The Woman King

I have been interested in watching this movie since I first saw the preview. The way it was presented instantly caught my attention. A group of powerful, African women who beat the crap out of invaders and slave traders? What’s not to love? I finally watched it tonight with my wife and it did not disappoint.

This movie has so much going on in so many different fronts. It covers a wide array of topics from loyalty, slavery, parenting, and the abusive cultural norms in some cultures. The film challenges the notion that women are supposed to be servants to their husbands, and instead shows that the most feared and powerful warriors in this empire are in fact women.

In one scene, an old man is “proposing” to a young lady, and he says, “You will work in my fields.” She looks shocked at how old he is, and he slaps her. “You will obey in my house!” She then shoves and knocks the old guy on his butt. It’s actually pretty satisfying and hilarious. “I will not marry an old man who beats me!”

This is a fairly new movie so I will not go into any real spoilers, but I will tell you that you really need to watch this film, Viola Davis was phenomenal, as was the rest of the cast. Really great job. This is a super powerful film, and I am sure that it will go down as one of the greats.