The Woman King

The Woman King

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.

  • Released:
  • Runtime: 120 minutes
  • Genre: Action, Drama, History
  • Stars: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, John Boyega, Jayme Lawson, Sheila Atim, Adrienne Warren, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Angélique Kidjo, Jordan Bolger, Masali Baduza, Jimmy Odukoya, Thando Dlomo, Tuks Tad Lungu, Makgotso M, Chioma Antoinette Umeala, Shaina West
  • Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
 Comments
  • crickwill - 30 March 2024
    Gone with the..Oyo
    This is a movie that's desperate to be liked. Amidst all the swashbuckling, dagger thrusts, pelvic thrusts, housewives of Dahomey and emotional manipulation of the large scale Hollywood epic, there's a heart beating softly, hoping to be discovered. The performances are spot on, they carry the weight of a movie that otherwise would have been heavy baggage. We should also applaude the fact that this film is about women and loves women, possibly the most integral reason to respect The Woman King. Its all well worth it and I like it. (More Characters More Characters More Characters More Characters)
  • vladimirradovic96 - 29 September 2023
    Enjoyable though a bit shallow
    It is not often that you see a movie like this one but where the rase and sex of the main actors does not feel forced and all in your face. The experience felt pretty natural and all the characters and their stories feel from this world. The storyline is very easy to follow, although slightly predictable. The acting is pretty good and the important bits were sold well, making for an all round nice experience. Action was decently choreographed and there's a fair bit of it throughout the movie, never really leaving you bored. It could have gotten a higher rating, at least from me, if it had a deeper and/or less predictable plot. I'd say that's my biggest critic.
  • AliensReservoir - 14 August 2023
    Suprizingly good
    It's a story of a young woman which become a warrior by hard training and there is a sub-plot to discover watching this nice movie.

    People speaking about slave trade and bla bla bla about this movie did not watch that movie, that's not possible, the slave trade is just the background of the story!!

    Yes just the background of the story, NOT the story itself, thus those people have a serious political problem.

    The movie itself is well written and the acting is more than good IMHO it's EXCELLENT from all actors.

    I did not expect anything from that movie, first the title, "The woman king" title which is strange for me as a woman king is ... a queen... I mean what a strange title, but in the near end of the movie you understand why it's called the woman king.

    Over all a very nice, quick to get in movie! I really did like it a lot. Many actions, many times to get deep in the characters and even this usually boring part was not boring at all, it enrich the movie, as it was really interesting to follow the characters.

    Yes I did love everything from that movie.
  • nwakaderek - 2 January 2023
    Great Job
    Great movie, great actors, great delivery. A must watch.

    I have no words to describe how this film is good. Viola Devis (Nanisca) always entertaining us .

    The film has a coherent story, but I don't like Malik (Jordan Bolger) because of his performance and character, still the film is very good. It's one of the best films I've ever seen. Lashana Lynch (Izogie) is also very good.

    The story, the cast and their acting, costumes, music, action...outstanding. Honestly It's been a while since I liked a movie this much. Even the predictability of it doesn't ruin the movie because of the great acting and the astonishing brutality and charisma.

    Great movie, great actors, great delivery. A must watch indeed.
  • lmpaterson - 27 December 2022
    Fantastic, loved it!
    I can't understand why this film is not higher rated, at a minimum I expected it to be an eight. I haven't watched a film in ages that I have thoroughly enjoyed. It was action-packed, entertaining, and brutal at times, bringing me tears and happiness along the way. The acting was brilliant and very believable.

    The storyline was not boring in any part of the film, quite the opposite. Often when I watch films, I look at the clock and feel two hours seems an age away from the end. Not this film, the time flew by, it didn't feel like it was over two hours long.

    Please produce more films like this one. Thank you.
  • gabrielle_gagnier - 17 December 2022
    Wow
    Everything was done perfectly. It kept my attention the whole time. I don't understand the lower reviews and I don't care because it doesn't matter because this film was awesome.

    The feeling of owning it, and holding the responsibility not just for oneself, but for the whole tribe, and not just for the whole tribe, but for the country of Africa, what can be greater, there is no better message. Women as well I get it because I'm a vet and definitely I got all of it.

    I imagine it is hard for people who don't know what the kind of strength this takes many men don't have a strength.

    I was really happy that it wasn't just all fighting because that's what I kind of expected it was much more.
  • jairo-ruben-hernandez98 - 7 December 2022
    Switching morals and a depiction of the slave king
    As a history buff I had my doubts prior to this movie. Would a hollywood movie depict the African slave trade realisticaly? The trailers did not paint a pretty picture.

    To my confusion the opening of this movie started of strong. We see the Agoje fight other Africans and talk about selling the captured. This is the first time, to my recollection, we see the participation of African tribes in the trade.

    It was apparent that the main protagonists would turn against the slave trade. But the turn came quick and suddenly. I would have loved to see the transition depicted more gradually.

    This transition came out of nowhere and is a drastically wrong depiction of the reality. The Agoje and King Ghezo whom they served where so much in favor of slave trade that the British had to blockade their ports to stop them from trading slaves. They where warmongers who attacked and enslaved most of the tribes surrounding them. And these are the people who are supposed to suddenly change their minds?

    (Just to give a taste of King Ghezo's opinnion about slave trade:

    «The slave trade is the ruling principle of my people. It is the source and the glory of their wealth...the mother lulls the child to sleep with notes of triumph over an enemy reduced to slavery»)

    I am very happy that African history is being told, and I hope that the success of this movie helps launch more movies about African history. But please don't shy away from the dark stuff. Africans participated in African slave trade, show WHY and HOW some Africans profited and more others suffered.

    The movie is fine. The actors did a good job and the story is, however opposed to history, fairly straight forward. The switching morals put me off however. In the future write a change of mind into the story, don't just do it out of thin air.

    (Please hire Portuguese to play the Portuguese. The accents where laughable!)
  • blakegray-23209 - 29 November 2022
    Absolutely shocking
    If you love action scenes this is not for you. 1 woman can take on a whole tribe of men, her friends will most likely stand back and watch her slay the masses, by slay the masses I mean conveniently have 1 guy attack at a time and the guy will even stop his hand mid thrust so the woman king can block it and attack him while he stands there like a statue, once he is dead the next guy runs in and does the same thing. I thought the battle for winterfell was bad but these guys have 1 upped them for sure. I have seen better action scenes in porn. Historically the tribe of was so fearsome and smart, it is a real shame they made the woman look incredibly weak and stupid in this movie.
  • eslizogato - 22 November 2022
    Went in thinking I'd hate it. Turns out I loved it.
    Due to me being a history buff, and the obvious licenses this movie took with the actual historical events, I'd thought I'd hate it.

    Turned out I loved the performances, and I found the story gripping and well crafted. Even if Viola Davis carries the best part of the dramatic responsibility, there's not a single actress that doesn't pulls her weight.

    The dynamics between the characters are interesting and even if sometimes it falls into cliché territory, it keeps the dramatic pace and add subplots that provide breaks in a story that could have fallen flat otherwise.

    A story about women, by women, that keeps all the good practices in good cinema.