The Woman King review

THE WOMAN KING: 

VIOLA DAVIS IS FIERCE IN THIS THRILLING HISTORICAL EPIC! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

TRISTAR PICTURES

Viola Davis in The Woman King

 

            Viola Davis (The Help, Fences, Widows) gets armored up for battle in The Woman King, the new historical epic from Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball, The Secret Life of Bees, The Old Guard). The film is inspired by the true story about the Agojie, an all-female warrior unit who protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey during the 17^th-19^th centuries. 

            I should make this perfectly clear; I am not familiar with the Agojie nor the story behind them, so I won’t be able to determine whether or not this is a faithful depiction of what really happened. Instead, I’ll be doing what I do best…judging it as a movie, and as a movie, The Woman King is awesome! 

            Imagine a film revolving around those female soldiers from Black Panther but done in the style of Braveheartor Gladiator. But even that doesn’t fully describe the relentless, adrenaline-pumped force that is this film. 

            Set in the West African kingdom of Dahomey during the 1820s, the film follows the all-female group of warriors known as the Agojie led by their general, Nanisca (Davis) who protect the kingdom from danger. Nanisca trains a new generation of warriors including a rebellious outsider known as Nawi (Thuso Mbedu-Scandal, Is’Thunzi, The Underground Railroad in her feature film debut) to fight an enemy that wants to destroy their way of life. 

            The film also stars Lashana Lynch (Still Star-Crossed, Marvel Cinematic Universe, No Time to Die) as Izogie, Sheila Atim (The Underground Railroad, Bruised, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) as Amenza, John Boyega (Attack the Block, Star Wars franchise, Pacific Rim: Uprising) as King Ghezo, Hero Fiennes Tiffin (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Private Peaceful, After) as Santo Ferreira, Adrienne Warren (Women of the Movement, Rustin) as Ode, Jayme Lawson (The First Lady, The Batman, Till) as Shante, and Siv Ngesi (Invictus, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Honey 3: Dare to Dance) as The Migan. 

            Overall, The Woman King is a savage and exhilarating experience that’s worth checking out on the big screen and easily one of Gina Prince-Bythewood’s best films. I can’t say how faithful or historically accurate this film is, but as an action movie/epic made in Hollywood, I had a blast. 

            The action sequences are very stylized (Though not to 300’s extent!) and the choreography and camera work during them are astounding to look at. Despite the film being rated PG-13 and little blood during the action scenes, they’re still surprisingly intense in terms of the sound design and the impact to the point where my mind was kind of filling in the blood and gore as I was watching it. 

            The acting is phenomenal, especially from Viola Davis, who at this point can do absolutely no wrong. She has this fierce, commanding presence whenever she’s onscreen, but she also really sells her character’s softer and more human moments. 

            Some of the best scenes in the movie involve Viola Davis and her interactions with Thuso Mbedu’s character. I enjoy seeing Davis train her in combat and weaponry and there are even times where the student has things to teach the teacher, I like the moments where the two of them sit and talk about their pasts and problems happening in their lives, and as the film goes on, we discover that they have a much stronger connection that originally expected…and of course, seeing them kick ass. 

            While Lashana Lynch and John Boyega don’t have quite as much screen-time as Viola Davis and Thuso Mbedu, they still have plenty of moments to shine whether in action sequences or in quieter dialogue-focused scenes. 

            The plot is your typical Braveheart-style historical epic or revisionist history narrative and I’m assuming this film is leaving out various details from what really happened. Again, this is a film made in Hollywood for entertainment purposes, if you’re looking for an accurate depiction of the Agojie then you’re likely not going to find it here, this is an action movie, not a biopic or documentary. 

            I proudly salute The Woman King as an intense, thrilling, and skillfully crafted epic with exhilarating action sequences, compelling characters, and incredible performances including the powerful force that is Viola Davis. It probably won’t inform that much, but it will entertain and hopefully inspire those who purchase a ticket for it.