeyes as Galen
- Milcania Diaz-Rojas as Dawn
- Leenah Robinson as Raine
Production
The first news of project developing by R.T. Thorne was released during the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival.[7] On October 17, 2023, it was reported that Danielle Deadwyler would star in the independent post-apocalyptic film directed and written by R.T. Thorne.[5] Also was cast Kataem O'Connor, Michael Greyeyes, Milcania Diaz-Rojas and Leenah Robinson. The film was produced by Jennifer Holness with Hungry Eyes Film & Television.[5]
Principal photography began in September, 2023 in Sudbury, Ontario and wrapped on October 26.[8]
The film has faced allegations of unpaid invoices to crew, employees, and local vendors in the Sudbury area.[9] As of October 2024, IATSE confirmed that all outstanding money owed to the film's crew had been paid, while producer Jennifer Holness was still working to pay the vendors.[10]
Release
40 Acres had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2024.[11] It was released in theaters on July 4, 2025.[6]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 90% of 71 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Dystopia is a family affair in 40 Acres, a thoughtful thriller given extra heft by provocative themes and a terrific Danielle Deadwyler."[12] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 75 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[13]
The film was named to the annual Canada's Top Ten list by TIFF for 2024.[14]
References
- ^ "40 ACRES". British Columbia Film Classification Office. May 16, 2025. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ "40 Acres (2025)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ "40 Acres (2025) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan (September 6, 2024). "Toronto Hidden Gem: Survival Thriller '40 Acres' Explores Post-Apocalyptic Dystopia From a Black Perspective". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 25, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ a b c Ntim, Zac (October 17, 2023). "'40 Acres:' Production Starts In Canada On Indie Thriller Starring Danielle Deadwyler". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ a b "40 Acres". Tribute.ca. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
- ^ Jessica Gedge (December 20, 2023). "Director of the Year 2023: R.T. Thorne". Playback. Archived from the original on November 8, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
- ^ Taimur Sikander Mirza (October 11, 2023). "R.T. Thorne's feature debut 40 Acres underway in Sudbury". Playback. Archived from the original on February 22, 2025. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
- ^ Welk, Brian (September 9, 2024). "IATSE Says Producers on TIFF Film '40 Acres' Owe 'Significant Outstanding Payments' to Crew". IndieWire. Archived from the original on September 10, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
- ^ Kate Rutherford, "Production company for TIFF film 40 Acres pays outstanding amounts to Sudbury crew, union says" Archived 2025-01-19 at the Wayback Machine. CBC News Sudbury, October 15, 2024.
- ^ Kay, Jeremy (June 18, 2024). "Toronto film festival world premieres to include 'Nightbitch', Elton John doc, 'The Wild Robot'". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on September 4, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- ^ "40 Acres". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ "40 Acres". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ Carlos Diaz, "Canada’s Top Ten: TIFF Celebrates the Best in Cinema for 2024" Archived 2025-01-14 at the Wayback Machine. That Shelf, January 8, 2025.