Australia | USA
Opening May 23, 2024

Directed by: George Miller
Writing credits: George Miller, Nick Lathouris
Principal actors: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Angus Sampson, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is coming down that road roaring at a fast pace to claim its title as another blockbuster of this year. There are no questions about that. Director George Miller’s post-apocalyptic action adventure film is the fifth installment in the Mad Max franchise. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga stands up strong next to the previous multi-award-winning film Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) but will it succeed in surpassing it? This is an original script which takes a closer look Furiosa’s (Anya Taylor-Joy, Alyla Browne) beginnings before she developed into a full-fledged renegade warrior who later teams up as the female sidekick of Mad Max in Mad Max: Fury Road.

The music and cinematography are outstandingly blended to create a mythical adventure that puts fear into your imagination. From roaring motorcycles to vast landscapes and a stillness that can bring chills to your bones, everything ensures a full action-packed experience. Despite Dr. Dementus’s character being truly villainous, Chris Hemsworth’s acting skills bring out a sympathetic side to this narcissistic psychopath character. The script is cleverly written while throwing in many literary references. If there is anything for Mad Max fans to criticize, it might be that the main character is female—and is she a true representative of women? Maybe Miller and screenwriter Nick Lathouris do not see that a woman can really exist in an apocalyptic environment without being more androgynous. There could easily be an interesting discussion on what women’s roles will be at the end of the world besides producing babies. (Shelly S.)