40 Acres review – Danielle Deadwyler is driving heart of post-apocalyptic home-invasion horror
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Iconic 70s film star is unrecognizable as she wears shirt teasing her famous role in John Travolta classic
Fans of iconic '70s films were in for a treat this week when one of the era's most beloved stars was spotted out and about in New York. The legendary actress, now 74, rose to fame in the 1978 smash hit Grease - and on Tuesday, was seen running errands on a sunny afternoon, dressed in a laid-back ensemble. But eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice the pink polo she was wearing — an obvious nod to her days as one of the Pink Ladies, the girl gang from Rydell High, where John Travolta 's Danny Zuko and Olivia Newton-John 's Sandy Olsson made movie magic. Even the most die-hard fans might also recognize her from her run as Denise on the sitcom Benson from 1981 to 1984. She also starred alongside Ringo Starr on the beloved children's show Shining Time Station. So, can you guess who she is? It's Didi Conn! The screen icon played Frenchy in the hit musical. Back in 2018, Didi spoke with Daily Mail about the wild behind-the-scenes moments from that unforgettable summer in 1977 when they filmed the movie. She revealed that Travolta had a well-known crush on co-star Newton-John and recalled how Stockard Channing's special brownies hilariously blurred her memories of the film's wrap party. Didi discussed heartthrob John's no-so-secret infatuation with Aussie beauty Olivia while they filmed the iconic film, noting that a then 23-year-old John—fresh off his Welcome Home, Kotter! fame—didn't have to fake his attraction for 29-year-old hitmaker Olivia. The pair's electric chemistry was palpable for filmgoers as they played smitten teens Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson, and Didi has now revealed that the film's new release showcases their natural energy with an extra special ending that sees the pair sharing a 'juicy' kiss. 'Oh yeah [he did fancy her],' she shared. 'What was so much fun was that most of us were older than the characters we were playing so we just stayed in character all day long. So there was an ongoing improvisation happening so the flirting, let's just say the flirting, was fine, it was in the context of the characters and the storyline.' Playing characters close to their real ages meant the cast never fully broke character, experiencing true coming-of-age moments—none more memorable than at the film's wrap party. The star, who later revisited her role in Grease 2, admitted that she remembers little of the star-studded bash after co-star Stockard Channing made the cast some 'special brownies' that left her giggling on the floor. Fans were quick to notice the pink polo she was wearing — an obvious nod to her days as one of the Pink Ladies, the sassy girl gang from Rydell High She said: 'I don't remember much about the wrap party because Stockard Channing gave everybody some brownie she made. 'I really don't remember much, just dancing and lying on the floor laughing with everybody.' And that wild streak was apparent throughout the entirety of filming as she revealed that the party never stopped after the cameras stopped rolling. 'Let's just say some of the trailers were rocking and rolling during filming,' she shared. 'There was. Y'know I played Frenchy and Frenchy is a good friend so she wouldn't tell.'
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" holds its lead atop the box office
Marvel 's first family stumbled in theaters in its second weekend, but still held on to the top spot at the box office. 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' earned $40 million from 4,125 North American theaters, a 66% drop from a healthy $117.6 million debut. The film was accompanied by comedies 'The Bad Guys 2' and 'The Naked Gun" in the top three box office rankings. The superhero movie dipped significantly more than Marvel's previous film, ' Thunderbolts,' which took a 55% dive in its second weekend. 'First Steps' is the last major blockbuster of the summer. It added nearly $40 million internationally in its second weekend, bringing thefilm's global total to $369 million. The movie's box office drop off was surprising given its strong reviews, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for the data firm Comscore. Though the movie's debut weekend may have given box office results a strong push toward the $4 billion summer benchmark, August is off to a slow start, he said. 'It's a tough lift, but we might be able to get there. It really means that all the films are gonna have to stand on their own,' Dergarabedian said. 'It's gonna be about getting great reviews, having that staying power, that longevity in the marketplace.' Newcomer comedy 'The Bad Guys 2' earned second place at the box office this weekend, with $22 million from 3,852 North American theaters. That was on par with projections and also in line with the first movie in the series, which brought in $23 million in 2022. Paramount's slapstick comedy, 'The Naked Gun,' also in its debut weekend, snagged the third box office spot, earning $17 million from 3,344 locations. Jim Orr, president of domestic distribution for Universal Pictures, said the solid debut for 'The Bad Guys 2,' coupled with strong audience reaction scores, 'should point to a very long, very successful run through not only the rest of the summer, but really, I think into the fall." James Gunn's 'Superman,' which opened four weekends ago and already crossed $550 million globally, earned $13.8 million domestically this weekend, taking the fourth spot. 'Jurassic World Rebirth' followed with $8.7 million. The horror movie 'Together' had a strong debut weekend, coming in at sixth place and earning $6.8 million domestically, proof that August is a month for edgier and off-beat films, Dergarabedian said. 'That's what this month is about. It's not just about box office," Dergarabedian said. "It's also about providing really interesting, rewarding movie-going experiences for audiences.' Dergarabedian said he expects highly-anticipated movies hitting theaters in the next few weeks — including 'Freakier Friday,' and Zach Cregger's horror movie 'Weapons' — to give August a needed boost. The box office is currently up 9.5% from last year. Top 10 movies by domestic box office With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore: 1. 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps," $40 million. 2. 'The Bad Guys 2,' $22.2 million. 3. 'The Naked Gun,' $17 million. 4. 'Superman,' $13.8 million. 5. 'Jurassic World Rebirth,' $8.7 million. 6. 'Together,' $6.8 million. 7. 'F1: The Movie,' $4.1 million. 8. 'I Know What You Did Last Summer,' $2.7 million. 9. 'Smurfs,' $1.8 million. 10. 'How to Train Your Dragon,' $1.4 million.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Jessa Duggar gives birth to baby number six with mom Michelle by her side
has welcomed a new baby into her family and her mother Michelle was by her side for the delivery. The reality star, 32, revealed in March that she and husband Ben Seewald were expecting their sixth child. The couple are parents to Spurgeon, nine, Henry, eight, Fern, five, Ivy, three and George, 18 months. On Saturday, she revealed via her YouTube vlog that she had given birth in an episode titled Birth Story: Baby #6 (part 1.) She began the video, filmed on July 24, by revealing 'Tomorrow is my due date. I had a visit with my OB a few days ago. I was dilated to 2 [centimeters and was] 50 percent effaced, and I lost my mucus plug a few days ago,' she said. 'Other than that, [I] haven't had any signs of labor. So, just waiting it out.' Jessa said she had tried curb walking to jumpstart labor. It's a technique in which the expectant mom walks with one foot on the curb and the other on the street to try to get the baby into a favorable position for birth. 'I gave it a try, [but] I haven't noticed much of a change or anything like that,' she told the camera. 'I'm still having Braxton Hicks contractions, and such. For me, my history has been that when I go into labor, I always feel contractions heavily in my back. I haven't had any of those real contractions at this point. So, waiting it out.' Toward the end of the video, which promoted part two of the story, the expectant mom was seen walking up and down the stairs of her mother Michelle's house to get things moving along. 'So, I'm having contractions every three to five minutes,' she said, as she leaned against a counter. She was next seen lying on a brown sofa with a white towel between her legs. Someone in the background is asking 'What happened?' 'My water just broke,' she explained. At the end, of the clip, Michelle can be seen by her daughter's side as she works through labor at the hospital. Fans will have to wait for part two to learn more about the baby's name and gender. Michelle, 58, shares 19 children with her husband Jim Bob, 60. The family rose to fame in the TLC reality show 17 Kids and Counting, which became 19 Kids and then Counting On, with Jessa at the helm, as the kids began to get married and have children of their own. The family adhered to the controversial and strict teachings of Institute in Basic Life Principles, formerly led by Bill Gothard. She was next seen lying on a brown sofa with a white towel between her legs. Someone in the background is asking 'What happened?' 'My water just broke,' she explained Gothard was removed after more than 30 women accused him of sexual harassment, which was covered in the documentary series Shiny Happy People, featuring Jill Duggar, 34, and her husband, Derrick Dillard. Jill, Jessa have come forward as victims of sexual abuse by their brother Josh, 37, who is currently serving a 12-year-prison sentence in Dallas for possession of child pornography. In her memoir, Counting the Cost, she wrote on an interaction with her dad in which she told him, 'You treat me worse than you treat my pedophile brother.' In an Instagram Q&A in November 2024, Jill described their relationship as 'complicated,' adding, 'I feel like we are in a rebuilding phase now, with healthy boundaries still in place.'
