Films: The Woman King
Cast: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, John Boyega, Jordan Bolger, Shaina West, Hero Fiennes Tiffin
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Rating: 3.5/5
Runtime: 126 minutes

An epic historical in which Viola Davis plays the fictionalised leader of the real-life Agojie, an elite unit of all-female warrior protectors and defenders of the kingdom of Dahomey - this one has all the ingredients of a block-buster in addition to the integrity, soul and vividly etched performances that literally light up the screen with a rare incandescence.

Director Gina Prince-Bythewood represents that bygone world with realism and uncompromising heart. Maria Bello’s story and Dana Stevens’ script, set in 1823, introduces the Agojie a group of formidable highly skilled, ferocious woman warriors formally considered “wives” of King Ghezo (John Boyega). They are strictly celibate and no one dares gaze upon them as they march through the streets. A newcomer to their ranks, Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), sent to them as a punishment for her refusal to take a husband, helps us learn of the Agojie, and their ways.