Abigail Johnson is a New York City-based writing intern, screenwriter, actor, and director. Her main focus is women in the entertainment industry and authenticity, especially advocating for diverse storytelling and new perspectives. Abigail loves discovering indie films that may not be seen in a traditional movie theatre, as well as listening to pop music and trying to find the next big artist. Abigail connects to Hollywood Insider’s values of substance over scandal and focusing on compassion and philosophy in her writing at Hollywood Insider. Utilizing writing for good is the main Hollywood Insider value that Abigail connects with, as her main goal is to use her talents for good.
Aug 11, 2024
Cannes Film Festival this year has been offering audiences a plethora of new films to enjoy and look forward to seeing in theatres this year. One of the premieres of this year’s Cannes Film Festival was ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’. ‘Furiosa’ was premiered as an exhibition at the festival, but was met with a standing ovation. On May 24, ‘Furiosa’ hit theatres for audiences to finally view the newest addition to the ‘Mad Max’ family. Though the film series has been sparingly released since the 1980s, this film brings a new voice to the ‘Mad Max’ films.
The film is s a prequel for 2015’s ‘Mad Mad: Fury Road’, following Furiosa after she has been taken from her homeland, the Green Place. Furiosa was originally played by Charlize Theron in ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’, as she helped move Max through the battles in the Citadel. The ‘Mad Max’ stylization is incredibly distinct from other films, with its mix of dark and warm colors and fast-paced editing and cinematography. After the 30-year hiatus between ‘Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome’ and ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’, I was surprised, and a bit nervous, when I heard that ‘Furiosa’ was in the making. As these remakes and sequels of iconic movies begin to resurface, it is easy to question the integrity of these films. Are they just here for a cash grab, or will these films be a high-quality callback to that of their predecessor? In the cast of ‘Furiosa’, it was not only a successful sequel, but a revival of the series.
As mentioned before, the style of the film was incredible and hard to miss out on. ‘Mad Max’ already has a distinct color palette of dark blues and blacks paired with metallic oranges and yellows. All of the characters look dirty, which is a win for the makeup team as no one would look freshly showered in this desert world. The steampunk costuming really helps tie the world of the film together, as this world of motorcycle mayhem needs to have the proper wardrobe to go along with it. The world-building of this series of films is incredibly successful and distinct. The editing style helps drive the story, as it gives us enough anticipation and anxiety to need to see what happens next. However, I have to admit that there were moments in the film where I couldn’t tell if I was watching a live-action film, or an animated storyline moment of a video game. I’m not sure if this was the intention of the film, but the inconsistency of the look of the film threw me off at moments.
Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth were the big-named stars of the film. However, no performances in the film caught my eye in a positive or negative way. I felt as though each performance was sufficient and each of the actors held their own. Action films are not always the ones to rely on when looking for riveting performances, as action films usually are focused on the action of the film, rather than the reasoning for it. Despite this, I felt as though the justification for Furiosa’s actions was clear and concise, as she seeks revenge on Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) for killing her mother as she had to stand by and watch. Because of this, I would like to note that ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ is not meant for the faint of heart. I am a viewer who does not deal with gore well, and though it is pretty minimal in ‘Furiosa’, there were moments where I needed to look away.
‘Furiosa’ is a film that introduces the ‘Mad Max’ series to those who may not have seen all of the films before. I appreciated how you did not have to know all of the details of the past films while watching ‘Furiosa’. Even without knowing the ‘Mad Max’ lore, it is still easy to follow and you will know what is going on at each moment. In past ‘Mad Max’ films, the backstory is not as detailed as others, with onscreen text giving more details about how the world came to be this way. The casting of Anya Taylor-Joy is a tool to bring new viewers into the world of ‘Mad Max’, but also the introduction of this character’s backstory is bringing people into this world. While some viewers might be weary of rewatching all of the films, I appreciated how ‘Furiosa’ was a way for audiences to jump into the ‘Mad Max’ universe, and then go back to see the past movies. It can be difficult for viewers to go back and watch four films just to watch another, so the fact that ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ was able to make sure audiences weren’t missing out was a win.
‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ was not a film that felt like a cash-grab sequel. It felt like a new introduction into a world that has been established and cannot wait for more. Audiences are anticipating what might happen next in the ‘Mad Max’ world, and if we will see more from Furiosa herself. While this may be unclear for now, ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ is hitting with box-office success, as well as success in the minds of its audiences.
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne
| Director: George Miller | Writer: George Miller, Nico Lathouris
| Producers: Doug Mitchell, George Miller | Cinematography: Simon Duggan | Editing:
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Abigail Johnson is a New York City-based writing intern, screenwriter, actor, and director. Her main focus is women in the entertainment industry and authenticity, especially advocating for diverse storytelling and new perspectives. Abigail loves discovering indie films that may not be seen in a traditional movie theatre, as well as listening to pop music and trying to find the next big artist. Abigail connects to Hollywood Insider’s values of substance over scandal and focusing on compassion and philosophy in her writing at Hollywood Insider. Utilizing writing for good is the main Hollywood Insider value that Abigail connects with, as her main goal is to use her talents for good.
Abigail Johnson is a New York City-based writing intern, screenwriter, actor, and director. Her main focus is women in the entertainment industry and authenticity, especially advocating for diverse storytelling and new perspectives. Abigail loves discovering indie films that may not be seen in a traditional movie theatre, as well as listening to pop music and trying to find the next big artist. Abigail connects to Hollywood Insider’s values of substance over scandal and focusing on compassion and philosophy in her writing at Hollywood Insider. Utilizing writing for good is the main Hollywood Insider value that Abigail connects with, as her main goal is to use her talents for good.
Abigail Johnson is a New York City-based writing intern, screenwriter, actor, and director. Her main focus is women in the entertainment industry and authenticity, especially advocating for diverse storytelling and new perspectives. Abigail loves discovering indie films that may not be seen in a traditional movie theatre, as well as listening to pop music and trying to find the next big artist. Abigail connects to Hollywood Insider’s values of substance over scandal and focusing on compassion and philosophy in her writing at Hollywood Insider. Utilizing writing for good is the main Hollywood Insider value that Abigail connects with, as her main goal is to use her talents for good.
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