PLOT
Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), a recent recruit, squares off against General Nanisca (Viola Davis), the head of the Agojie, an elite group of female warriors who guard their monarch, Ghezo (John Boyega).
These deadly women regularly display their prowess in gory battle and training sequences that are equally violent and beautifully choreographed with excellent camerawork. Gina Prince-Bythewood is a fantastic director.
REVIEW
TThe action movie “The Woman King” takes place in the Dahomey kingdom of Western Africa in the 1820s. The story was inspired by the strong female warriors known as the Agojie who gave their lives to defend their territory. The Agojie are portrayed in the movie as such a revered and feared group that it is forbidden for the average person to even look at them.
The conflict surrounding slavery throughout the African kingdoms—many of which sold their prisoners of war in exchange for goods, including some of their citizens—underlies the conflict for control of diverse countries. Nanisca has a talk with King Ghezo, who is too focused on expanding his domain to think about the long-term repercussions of relying on the slave trade of his people. This feature provides “The Woman King” with sufficient substance to equally balance the spectacle.
In Nanisca’s intensely muscular and emotionally charged performance, Viola Davis demonstrates her broad range. She expertly balances Agojie’s maternal role and the ruthless general’s no-nonsense, tough-love style. Because of how captivating and compelling her performance is, it sticks out when Davis isn’t named among the nominees for the 84th Academy Awards.
As Nawi, Thuso Mbedu makes an outstanding discovery. Her strong sense of self sets her at odds with the domineering Nanisca. Izogie is made into a tremendous supporting but significant character by Lashana Lynch, who gives her a tonne of personality and adds humor and a sense of optimism amidst all the ominous foreboding. Lynch and Mbedu merit more acclaim than they have earned for their respective performances. John Boyega also exhibits his latent ability in king Ghezo, where he gives his best performance to date.
Rating – Four out of five stars.
Despite pacing issues and historical errors, “The Woman King” has great action and moving characters that are brought to life by a brilliant ensemble cast.
Gina Prince-Bythewood is the director of the film. Maria Bello, Julius Tennon, and Viola Davis are the producers. Along with Viola Davis, Nanisca, Thuso Mbedu, Nawi, Lashana Lynch, Izogie, and Sheila Atim, it also features Izogie. On February 3, 2023, it was made available. On February 16, 2023, The Woman King will be on Netflix.
