Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a 2024 post-apocalyptic action adventure film co-produced and directed by George Miller, who co-wrote it with Nico Lathouris. It serves as both a spin-off and a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), as well as the fifth film in the Mad Max franchise. Several crew members from Fury Road returned for the film, including screenwriter Lathouris, film editor Margaret Sixel, costume designer Jenny Beavan, and composer Tom Holkenborg.
As the world falls, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and into the hands of a Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. While two Tyrants war for dominance over the Citadel, Furiosa survives many trials as she plots a way back home through the Wasteland.
The cast includes Anya Taylor-Joy as the title character Imperator Furiosa, with Chris Hemsworth, Alyla Browne, and Tom Burke in supporting roles.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga made its debut in theaters May 24th, 2024, courtesy of Warner Bros Pictures.
It is hard to believe that it has been nearly 10 years since Mad Max: Fury Road released back in 2015, which in retrospect is nothing compared to the 30-year hiatus after Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, the last of the films to feature Mel Gibson. Director George Miller’s brilliance is simply undeniable, so it was really only a matter of time before he visited The Wasteland yet again. I was already excited when Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga was first officially announced, but when it was confirmed that Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth would take on the leading roles my excitement was through the roof and I couldn’t wait to plant my ass in that comfy movie theater seat.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga was absolutely fantastic from start to finish. I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, but man did they crush it. George Miller is just special when it comes to this post-apocalyptic films and the world that he has been able to create with the Mad Max films is just unmatched. Similar to previous films the opening sets the stage seamlessly as audiences are reintroduced to the edge of civilization known as The Wasteland. Just like Mad Max: Fury Road this film wastes no time putting viewers right in the middle of the action as it provides top-tier entertainment for the entire 2-hours and 30 minutes. The visuals, the story, and the adrenaline-fueled pace of the film, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga comes out with guns blazing as it offers up a heavy dose of everything fans of the franchise have been begging for.
The cast was a huge selling point for me and it was even better than I could have hoped for. I will start by talking about Chris Hemsworth because even though I knew I would love him in this no matter what I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from his character, and he was on another level. He was the villain you loved to hate, and I was not ready for how hilarious he was going to be. In some ways he was like the Mad Max bad guy version of Thor, and it was amazing. He was just so damn funny and had me and the entire theater laughing out loud on several occasions, but he was also incredibly serious when the tone of the film took a turn. He was just perfect for this role and a huge reason for why it all worked so well.
Starring alongside Hemsworth is Anya Taylor-Joy, the actress who has absolutely blown up since she starred in Robert Eggers’ 2016 horror film The Witch (our full review here). Taylor-Joy is a legit actress and very deserving of her success, so I was not surprised to see her cast in the leading role for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. She made this role her own, and I can’t picture anyone delivering a better portrayal of a young Furiosa, a character that was played by the great Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road. Taylor-Joy kept me on the edge-of-my-seat, and although Hemsworth was providing the comic relief throughout the film, she played a much more serious and very gritty role and was incredibly convincing.
By the end it was very clear that Furiosa was not to be messed with, and this was all thanks to Taylor-Joy and what was easily one of her best performances to date. Young actress Alyla Browne deserves a ton of credit as well for her portrayal of Furiosa during the earlier years. Gaining some popularity as of late as she also recently starred in the horror film Sting (preview and trailer here), I feel confident in saying she is a young actress to keep an eye on. The supporting cast was awesome from top to bottom, and I especially liked Tom Burke because of the chemistry he shared with Taylor-Joy in the role of Praetorian Jack.
As a prequel/spin-off film I really liked what they did with the story for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The screenplay isn’t what I would call elaborate or super complex or anything like that, but what it does is build on the story for Furiosa, the character played by Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road. I loved what Alyla Browne (young Furiosa) and Anya Taylor-Joy was able to do with this character, setting the stage for the wild ride that is Fury Road.
The film also builds on the backstory of the aptly named “place of abundance”, otherwise known as the Green Place of Many Mothers. The Wasteland and the struggle for limited resources is the result of humanities many missteps leaving the Earth barely inhabitable, creating a free-for all with survival as the top priority. More than anything else Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga feels like a pure addition to the franchise and I don’t think we could have asked for a better prequel film.
From a technical standpoint Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is incredible as expected. At 79-years-young Australian filmmaker George Miller has got to be one of the more detail oriented directors working today, creating one of the most immersive cinematic experiences imaginable. What I loved most about Mad Max: Fury Road was just the unique style it had which is once again front and center with Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Everything just feels so true to George Miller’s vision for Mad Max, and I for one love getting sucked into what that guy dreams up. The action sequences are absolutely crazy as expected, and the score/soundtrack was straight fire as well. As I talked about in the intro several people from previous Mad Max films returned for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga which made for an experience that felt authentic and true to the core of the franchise. Because of the creativity involved from the set design to the make-up and costumes, you can’t help but get sucked into The Wasteland yet again.
THE VERDICT
The genius of George Miller is on full display yet again with one of the most incredibly immersive post-apocalyptic cinematic experiences to date, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a gritty and stylish revenge tale showcasing epic performances from Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth. Right down to the final touches consisting of clips from Mad Max: Fury Road during the end credits, this was such an awesome experience and just such a fun time at the movie theater. In my opinion this is an exceptionally unique franchise considering the fact that it has been going for 45-years and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Will we get more Mad Max films in the future? In an interview Miller himself alluded to the possibility as he referenced the story of what transpired between Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and Mad Max: Fury Road as it relates to the Mad Max character, played by Tom Hardy in Fury Road. Miller envisions some sort of ‘Max in the Wasteland’ film if everything works out. Fingers crossed. Be sure to get your tickets now because Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga needs to be experienced in theaters on the biggest screen possible.
TED TAKES RATING - 9.2/10
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.