40 Acres (film)

Last updated

40 Acres
40 Acres film poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by R. T. Thorne
Written by
  • R. T. Thorne
  • Glenn Taylor
Produced by Jennifer Holness
Starring
CinematographyJeremy Benning
Edited by
  • Dev Singh
  • Sandy Pereira
Music by Todor Kobakov
Production
companies
Hungry Eyes Film & Television
Distributed by Mongrel Media
Release dates
  • September 6, 2024 (2024-09-06)(TIFF)
  • July 2, 2025 (2025-07-02)(U.S.)
Running time
113 minutes [1]
CountryCanada
Languages
Budget$8 million [2]
Box office$775,204 [3] [4]

40 Acres is a 2024 Canadian post-apocalyptic thriller film written and directed by R. T. Thorne. 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.

Contents

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2024, [5] and was theatrically released in Canada on July 4, 2025 by Mongrel Media. [6] [7] It received generally positive reviews from critics, receiving nomintations at the Black Reel Awards, NAACP Image Awards and winning three Directors Guild of Canada Awards, including the Impact Award for Thorne.

Cast

Production

The first news of project developing by R. T. Thorne was released during the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. [8] 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. [6] 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. [6]

Principal photography began in September, 2023 in Sudbury, Ontario, and wrapped on October 26. [9]

The film has faced allegations of unpaid invoices to crew, employees, and local vendors in the Sudbury area. [10] 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. [2]

Release

40 Acres had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 6, 2024. [11] It was released in theaters on July 4, 2025. [7]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 91% of 81 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 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [13] John Serba at Decider wrote: "40 Acres is an engrossing, well-crafted gem of a thriller, as smart as it is entertaining." [14] Sarah Gopaul at Digital Journal wrote: "Writer-director R.T. Thorne’s debut feature tackles a variety of subjects, but the Freemans are the heart of the story, whether they’re tending the land or fighting off marauders." [15]

The film was named to the annual Canada's Top Ten list by TIFF for 2024. [16]

It was nominated for Best Direction in a Feature Film at the 2025 Directors Guild of Canada awards. [17]

Accolades

Award / Film FestivalDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef.
Black Reel Awards February 16, 2026 Outstanding Independent Film 40 AcresPending [18]
Outstanding Lead Performance Danielle Deadwyler Pending
Outstanding Director R.T. Thorne Pending
Outstanding Emerging Director Pending
Outstanding Screenplay Pending
Outstanding First Screenplay Pending
Outstanding Ensemble Stephanie GorinPending
Outstanding Costume Design Charlene AkuamoahPending
Outstanding Hairstyling & MakeupAntonio Hines and Chancelle MulelaPending
Directors Guild of Canada Awards 2025 Best Direction in a Feature Film R. T. ThorneNominated [19]
Impact AwardWon
Best Production Desing in a Feature FilmPeter CoscoNominated
Best Picture Editing in a Feature FilmDev Singh and Sandy PereiraWon
Best Sound Editing in a Feature FilmEd Douglas and Dermain FinlaysonWon
Best Crew in a Feature Film40 AcresNominated
NAACP Image Awards February 28, 2026 Outstanding International Motion Picture 40 AcresPending [20]
Outstanding Independent Motion Picture Pending
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture R. T. Thorne Pending
Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture)Pending
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Danielle Deadwyler Pending

References

  1. ↑ "40 ACRES". British Columbia Film Classification Office . May 16, 2025. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
  2. 1 2 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.
  3. ↑ "40 Acres (2025)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  4. ↑ "40 Acres (2025) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. 1 2 3 Ntim, Zac (October 17, 2023). "'40 Acres:' Production Starts In Canada On Indie Thriller Starring Danielle Deadwyler". Deadline Hollywood .
  7. 1 2 "40 Acres". Tribute.ca . Retrieved July 4, 2025.
  8. ↑ 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.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ 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.
  12. ↑ "40 Acres". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved July 17, 2025. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  13. ↑ "40 Acres". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Danielle Deadwyler '40 Acres' Hulu Movie Review: Stream It Or Skip It?". October 20, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  15. ↑ Gopaul, Sarah (July 4, 2025). "Review: '40 Acres' values post-apocalyptic family time". Digital Journal. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  16. ↑ 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.
  17. ↑ Connie Thiessen, "DGC unveils film, doc nominees; Discovery Award short list". Broadcast Dialogue, September 22, 2025.
  18. ↑ Pedersen, Erik (December 18, 2025). "'Sinners' Dominates With Record 21 Black Reel Awards Nominations". Deadline . Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  19. ↑ Jamie Casemore, "North of North claims five honours at 2025 DGC Awards". Playback , November 10, 2025.
  20. ↑ Grein, Paul (January 12, 2026). "Kendrick Lamar, Doechii, Teyana Taylor & More Lead 2026 NAACP Image Award Nominations: Full List". Billboard . Retrieved January 12, 2026.
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