What a day. What a lovely day.

Mad Max is an action movie, clear and simple. Well, maybe not simple. As of September 18th, the International Federation of Film Critics awarded Fury Road the title of Grand Prix, or best movie of the year. And it’s not just the best movie of 2015, as the award ‘competition’ window opened July 1, 2014. This means that not only do the 493 critics that voted believe it to be the best movie of the year so far, but that it is better than all of the Oscar winners from 2014, and there were many phenomenal movies that debuted last year. If you remember the last four months of the year, the world was graced with The Theory of Everything, The Imitation Game, Interstellar, Gone Girl, Whiplash, Birdman, Nightcrawler, Big Hero 6, Foxcatcher, Wild, American Sniper, and Selma. Then what makes Fury Road so good?

At the heart of the movie, Max Rockatansky isn’t even the main character, despite being the titular character. Imperator Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron, is most definitely the central character of the film. This is quite interesting as the action movie genre is a male-dominated form of film. Anti-feminism and misogyny is absent from this film, as the main characters are truly the women, especially the warrior Furiosa. This is a strong reason this film connected with so many critics; it challenges gender stereotypes in film and throws away genre tropes and instead places progressive ideals at the very center. If you truly want more reasons that misogyny is gone and almost everyone believes Furiosa is the main character, click on this link to RottenTomatoes and check out nearly every single review about this movie.

Certainly, genre tropes are play a huge factor in distinguishing this film from others. But does that alone make the movie better than others that implemented LGBT, feminist, and mentally unstable characters? Probably not. So, director George Miller must have done something else for the world to be recognizing it this much. Was it the fact that almost the entire movie used practical effects? It helps. Was it the insane amount of symbolism found in the recurring motifs? It might be. Is it the mythology surrounding Immortan Joe, the War Boys, the Many Mothers, and the Wasteland? Possible, but not the sole reason. Miller understands that the sum of all these characteristics can be used to ask deeper questions. He asks questions about humanity, life, gender, religion, and redemption.

George Miller understands that this apocalyptic future is an analogy for human life in the present. With technology increasing at an astonishing rate, religion being questioned more and more, and even gender roles changing rapidly, Fury Road is as relevant as any other film out there. The technology in Mad Max is rustic and ancient, but the economy in which Immortan Joe lives is self-sustaining. Water is pumped up from underground reservoirs, produce is kept in a rotating greenhouse, and gasoline is transported from city to city. Miller does not do away with religion, but brings Norse mythology to the forefront, where the War Boys and Immortan Joe believe in Valhalla. The Many Mothers are a female tribe, surviving in the Wasteland surrounded by male tribes, and yet they survive for years. Clearly he’s trying to say something here.

Miller is a filmmaker whose films vary in tone, style, and social commentary, but Mad Max is a combination of all of them. Ranging from commentary about our world’s food, politics, and religion to gender roles, modern filmmaking, and the world’s economy. Fury Road is a testament to thoughtful filmmaking, a film that kept me thinking about it for days after viewing. It was fun and exhilarating, deep and full of emotion. Mad Max: Fury Road deserves the praise. View the movie, and think about it rather than merely watching it. It’s worth it.