Rating: 8.6
*Trailer at bottom of page*
“The Woman King” rules. This is the type of epic movie that we don’t usually see anymore from Hollywood, and it is so refreshing to see one made again! It is a beautiful and badass historical epic with lots of meaning behind it. It was astounding; I expected it to be good, but I never expected it to be this great. Heck… I’m ready to declare my certainty that this will be a Best Picture nominee! It’s a really powerful film with a moving story that also is extremely entertaining and really cool — mixing art filmmaking with blockbuster filmmaking! It honestly reminded me of “Gladiator” and “Braveheart” at times — it's that good! It could not have been better (historical controversies aside), it just works so well as a film! It’s got great action sequences, historical context and excellent filmmaking and acting! Comparisons to “Black Panther'''s Dora Milaje may be warranted, but one has to remember that the Dahomey Amazon served as inspiration for the Dora Milaje. But if a movie focused on the Dora Milaje sounds interesting to you… then by all means check this out! It is truly epic!
This movie is all held together by some fantastic direction from Gina Prince-Bythewood. I previously have only seen one other film of hers; “The Old Guard”, and while that was good, this is a significant step up for many reasons. The only negative I have in terms of her direction was that she didn’t make enough bold choices, everything felt somewhat familiar. It works, but it did indeed feel like one of the classic historical epics from the late 90s to early 2000s. Besides some fresh subject matter and different locations, most of the film does follow the historical epic template. Still, I cannot overstate that it is very well done! From the writing to the acting to the cinematography, it is very well crafted!
The script is excellently written and deals with a lot of complex themes and historical elements, as well as includes some great action, character dynamics and self-discovery moments. The film focuses on a part of history I honestly did not know much about going into the film, and while I know it may not be the most historically accurate I found they adapted the history to this epic film really nicely. The film has a strong commentary on African history, and really displays the majesty of Africa and the culture of its people so well! It even addressed the extent to which African kingdoms would participate in the slave trade and does show the consequences of this. It is done so in a sophisticated way and is quite interesting to explore, allowing us to reflect on this history in new perspectives. Also, the movie discusses problems and struggles that women faced in that time and culture… and these are struggles that women still grapple with today, most notably the conflict between career and motherhood/romance. It’s a wonder to me that the film was able to do all this on a thematic level while also telling a very crowd-pleasing, entertaining story!
And the action here is awesome! It’s intense, brutal, and all because it is so well choreographed! The fight choreography is fantastic and complemented by some great camerawork that really shows off the work the actors and stunt performers are doing! It is quite rewarding to see believable female action heroes, which is something Gina Prince-Bythewood handles very well! The film also nicely showed how women warriors find clever tactics besides their strength to even the playing field against male opponents.
How could I leave the acting till last? The acting here is stellar across the board, with many performances possibly up for awards consideration! Firstly, Viola Davis is astonishing! I feel like everything I could say about her has been said already, but she of course sells the dramatic scenes so well, and is so badass in the action scenes! Lashana Lynch was also fantastic, I loved her character and she did such a good job continuing to prove why she is a fantastic action star! And I was so happy to see that John Boyega was finally given a role that allowed him to show off his stunning acting chops, he is so talented! But the true star is Thuso Mbedu, who is the heart and soul of the entire movie. She is definitely someone to keep on your radar in the next few years!
I really enjoyed this movie, and I 100% think this deserves your attention (in a theatre)! It is a crowd-pleasing epic that is fierce, badass and beautiful while remaining respectful to the culture and telling a story that is quite impactful. It does indeed feel like the type of historical epic that we haven’t gotten for 20 years, and it was so satisfying to see a film like this back in theatres! If you loved “Gladiator” or “Braveheart”, or find the idea of an elite squad of female warriors pretty cool, this movie will be for you! It is very well crafted and an extremely entertaining and moving watch! It is a must see, and quite possibly an instant classic!
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IMDb Rating: 6.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
RT Audience Score: 99%
Metacritic Score: 76
CinemaScore: A+
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Sony - TriStar Pictures
Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood
Screenplay by Dana Stevens
Story by Dana Stevens & Maria Bello
Cast: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, John Boyega
Runtime: 2hr 15min
Rating: 14A
Action, Drama, History
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In the 1800s, a group of all-female warriors protects the African kingdom of Dahomey with skills and fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Faced with a new threat, Gen. Nanisca trains the next generation of recruits to fight against a foreign enemy that's determined to destroy their way of life.
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Fun Fact: The Dahomey Amazons served as basis for Marvel’s Dora Milaje.
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