The Woman King (2022)

The Woman King feels like a long-lost epic brought roaring back to life: a historical action drama with the pulse of a crowd-pleaser and the soul of a character piece. Gina Prince-Bythewood stages the Agojie’s world with muscular clarity and sweeping scale, while the fight choreography lands with a bracing, physical immediacy that makes every clash feel earned rather than ornamental. At the center, Viola Davis is commanding in a way that’s both ferocious and deeply human, and Thuso Mbedu brings a bright, defiant energy that keeps the story intimate even as it goes big. It’s intense—bloody, emotionally heavy, and unflinching about brutality—so it may not be for viewers who want a lighter adventure, but if you’re on the fence, this is the kind of film that reminds you what a rousing, purpose-driven blockbuster can be.

The Woman King is clearly aiming to be a rousing, big-screen tribute to the Agojie—part historical drama, part crowd-pleasing action epic—and on sheer presence it often delivers, especially with Viola Davis and a committed ensemble. The catch is that the script leans into familiar underdog beats and clean emotional arcs, which can make the story feel a bit simplified and “Hollywood” rather than genuinely complex. If you’re sensitive to historical looseness or want a nuanced, rigorously accurate portrait of Dahomey and the slave trade, you may find yourself distracted or frustrated by the choices it makes. But if you’re mainly here for muscular fight choreography, strong performances, and an empowering war-movie vibe (with very intense violence), it’s a solid, well-made ride even when it’s not especially subtle.