THE WOMAN KING REVIEW

 *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Following its release in the United States, The Woman King received a mostly positive response from critics and was successful with audiences as it quickly topped the weekend box office. Critics praised the leading performance by Viola Davis and also its thematic and compelling story and thrilling action sequences. Although The Woman King isn’t scheduled to be released until October, I was lucky enough to watch it an early preview screening. However, did it meet my high expectations?

The Woman King tells the remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Inspired by true events, The Woman King follows the emotionally epic journey of General Nanisca (Viola Davis) as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life. Some things are worth fighting for.

Not only did The Woman King meet my expectations, it beat them and it’s quickly become one of my favourite films from this year. This is because it’s an epic and powerful war based drama, similar in tone to the Oscar winning Gladiator, which was released over two decades ago in 2000. The Woman King is directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood who previously made The Old Guard, which starred Charlize Theron and was released in the streaming site, Netflix, in 2020, and The Secret Life of Bees, which was a drama starring Queen Latifah and Dakota Fanning that was released in 2008. The Woman King represents Prince-Bythewood’s most impressive film yet and proves that she’s a skilful filmmaker who knows how to create a thrilling action film that also tells an important and powerful story. A lot of action films simply focus on car chases and gun shoot outs between characters and, as a result, fail to leave any impression. That’s certainly not the case with The Woman King, which prioritises its story and characters. Prince-Bythewood gets the balance between action thriller and character based drama right, with hardly a dull moment to be found in its 135 minute runtime. 

The opening sequence perfectly introduces viewers to Davis’ General Nanisca who leads the Agojie in a violent battle. It then focuses on Nanisca training a new generation of warriors to join the Agojie in order to protect the kingdom. This includes Nawi (Thuso Mbedu) who was sent to the King by her father when she rejects an arranged marriage. The training sequences are crucial to the story as they highlight how strong the women have to be in order to be part of the Agojie. At first, Nawi is weak and fails to impress Nanisca, however, she soon develops into a powerful and fierce warrior. It’s hard to believe that The Woman King is Mbedu’s first feature film after appearing in Barry Jenkins’ miniseries, The Underground Railroad, in 2021. Mbedu shines as Nawi, a young woman who quickly becomes a strong fighter. The supporting cast are all equally as impressive, including Lashana Lynch as Izogie, who supports Nawi, and John Boyega as the regal King Ghezo. The standout performance is undoubtedly delivered by Davis as the fearless and tough General Nanisca. However, after making a shocking discovery about Nawi, Nanisca becomes more vulnerable. In my opinion, I do think that Davis, who previously won an Oscar for her incredible supporting performance in Fences at the 89th Academy Awards, deserves to be recognised by the Academy once more as she delivers one of the best performances of the year. It’s hard to say whether Davis and The Woman King will be recognised when the Oscar nominations are announced next year.

The Woman King is a must see at the cinema as it tells a serious and important historical story that a lot of people aren’t aware of. It’s unlike any other film to be released in cinemas recently, which are currently filled with superhero films, sequels and remakes. Since they reopened last year after the pandemic, a lot of people have been understandably apprehensive about going to the cinema. However, The Woman King is a film that was made to be experienced in the big screen. Because it’s not based on a comic book and it isn’t a sequel or remake, The Woman King should reach a wider audience, especially those looking for an action packed thriller that also succeeds as a compelling character based drama with strong performances by its talented cast, led by a powerful Viola Davis.

8/10