One of the best and most underrated action thrillers of the year is all set to land on 
Disney+ soon. Smashing together intense stand-offs, shoot-outs, and fist fights, and all within a scarily topical dystopia that finds a magnetic new action hero at its center, the action outing deserves to find a much bigger audience. And will hopefully do just that when it lands on the House of Mouse’s popular streaming platform.
With a “Certified Fresh” 89% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, alongside an even more impressive 94% from audiences on the Popcornmeter, the post-apocalyptic action thriller 40 Acres has now cemented itself as one of the best of the year. And while many will have missed the movie when it was released in select theaters back in July, genre fans will finally get the chance to stream 40 Acres at home when it lands on Disney+ this week.
Written and directed by R. T. Thorne in his feature film directorial debut, the movie is 40 Acres and stars Danielle Deadwyler (Carry-On, The Harder They Fall) in the lead as the descendant of African American farmers who settled in rural Canada all the way back in 1875. Now, 200 years later, she must fight to defend what’s hers in a post-apocalyptic world full of villains trying to take it. Co-starring Kataem O’Connor, Jaeda LeBlanc, and Michael Greyeyes alongside Deadwyler, 40 Acres is due to hit Disney+ and 
Hulu on October 17, 2025, and deserves to become the next big streaming action hit.
’40 Acres’ Boasts a Stellar Lead Performance & “Eye-Popping Action”
As teased by the Rotten Tomatoes “scores,” the reviews and reactions to 40 Acres have largely been glowing, with much of the praise being aimed Danielle Deadwyler’s way. Amanda Sink of The Hollywood Outsider said, “Anchored by a powerful performance from Danielle Deadwyler, 40 Acres is a gripping and emotionally resonant post-apocalyptic thriller that masterfully blends high-stakes action with deep themes of family, loyalty, and the human need for connection.”
MovieWeb’s own Mark Keizer, meanwhile, calls Deadwyler’s performance “commanding,” adding, “With her bulging eyes, lean figure and killer instincts, the predictably fantastic Deadwyler plays Hailey as a survivor whose no-nonsense behavior is justifiable given her heavy responsibilities.”
Not forgetting the action, G. Allen Johnson of San Francisco Chronicle teased “an eye-popping action sequence in the second half of the scintillating post-apocalyptic thriller “40 Acres” that is so creative, so visceral and unlike anything I’ve ever seen in a movie before, that it alone is worth the price of a ticket.” While you count the minutes from now to Friday, you can check out the official synopsis for 40 Acres below…
“After a series of plagues and wars leaves society in ruins, the Freemans are surviving — even thriving — on a farm in the middle of nowhere… so long as they repel the occasional raiding party. Former soldier Hailey (Danielle Deadwyler) and her partner Galen (Michael Greyeyes) fled the collapse along with their children, training them to fight (and, yes, kill). But now Hailey’s eldest Emanuel (Kataem O’Connor) is a young man, and when he meets a young woman (Milcania Diaz-Rojas) in the forest beyond the fence, his need for human contact could place the whole family in jeopardy.”
- Release Date
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July 2, 2025
- Runtime
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113 Minutes
- Director
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R.T. Thorne
- Writers
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R.T. Thorne, Lora Campbell, Glenn Taylor
- Producers
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Jennifer Holness
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Danielle Deadwyler
Hailey Freeman
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Kataem O’Connor
Emanuel Freeman
