I just watched Furiosa and then Fury Road and they are 2 of the very best movies I've ever seen. When you craft a masterpiece, it’s rarely appreciated in its time. Yet less than a decade later, Mad Max: Fury Road has risen to the pinnacle of the art form. It remains one of the very best movies of the last ten years. With jaw-dropping visuals and unbelievable action setpieces, it’ll own a piece of action history forever. Miller’s greatest achievement in his career is the result of his tinkering and unwillingness to compromise his vision. That is why it is an immortal story, and generations of cinephiles will watch his work. Furiosa matches and even exceeds that.

Returning to a long-dormant franchise rarely goes well. While Anchorman 2, Dumb and Dumber To, and Independence Day: Resurgence have some defenders, most rarely look on them favorably. On the other hand, Mad Max: Fury Road changed the discourse when directors returned to their landmark franchises. In fact, it etched many involved into the history of cinema.

George Miller had a very successful career after completing Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. He won an Oscar for Happy Feet, and earned acclaim for Lorenzo’s Oil. He worked with many of the great talents of the last thirty years. Yet Mad Max: Fury Road changed the discourse around him forever. The “mad man” and “eccentric” labels quickly got attached to Miller, and given the insanity at Fury Road‘s heart, it’s hard to disagree. It’s a stunning action showcase and remains one of the greatest films of the 21st century.

After being captured by a roaming band of War Boys, Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) finds himself captive of The Immoten Joe (Hugh Keyes-Byrne). The warlord runs The Citadel, one of the few locations in the Wasteland with crops and water. However, his Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) steals one of his convoys and uses it to smuggle out his brides (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Riley Keough, Zoë Kravitz, Abbey Lee, & Courtney Eaton). Immoten Joe sends out his War Boys to retrieve Furiosa, including Nux (Nicholas Hoult) – who brings Max along as a “blood bag.” When Max and Nux join Furiosa on the War Rig, they join the women in a fight for survival against Immoten Joe’s forces.

From its opening sequences, Mad Max: Fury Road shines as an entertaining yet shockingly potent tale. The dialogue strips away our modern lexicon, instead embracing the alien dialects that might exist in a new Dark Ages. The discussions of the Green Place, “kamakrazee” War Boys, and Valhalla quickly take on their own meaning within the context of the story. Miller pushes the audience further and further from our current world, yet keeps it just similar enough that it feels prescient, regardless of the turns present themselves. The madness of the Wasteland spreads like a disease.

Miller’s visual stylings, including the speed ramping and quick cuts, add to the madness. The world we enter does not resemble anything that came before. His new color scheming elevates the bright tones of Thunderdome. The camera placement and willingness to complete effects in-camera only further add to the chaos. While characters like the Doof Warrior became instantly iconic, swinging war boys and marauders feel just as visceral. Miller’s willingness to shoot extras and stuntmen with extreme close-ups only adds to the level of detail throughout Mad Max: Fury Road. Every aspect of this world is built to kill.

Of course, the discussion of women in the Mad Max universe had been a point of contention. The brides of Immoten Joe, many of whom have gone on to dominate the box office in their own projects, force a conversation about the way men treat women. In the Wasteland, it’s not only as slaves, but as breeders. At the same time, the early parts of the 2010s had pushed discourse about the power women held over their bodies into the spotlight. 

Sadly, the years since its release have only confirmed Miller was rightly concerned. Mad Max: Fury Road directly accused men in power from sexually exploiting and dehumanizing women. Yet Miller’s warnings fell on deaf ears, despite the #MeToo movement and fight to codify Roe. Instead, this message feels more relevant in 2024 than in 2015. Important movies, specifically the all-time great films, know some aspects of their story are timeless. It’s a shame this had to be one of them.

Additionally, the loss of hope and salvation is not completed until paradise disappears. It’s important to know that it was man, not the environment, that killed The Green Place. The waters are poisoned, and the land disintegrates from the Earth. As it does, so too does a way of life. A literal paradise lost moment leaves our characters broken.

By 2011 and 2012, when Miller started shooting Fury Road, the effects of climate change were already known. Yet the climate disasters and their increased frequency have only made the climate crisis more relevant. Again, Miller’s ability to wrap in relevant storytelling and frame it through his characters adds longevity to Fury Road and its narrative. 

Theron’s performance as Furiosa further highlights her generational talent. It’s a role that few others could pull off, and instantly puts her in the company of Sigourney Weaver and Linda Hamilton. It’s her emotion, as she drops to her knees and screams into the desert, that sells the entire story. To devote your life to something only to see your faith, hope, and dreams disappear can hardly be expressed. Yet Theron does it. She rises to the occasion in every shot, and she steals the movie from an iconic character and actor. That’s just how good she is.

Hardy also proves singularly qualified to step into the crazed mind that Gibson made so famous. His gruff voice and commitment to the character help this Max feel unique yet familiar. Hardened and broken once again, he fights through the pain. The only thing that scares this Max are his memories. Miller uses these ghosts and flashbacks effectively throughout Fury Road, giving them to us just enough to sell their effectiveness.