The story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen, and General Nanisca as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life.
There’s something so incredibly enjoyable about these alternate history epic films that I’ll always cherish. Sadly, though, it seems like those kinds of movies simply don’t get made anymore which is why I was especially eager to see what Gina Prince-Bythewood cooked up for her latest feature The Woman King.
Previously, she helmed the incredibly fun The Old Guard, which was one of the biggest lockdown surprises in 2020. Thankfully, though, The Woman King is even better. This is a slow-burning build of a movie that truly gets you invested in the characters before thrusting you into a third act that’s a chaotic bloodbath of epic proportions.
Screenwriter Dana Stevens understood that in order to feel any semblance of tension in the film’s action sequences, we must first get to learn more about the women that make up the Agojie. If the film were to have just presented them as completely untouchable, flawless warriors, the tension would be gone.
We need to feel as if these women – however badass they may be – can be killed in battle. They should have cracks in their armor. Stevens script makes sure to flesh out the key players in this story and delve deep into their weaknesses. What are their personal lives like?
There’s an incredible scene in the second act in which one of the Agojie is explaining to General Nanisca that she thinks she is falling in love with someone. She’s telling her this because she trusts Nanisca to comfort her. But Nanisca essentially tells her that there is no place in the world for love when times are as tough as they are.
Speaking of Nanisca – Viola Davis is absolutely fantastic in the role. When has Davis ever turned in a performance that’s been less than brilliant? Never. It’s getting to the point where, if you see Davis’ name attached to a film, you can almost guarantee that even if the movie sucks, her performance certainly won’t.
It was also quite nice to see Star Wars alum John Boyega get a complex and interesting role as King Ghezo, who doesn’t really get a whole lot of screen time but whenever he does, he’s always exciting. Boyega commands the screen every time he appears, and he completely disappears into the role.
There are some instances in which The Woman King could’ve benefited from better pacing and delving a little deeper into the enemy’s point of view, but it’s nevertheless a highly entertaining action epic that you should definitely watch if you have any sort of interest in these kinds of movies like I do.
The Woman King is an exceptionally entertaining alternate history action epic brought to life by a fantastic lead performance from Viola Davis.