TIFF 2022 Review ‘The Woman King’

The Woman King is the powerful and fiercely entertaining piece of cinema and Viola Davis is spectacular. 

The Woman King embodies the essence of female empowerment, delivering extraordinary performances and authentic portrayals of Black womanhood. Led by the powerhouse talents of Viola Davis, Lashana Lynch, John Boyega, and newcomer Thuso Mbedu, this film offers a captivating and awe-inspiring depiction of the courageous female warriors from the African Kingdom of Dahomey, also known as the Agojie. Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), The Woman King has garnered immense praise from its audience, solidifying its reputation as a truly exceptional cinematic experience.

The Woman King revolves around the Agojie warriors, led by Nanisca (Viola Davis) who find themselves embroiled in a conflict with the Oyo Empire. The Oyo Empire has demanded higher tribute prices in exchange for protection from slave traders frequenting the ports. However, Nanisca doesn’t believe this is benefiting their tribe and would rather use palm oil to get out of the blood trade, this causes tension between the tribes. The warriors must be prepared for anything and in preparation for the battle, the Agojie is training a new set of recruits, where they end up recruiting Nawi ( Thuso Mbedu) who ends up being incredibly skilled and fierce with a fiesty attitude which makes her butt heads with Nanisca quite often. Nanisca sees a reflection of her younger self in Nawi, but tries to discipline her and redirect her focus towards the upcoming battle rather than personal feelings.

While the overall storyline of The Woman King isn’t something we haven’t seen before, what sets this film apart and makes it significant is the potrayal of a female centric version of “Black Panther“.  The fight scenes in the movie are so impactful that they leave you inspired to sign up for a boxing class the following day. The women in the film demonstrate unequivocally that they are formidable and should never be underestimated, showcasing strength on par with their male counterparts.

The best part about the film is the incredible performances from the cast. Viola Davis is truly a powerhouse and can always deliver so much raw emotion to the character. Each character is so well rounded and you learn enough about each of them, where it’s you feel empathy towards all of them. The one who really took my breath away is Thuso Mbedu. She did a fantastic job bringing Nawi to life and really embodying what the Dahomey fights for. We also see Nawi developing a beautiful friendship with warrior Izogie (Lashana Lynch) and we see the soft side of the sisterhood, and it really creates a warm feeling and makes the story well worth watching.

The Woman King was such a joy to watch from the score, costume, sound, cinematography and award-winning performances, this is a film that needs to be seen by the world. Inspiring and powerful.

Watch the trailer for The Woman King below

Sony Pictures releases The Woman King in theatres September 18, 2022