The Woman King movie review: A must see original blockbuster

We have a brand new movie hitting theaters this weekend in The Woman King. The movie follows is the story of Agojie, an all-female unto who protected the African Kingdom in the 1800s. The movie stars Viola Davis and is directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. Is it worth checking out on the big screen? Should you wait for the streaming release? Read our review!

The Woman King starts with a bang! An incredible fight sequence shows off how badass the Agojie tribe is. I was engulfed when the film started with this amazingly choreographed and well-shot sequence. A slice of the throat of someone who took their people illustrates the fierce dominance of our leader Nanisca (Davis).

Nawi is a hard head young kid who gets turned over to the king because she refuses to marry the man he presented to her. Throughout her training, she is stubborn and outspoken and this gets her in trouble repeatedly. However, after a few run-ins with Nanisca, she starts to open her eyes that keeping her head down and fighting is the way to go.

The Woman King movie is a one-of-a-kind gem

We all know Viola Davis can act. We’ve seen it through some incredible performances in movies such as Fences, Widows, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom over the years. But we’ve never seen her in this type of blockbuster where she fights and battles front and center. It is one of Davis’ most profound performances we’ve ever seen in a blockbuster style of movie. She commanded the screen like she always does, but this felt personal and it was conveyed throughout the entirety of this movie.

I spoke about it feeling personal to Viola, but I could say the same for the rest of the cast and crew. In each layer of this film, from the production to the costumes to Gina Prince-Bythewood’s profound direction, you feel that strong passion behind their work. I was engulfed in every part of this film from start to finish, and I knew I was witnessing something that was one of a kind.

The ensemble cast is another gift that kept on giving. I loved how the writers gave each of these principal characters time to thrive, whether amid battle or by sharing their stories, an arc that made us care for them. Lashana Lynch, Thuso Mbedu and Sheila Atim all deserve a mass amount of praise for their work.

Overall, The Woman King is a brilliant blockbuster movie that you don’t want to miss on the big screen. Don’t get stuck in a few months watching it on demand regretting you didn’t see it in theaters.

The Woman King is playing in theaters now.