Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga makes Cannes debut with rave reviews

Mad Max prequel Furiosa had its world premiere at Cannes on Wednesday, 15 May and it was met with a huge response from critics and attendees.

The film sees George Miller return to his iconic franchise to tell the origin story of Furiosa, Charlize Theron's protagonist from childhood up to the events of 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road. Theron is replaced by Anya Taylor-Joy and Alyla Browne, who portray the character at different stages of her life after she is kidnapped by bikers led by Dr Dementus (Chris Hemsworth).

Taylor-Joy, Hemsworth and their co-stars stepped out onto the red carpet at the prestigious festival to help celebrate it, with the stars shining brightly in their best outfits. Taylor-Joy exuded elegance in her ivory gown, looking like a Hollywood starlet of the Golden Age as she posed for pictures with Miller, Browne, Tom Burke, and a casual-chic Hemsworth.

Furiosa received a big response at the end of its premiere, with the crowd giving it a 7-minute standing ovation. Hemsworth was reported to have grown "teary-eyed" because of the reaction it received, while Taylor-Joy is seen to have been delighted by the celebration.

Read more: The most exciting films at Cannes 2024

Critics shared their thoughts on the film in reviews, with most heralding the movie as one of the best prequels ever made. The Independent's Geoffrey Macnab said Furiosa was "made with purposeful savagery, and with considerable wit and lyricism" and remarked how well the film works with minimal dialogue and big action.

It was the cast that the critic was most moved by, as Macnab wrote: "Taylor-Joy is still able to convey plenty about Furiosa’s raw inner emotions. Her eyes, captured in extreme close-up throughout, are endlessly expressive."

Read more: Fury Road stunt double looks back at Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron's feud

Commending the spectacle of it all, the critic went on to say the director is "unleashing sheer carnage at every turn", and wrote: "The wonder here, though, is that a film with so many bells and whistles also bears such an emotional kick."

The Telegraph's Robbie Collin was equally as impressed by the movie, saying Furiosa "is cinema at its most soul-pricklingly primal" and adding: "It’s the sort of film that makes you feel like the past century of Hollywood might have been a detour, and the machine has now been hauled back on course."

Collin added: "Miller and his co-writer Nico Lathouris have structured their screenplay like an epic told by firelight... Despite its vast scope, Furiosa wastes no time setting the scene. It just tears off from the starting line – and like Max always had to, we grab what we can on the hoof."

Deadline's Pete Hammond proclaimed Furiosa to be perhaps "the greatest Max yet", writing that it's "a wheels-up, rock-and-rolling epic". The critic heaped praise on Hemsworth, who "instantly becomes one of the great villains, complex and [is] endlessly watchable and charismatic like all of the most misguided leaders."

Hammond also wrote that Taylor-Joy is Hemsworth's match, and "she does it all with the eyes and a physicality she probably didn’t realise she was capable of".

Continuing to praise the film's casting, the critic said that Miller "hit a bull’s-eye, not just with Hemsworth and Taylor-Joy but also the brilliant Burke, who nails Praetorian Jack with abandon. Browne as the younger Furiosa is also extraordinary in a role that is much more than just a gateway for Taylor-Joy to take over."

Variety was one of the few outlets not as taken by the prequel, namely because of critic Owen Gleiberman's passion for the franchise. The critic argues that the film doesn't quite live up to the starry heights of the Mel Gibson original, nor does it top Fury Road.

Reflecting on the film's large cast, its spectacle and narrative, Gleiberman wrote: "What it all adds up to is a movie that can be darkly bedazzling, and that will be embraced and defended in a dozen passionate ways — but it’s one that, to me, falls very short of being a Mad Max home run."

The critic argued that the film is "a touch impersonal" because of its expansive cast of characters and its narrative approach, writing: The film seems more invested in Miller’s elaborate and, at moments, overly digitised extensions of the Wasteland than in the people who inhabit it. In that way, it’s got a touch of Marvel-itis."

Watch the trailer for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

"In attempting to inflate his universe into something larger, Miller clutters it with pretension and makes it mean less," he adds.

Consequence of Sound's Liz Shannon Miller also wasn't as enamoured by the film, writing that while there is "masterful filmmaking on display" and the cinematography is like "poetry" the film "doesn’t sync up perfectly with Fury Road".

The critic added: "The strengths of Furiosa do not eclipse Fury Road, to be clear, nor does the latter film shine as far superior. Instead, they really are two pieces of the same puzzle, different in their scope but connected not just by characters, but by ethos and aesthetic. It’s the ultimate double-feature, and afterwards, you’re gonna want to drive fast."

Furiosa is released in cinemas on Friday, 24 May.