“Widows” is an amazing ensemble film that had just the right amount of twists and turns that you need in a thriller like this. What truly made the film was Viola Davis and her amazing performance, just like everyone expected her to do.
The actors were cast perfectly, from Viola Davis as the lead performance to newcomer Cynthia Erivo, who has been blowing up the movie screen since her performance in “Bad Times at the El Royale,” to Daniel Kaluuya from “Get Out.”
Seeing Kaluuya play in a role where I actually wanted him to get killed is refreshing because he gave such a true performance as a villain preying on an innocent woman. Even though I call her innocent, the character Veronica Rawlings definitely plays the hard-hitting “do what I need to do” woman; it made the movie for me honestly. Overall, all the leading ladies and other actors did wonderful at portraying their characters.
For those who may not know what the film is about, it stars three women whose husbands were killed while trying to pull off a heist; unknowingly, they actually put their wives in danger. The wives find out their beloved husbands were stealing from the mayor and running $2 million to Bryan Tyree Henry, a perfect middle-man villain from Atlanta.
The film has the right amount of danger and twists. Although “Widows” may lack some action, the film makes up for it in its authenticity from how the whole plan rolls out to how the antagonist eventually gets beaten. It’s truly a roller coaster ride from start to finish with all of the actors delivering performances worth being talked about. The film also brought in real-life issues, such as police shootings and forms of discrimination, to the forefront.
Even though I felt like the film needed more action, I still felt extra excitement when the action that did happen happened. Another part of the film I truly enjoyed was watching how the wives’ backgrounds with their husbands were explained throughout the course of the film, as well as showcasing how some women really do fall on hard times when they lose their husbands.
Because this film is a remake, it already had some standards to live up to, which I feel like it did to a certain extent. The noteworthy performance award would have to go to the earlier mentioned Cynthia Enrivo, as she has already proved to be an actress to look out for. “Widows” also stars the wonderful Liam Neeson, who plays a doozy of a role in this film, Michelle Rodriguez and Elizabeth Debicki, who both deliver great performances in their roles, and the other widows’ performances in the film are noteworthy, too.
This movie truly is in my top five of crime films. Hopefully, you all watch and witness these masterpiece performances. As Viola Davis’ character says in the film, see if these women can “PULL THIS THING OFF!”
Echo Grade: B-
