REVIEW: The Woman King

It’s hard to put to words how incredible this film is—from the acting performances, to the music, to the cinematography, to the storytelling, this is my film of the year.Based on real events in 19th Century west Africa, The Woman King chronicles the story of the Dahomey Kingdom and its all-female military unit, the Agojie, as the kingdom grapples with its unsavory role in international slave trade.The film stars Viola Davis as Nanisca, the force’s leader, who is amazing in her role and has indelible chemistry with whomever she shares the screen. It is also one of the first major roles for Thuso Mbedu, a strong-willed young woman named Nawi who is a newcomer to the Agojie. Mbedu was a stellar casting choice, elevating the film in numerous ways. The remainder of the supporting cast was also excellent.This film has a voice, and it’s a strong one. That’s thanks to both skillful directing by Gina Prince-Bythewood and masterful writing by Dana Stevens and Maria Bello. The film has been criticized for whitewashing the Dahomey’s role in the slave trade. While that is accurate, and certainly frustrating, the focus of the story is more on the warriors themselves and less so the trade—using slavery as a (highly-effective and discomforting) plot device. Understanding that there was a need to strike a fine balance on those—without letting Dahomey off the hook—the writers did an excellent job.Likewise, the action sequences were equal parts brutal and beautiful—itself a hard balance to strike. The film was gripping and enthralling even without those sequences, but those certainly enhanced the final product. Same goes for the camera work and the score to the film—both elevate the movie in an incredible way.The Woman King was one of my most anticipated films of the year, and I had hoped to see an Oscar-worthy performance from Davis. The film delivered on both accounts—plus an excellent delivery from Mbedu that might, too, rightly result in some Oscar praise.The bottom line: A terrific film worth watching, full of brutal moments and compelling story. 9.5/10