Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Movie Review by Rob Hinkal

How do you follow up one of the most critically acclaimed action films ever made? That is the question that lies at the center of George Miller’s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. A prequel following the titular heroine audiences were first introduced to nearly a decade ago in Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa has the impossible task of standing on its own merit while having to follow in the footsteps of its iconic predecessor. Luckily, Miller knows exactly what he is doing. 

As several other reviews have pointed out, Furiosa is not Fury Road. It doesn’t attempt to be and is all the better for it. It is an episodic, emotionally resonant revenge film that takes its time in setting up its story and characters. Where Fury Road was a petal-to-the-metal, non-stop thrill ride, this film operates at a much slower pace. At times, almost too slow. The setup and world-building are two of the central focuses of the film, and while both are crafted with a great amount of depth and care, there is no denying that the first half of Furiosa does drag on a bit too long. That’s not to say that it is bad, but at a certain point, you do feel as though the film needs to rev its engines and get to the next plot point. 

When it does finally switch gears, Furiosa delivers a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat ride through the Australian wasteland. Anya Taylor-Joy commands as the titular character with few words but a world of emotions conveyed through glances and physicality. Chris Hemsworth plays the main baddie, Dementus, in what might be his best performance yet. The action on display here is truly phenomenal filmmaking. Everything from the cinematography to the blocking and score are brought together to create some of the best action sequences portrayed on screen quite possibly since Fury Road first debuted in 2015. At 79, it is utterly incredible that Miller is still able to craft some of the most dynamic and intense action sequences committed to celluloid. 

Furiosa is the rare film that says just as much without dialogue as it does with it. Miller fully utilizes the visual element of the medium to enhance his film and create a story that relies just as much on what is seen as what is heard. Oftentimes, the most impactful moments are those that are either within or incorporate total silence. A great deal of the impact of these moments is also due to the connection to the characters we feel as an audience. You truly do get a sense of who these people are and see them as fleshed-out (sometimes literally) individuals. By balancing the attention to detail with the attention to the characters and their backgrounds, you are engrossed in the film not only as a spectacle but on a human level as well.

Despite a somewhat painfully slow first half, Furiosa more than makes up for its shortcomings with an incredible rebound at its halfway point. This is one of the best action films made since Fury Road and enriches its predecessor while still finding ways to offer its audience a fresh and vital new experience.