Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
    Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2 But Why Tho 10

    Spider-Man Is Coming To Magic And It’s Just Like The Comics

    08/29/2025
    Star Wars Visions Volume 3 Black

    ‘Black’ Sets The Tone For A Bold New Mixtape In ‘Star Wars Visions: Volume 3’

    08/28/2025
    Olivia Colman in The Roses

    ‘The Roses’ Is A Reimagining, Not A Remake, And That’s Why It Works So Well

    08/27/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » REVIEW: ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ Brings The Best Chaotic Violence

REVIEW: ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ Brings The Best Chaotic Violence

Kate SánchezBy Kate Sánchez05/23/20244 Mins ReadUpdated:05/27/2024
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Making a prequel to a critically acclaimed and fan-beloved film is an endeavor all on its own. But with George Miller stepping back in after Mad Max: Fury Road, epic action set pieces and a revenge story with just enough chaotic humor was all but assured. Directed by Miller, written by Miller and Nico Lathouris, and produced by Miller and Doug Mitchell, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga features Anya Taylor-Joy as the powerful Furiosa before she became that way, Ayla Browne as Furiosa in her childhood, and Chris Hemsworth as one of the best villains in cinema, Dr. Dementus.

Furiosa throws the audience into a falling world only to show us a lush green place. But in that idyllic space, a young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth). After watching her mother be murdered, she ascribes to a life of silence in an effort to keep the bikers away from her home.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

She grows up, sweeping through the Wasteland, until she and Dementus’s horde come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe (now played by Lachy Hulme). While the two Tyrants are in a war for dominance, Furiosa must survive by any means necessary. With a will to make her way back home to the Green Place and revenge burning in her, she survives in spite of those around her, biding her time until she can escape.

As Furiosa, Anya Taylor-Joy fills Charlize Theron’s shoes well. She does it by honoring the character that Theron brought to life but never gets consumed by Fury Road’s icon. Instead, Joy embodies vulnerability and anger in a way all her own.

Each choice and subsequent confrontation defines what we see in Theron’s character even more, adding more weight. Taking on a character that became an instant icon can be intimidating, but Joy does it exquisitely. Whether it’s the subtle intimacy with her road mentor Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke) or the final moments with Dementus, Taylor-Joy becomes a legend in her own right.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Yes, Anya Taylor-Joy, as the film’s titular character, is absolutely at her revenge-filled best; Hemsworth’s Dr. Dementus is exciting. He’s a chaotic ball of power-hungry energy whose trajectory in the film is indicated by the colors he wears. Moving from benevolent leader to warmonger to woefully inept warmonger (but for himself), Dementus is somehow one of the most intelligent characters of the film and its most stupid. All of it works.

Hemsworth builds on the villains he’s paid in the past, like Abnesti in Spiderhead and Billy Lee in Bad Times At The El Royale. In Furiosa, Hemsworth demands attention as more than just a guy with a hammer that he’s been reduced to in recent years. A good villain goes a long way, and here, he’s a great one.

Furiosa isn’t better than Mad Max: Fury Road, but it undoubtedly bolsters that film. It elevates an already perfect film by adding weight to all of Furiosa’s choices. In that way, this prequel justifies itself and solidifies George Miller as a master of the post-apocalyptic epic. With characters that embrace dark and humorous chaos in a violent desert—all of which have staying power beyond their character designs—Furiosa has a staying power all of its own.

To be a prequel, Furiosa needed to lead up to Fury Road. At the same time, however, it couldn’t be consumed by that. In the end, it finds that balance, with my only critique being that it came second. While the film may work better for those who haven’t seen Fury Road, particularly since Miller chose to include scenes from the film in its credits, it does deserve to be watched on a true IMAX screen all the same. With some interesting and slow pacing in the film’s first half, when you know what comes next in the story, it can feel like you’re at a complete standstill. Something that comes, unfortunately, at its placement in the series.

This is Anya Taylor-Joy at her best and a true testament to the talent Chris Hemsworth brings to any role when he’s allowed to hit beyond expectations. Truth be told, I envy any person who gets to have Furiosa: A Mad Max Story as their entry point into the franchise.

Fuirosa: A Mad Max Saga is playing now in theaters nationwide.

Give George Miller Everything | Furiosa Review

George Miller is back, and he’s expanding his universe by digging deep into Fruiosa. Does the prequel bolster Fury Road or just make you keep think about it? Read Kate’s 8.5/10 review: https://butwhytho.net/2024/05/review-furiosa-a-mad-max-saga/

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
  • 8.5/10
    Rating - 8.5/10
8.5/10

TL;DR

I envy any person who gets to have Furiosa: A Mad Max Story as their entry point into the franchise.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction’ Episode 0
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Garouden: The Way of the Lone Wolf’ Honors MMA
Kate Sánchez
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Kate Sánchez is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of But Why Tho? A Geek Community. There, she coordinates film, television, anime, and manga coverage. Kate is also a freelance journalist writing features on video games, anime, and film. Her focus as a critic is championing animation and international films and television series for inclusion in awards cycles. Find her on Bluesky @ohmymithrandir.bsky.social

Related Posts

Choi Gyu-ri, Shin Eun-Soo in Love Untangled
7.5

REVIEW: ‘Love Untangled’ Is Just Adorable

08/31/2025
Austin Butler in Caught Stealing
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Caught Stealing’ Marks An Exciting Pivot for Darren Aronofsky

08/27/2025
Margaret Qualley stars as Honey O' Donahue in the film Honey Don't
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Honey Don’t!’ Is A Genius Work Of Subversion And Fantasy Fulfillment

08/25/2025
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Roses But Why Tho
5.0

 REVIEW: ‘The Roses’ Lacks A Thorny Edge

08/25/2025
Mert Ramazan Demir in Abandoned Man
6.5

REVIEW: ‘Abandoned Man’ Lacks Depth In Its Take On Betrayal

08/22/2025
Ne Zha 2 promotional still from a24
10.0

REVIEW: ‘Ne Zha 2’ Is One Of The Most Epic Feats Of Animation

08/21/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Cosmic Spider-Man card details Features

[EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

By Kate Sánchez09/02/2025Updated:09/02/2025

An exclusive look at a new 5-Color Spider entering Magic: The Gathering’s Spider-Man set, and Cosmic Spider-Man is going to be a tough one to take on.

Hololive EN at Radio City Music Hall Events

Hololive EN At Radio City Music Hall Was A Pure Expression Of Fandom

By Adrian Ruiz08/31/2025Updated:09/03/2025

Hololive EN turned Radio City in New York City into the pure expression of fandom: chants, penlights, and community in perfect sync.

Foundation Season 3 Episode 8 promotional still from APple TV+
9.0
TV

RECAP: ‘The Foundation’ Season 3 Episode 8 — “Skin In The Game”

By Will Borger08/29/2025Updated:08/29/2025

Still barreling toward a knock-down, drag-out fight between Gaal and the Mule in Foundation Season 3 Episode 8 ups the stakes.

Karl Anthony Towns in NBA 2k26 But Why Tho
8.5
PS5

REVIEW: ‘NBA 2K26’ Brings Basketball To Life

By Kyle Foley09/03/2025

NBA 2K26 combines improved visuals with some important tweaks to keep the series feeling fresh in the latest yearly release.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here