WIDOWS REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Based upon the 1983 ITV series of the same name, Widows is a 2018 heist film directed by Steve McQueen from a screenplay by McQueen and Gillian Flynn and features an ensemble cast that includes Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell and Daniel Kaluuya. 

Widows is the story of four women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands' criminal activities. Set in contemporary Chicago, amid a time of turmoil, tensions build when Veronica (Davis), Alice (Debicki), Linda (Rodriguez) and Belle (Cynthia Erivo) take their fate into their own hands and conspire to forge a future on their own terms.

Surprisingly, prior to watching Widows, I had never seen any of McQueen's previous features, which includes 12 Years A Slave (which won the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture in 2014), Shame and Hunger. Because of this, I didn't know what to expect with Widows, fortunately, the feature beat my expectations and I'm even more convinced to give McQueen's previous films a watch as he has proven himself to be one of the greatest directors working today. As well as directing, he wrote the screenplay, along with Flynn, who is known for her best-selling novel, Gone Girl, which was adapted into a thriller starring Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck in 2013. Together, McQueen and Flynn have written a compelling drama that features interesting characters and shocking twists, resulting in a successful film. 

The story includes themes of sexism, police brutality and interracial marriage, all of which it handles really well. Most of the women in Widows are interesting individuals, especially Veronica. After the death of her husband, Harry (Neeson), she is threatened by Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry), whose money Harry stole. Now, Veronica has to finish her late husband's job, leading her to enlist the help of the other widows, Linda and Alice. The film frequently cuts to scenes of Veronica's relationship with Harry and we learn that the couple suffered a tragedy when their son was murdered by a police officer who thought he was reaching for a gun. Because of this, I felt a lot of sympathy and respect towards Veronica. Any other person in her situation would have crumbled, however, Veronica remains strong and brave throughout. Those who watched the original ITV series, that aired in 1983 and 1985, will enjoy McQueen's adaptation as I felt that the tone of Widows was similar to that of a drama you watch on a Sunday evening. Despite the 129 minute runtime, Widows keeps viewers engaged throughout, due to its interesting characters and a unpredictable story. 

Aside from McQueen's directing and the story, the aspect of Widows that impressed me the most was the acting, which is strong across the board. The stand out is Davis who gives a fierce and unforgettable performance as Veronica. As the two other widows, both Rodriguez and Debicki give solid performances. Initially, the two women are unsure of Veronica and don't know whether to follow her plan of stealing the money, however, after discovering the lives are at risk, they are soon convinced. Earlier this year, Kaluuya gained recognition for his Oscar nominated performance as Chris in Jordan Peele's horror/comedy, Get Out, and was a likable protagonist. As Jamal's violent brother, Jatemme, he gives a darker and more twisted performance. Recently, Cynthia Erivo appeared in Drew Goddard's thriller, Bad Times At The El Royale, and gave an impressive performance. In my opinion, I think that her performance in Bad Times was better as she had more screen time but, in Widows, Erivo still gives another great performance as Belle, who babysits Linda's children and soon becomes involved with the group. Farrell, Robert Duvall and Jacki Weaver round out the cast. Overall, there isn't a bad performance to be found. 

While Widows is a brilliant film and further proves why McQueen is a great director, I can't imagine it appealing to everyone. It has a dark and gloomy tone to it and there are some scenes of violence that makes it unsuitable for the faint hearted. However, it's definitely one of those films that deserves to be seen on the big screen and is worth watching for its strong ensemble cast and compelling story. At the time of writing this review, Widows has received critical praise, which it deserves. This months sees the release of sequels and remakes, while they're not necessarily bad films, they can be predictable and unoriginal. This is why I appreciated Widows as it's different to any film that has been released recently. To others, Widows may come across as your average heist film but I think that it's so much more than that. The heist itself doesn't take place until towards the end of the film and even then it doesn't last long. That's not a bad thing though and McQueen is more interested in characters and their stories rather than creating a boring and predictable heist film. It's hard to say whether Widows will be remembered at next year's Academy Awards, however, I think that Davis' performance should definitely be considered as, without her fierce portrayal of Veronica, Widows would've been boring. 

8/10