Rating of
3/4
Furiosa - Review
Matthew Brady - wrote on 08/05/25
"You fabulous thing. You crawled out of a pitiless grave, deeper than hell. Only one thing that is going to do that for you. Not hope. Hate. No shame in hate. It's one of the greatest forces of nature."
From mastermind George Miller comes another epic tale of sand, madness, and fuel—or what I would call an ordinary day in Australia.
Furiosa shifts gears from the high-octane Fury Road to embark on a slower yet thrilling journey through the wasteland.
Unfortunately, Furiosa struggled at the box office. However, the Mad Max franchise appears less bankable than we once thought. While Fury Road was a huge hit with critics and audiences, it was not a massive success at the box office. I even commented on it in my 2015 review, noting it was in second place, with Pitch Perfect 2 taking the top spot.
Not every movie resonates with everyone, but that does not mean it isn’t for someone.
While it may not be as fast-paced and exhilarating as Fury Road, Furiosa excels in the emotional depth of its characters. The film resembles a fable or a legendary myth shared around campfires. It showcases unique world-building where every detail is meticulously crafted, and even minor characters receive rich backstories.
Anya Taylor-Joy faced a demanding task in taking over the title character role, initially played by Charlize Theron. What could have become another stereotypical, dull female badass, as seen in recent movies, is transformed by Anya Taylor-Joy's performance, elevating the material and bringing it to life. One of Anya's many unique features are her big, expressive eyes. George Miller is aware of this; during the most important and exciting moments, he focuses the camera on her face, maximizing her exceptional acting. Her rage, pain, and loss radiate off the screen. This cruel and maddening world is shown from the perspective of a woman who has been mistreated and wronged since childhood.
Chris Hemsworth serves as the movie's main antagonist, Dementus, and this is easily one of Hemsworth’s best performances. I loved how the character sounded and spoke, featuring an old-school, sand-dry, nasal Australian accent that conveyed a rough charisma with a violent edge. Hemsworth is outstanding here, and now I see him with a dynamic range as an actor rather than just the usual roles he plays as the dumb, pretty boy. He is much more than that.
I loved the contrast in how the film's villain was portrayed from the perspective of a younger Furiosa compared to when she is older. As a child, she views him as an intimidating adult figure, but as an adult, she recognizes his true character: a motor-mouthed buffoon characterizing himself as a leader. He resembles an evil Captain Jack Sparrow.
While watching the film, you receive a grand sense that you are witnessing a master behind the camera, something I don't experience in many films these days. The last movie that gave me that feeling was when I saw "Killers of the Flower Moon." It's night and day with a difference.
The stunt work is superb, featuring death-defying set pieces that draw you into the action. Without spoiling the ending, I appreciated how this film approached revenge and its satisfyingly poetic execution. Many revenge films miss that gratifying conclusion, lacking clever yet twisted retribution. Fortunately, Furiosa delivered on that front.
Now for issues: Some CGI was too noticeable, especially with certain background effects. I won’t lie; it took me out of the movie several times.
So, this is not entirely negative, but the first half of the movie with the young Furiosa was so fantastic that when we eventually got to the adult version, it did not quite live up—not to say it was awful or anything like that; it was still good, but not on the same level.
Overall rating: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is one of the most underappreciated movies of 2024. After the box office disaster, our return to the wasteland seems unlikely. I hope that isn’t the case. We need a miracle.
