150 Word Review: ‘The Woman King’ (2022)
It puts the Viola in violence
It is 1823, and the African kingdom of Dahomey is protected by an army of highly-trained female warriors called the Agojie. We first meet them as they silently emerge from the shadows to rescue kidnapped Dahomean women from African rivals. These elite soldiers easily slaughter these slavers. The action in this movie is brutal, but the blood spurts are minimal.
The star here is legendary Viola Davis as General Nanisca. She is noble, fierce, and intimidating. Davis is a phenomenal wreaker of havoc.
Lashana Lynch is a swaggering badass as Izogie, and John Boyega is King Ghezo, the wise ruler of Dahomey and a man who enjoys sitting. Thuso Mbedu burns hot as a spirited young woman given no choice but to join the Agojie. The Woman King was directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, who took a historical story and skillfully spun it into a smart, kinetic, gorgeously shot war epic.