The Woman King

Leave it to Viola Davis to kick ass and take names with the best of them while teaching people about world history they probably knew nothing about.

Set in West Africa in the early 1800s, The Woman King follows an all-female group of warriors as they train a new generation of fighters to help fend off enemies who threaten their kingdom from both across the sea and right at home. Led by the no-nonsense General Nanisca (Viola Davis) and bolstered by the help of her fellow Agojie warriors like the serious but darkly funny Izogie (Lashana Lynch), and Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), one of the newest trainees out to prove her worth, Nanisca must prepare her people for the harsh realities of a changing world. With the kingdom of Dahomey’s questionable involvement in the slave trade and the near-constant arrival of new foreigners making their lives less than ideal, it isn’t long before potential war arrives on their doorstep, forcing Nanisca and her soldiers to fight for what they believe in or die trying.

Walking the fine line between a legit historical biopic and a more fictionalized “Hollywood” retelling of said events, The Woman King is a solid piece of filmmaking that doesn’t always achieve what it sets out to do but does a fine job trying to along the way. Full of genuinely thrilling action beats, unexpected humorous ones, and just enough historical accuracy to intrigue, this movie does a lot right by the time the credits roll, and in my humble nerd opinion, is the closest thing fans will probably ever get to having a solo Dora Milaje movie in the MCU — at least in terms of action scenes involving a badass group of female warriors.

All that said, The Woman King stumbles a bit when trying to elevate itself from being an acceptably solid film to something of even better quality. Whether it be the story that isn’t always as compelling as it could have been or the general focus of the film being all over the place at times, The Woman King isn’t without flaws, as the script also ends up giving far too much time to the teen-feeling romance that doesn’t help the pace of the film one bit. Couple this with the script’s very light touch when it comes to exploring the full in-depth history of the Agojie (things felt very Cliff Note-y and watered down at times), and this movie never rose to a level of storytelling that truly wowed me, which was a bit disappointing considering almost everything else in the movie was pretty damn stellar.

With some brutal action, solid acting, unexpected heart and humor, and some exceptional production values that immerse you in the West African setting, this one ended up being far better than I thought it’d be, even with a handful of slow story beats and forced romantic elements knocking it down a few pegs. Regardless, The Woman King is a great watch it’s just unfortunate its more popcorn movie sensibilities ensure that it doesn’t come across as the Oscar-caliber movie I feel like it could have been.