This year has been full of both huge box office wins and mᴀssive disappointments. On the positive side, there have been surprise successes like Sinners. Helmed by Ryan Coogler, the film was highly anticipated, but it ended up overcoming even more generous expectations by making $365.8 million worldwide.
On the other hand, however, some anticipated movies have flopped. A24 swung and missed with both Opus and Death of a Unicorn, and Blumhouse has had a tough time landing with multiple films so far. Even M3GAN 2.0 underperformed box office expectations.
Some of the year’s lower-performing works are getting a second life on digital and streaming. This includes the M3GAN sequel as well as the sci-fi drama The ᴀssessment, which is finding new life on streaming despite making only $279,328 in theaters.
Another film that had minimal impact at the box office is now available on VOD. Despite its small impact in theaters, this is a movie still well worth checking out at home.
40 Acres Is Now Available On VOD After Poor Box Office
It Received A 90% Rotten Tomatoes Score
40 Acres is now available on digital. Starring Danielle ᴅᴇᴀᴅwyler in the lead role, the film takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where a Black Canadian farming family has to protect their resources against cannibals. The film is directed by R.T. Thorne and was released on July 2.
This release did not go very well for the film. The movie only made $761,980 at the box office, and added just under $4,000 more from overseas. This poor box office performance was not due to a lack of strong reviews. Rather, 40 Acres got a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the better-rated movies of the year. Audiences who did see it loved it, as the film also retained a 94% Popcornmeter.
One of the movie’s champions was ScreenRant‘s Ferdosa Abdi. Abdi gave 40 Acres 7 out of 10 stars, praising ᴅᴇᴀᴅwyler’s performance and the movie’s handling of a “tough story.”
ᴅᴇᴀᴅwyler is one of the more underrated actors of her generation, delivering strong performances in Till, The Piano Lesson, and, now, 40 Acres. She alone makes the dystopian sci-fi thriller worth watching.
With 40 Acres now digitally available, the film will have another chance to do well even after a lackluster performance at the box office. As more people discover this well-reviewed festival film, it could bring in additional revenue as it gains momentum on the streaming side of things.