The Woman King

"Her reign begins."

2022 2h 15m EN

🙌

7.6

BANGER

★7.6TMDB · 2,433

ActionDramaHistoryWar

Synopsis

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The story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen, and General Nanisca as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life.

“Her reign begins.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Viola Davis
Nanisca
Thuso Mbedu
Nawi
Lashana Lynch
Izogie
Sheila Atim
Amenza
John Boyega
King Ghezo
Jordan Bolger
Malik
Hero Fiennes Tiffin
Santo Ferreira
Jimmy Odukoya
Oba Ade

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Writers: Dana Stevens, Maria Bello, Dana Stevens
Languages: English, Portuguese
Countries: Canada, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Mid-budget at $50M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 4 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Portuguese.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Canada, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, shot by Polly Morgan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Terence Blanchard. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Terilyn A. Shropshire shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Viola Davis and Thuso Mbedu and Lashana Lynch carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Gina Prince-Bythewood directs. Polly Morgan behind the camera. Terence Blanchard scores. Terilyn A. Shropshire cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in Canada, United States of America. Dialogue in English, Portuguese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Mid-budget at $50M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
2Released 4 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Portuguese.
4International production across 2 countries: Canada, United States of America.
5Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, shot by Polly Morgan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Terence Blanchard. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Terilyn A. Shropshire shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Viola Davis and Thuso Mbedu and Lashana Lynch carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Her reign begins.".
10IMDB entry: tt8093700 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 14 themes, including "africa", "arranged marriage", "warrior woman", "based on true story".
12Released under 12 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Polly Morgan
Original score: Terence Blanchard
Editing: Terilyn A. Shropshire
Production design: Akin McKenzie
Costume design: Gersha Phillips
Makeup / hair: Babalwa Carol Mtshiselwa
VFX supervisor: Andrew Morley
Sound: Kevin O'Connell
Stunt coordinator: Grant Powell
Runtime: 135 min · 2h 15m
Status: Released
Budget: $50,000,000
Box office: $97,562,514
Return: 195% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: The Woman King (2022)

Also by

Gina Prince-Bythewood

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Nathan2022-10-14
★ 7/10
The Woman King is a touching film that balances the dramatic tone with high octane action delivering a compelling experience. With a powerhouse cast, there is plenty of fantastic performances throughout the entire film. Lashana Lynch was brilliant in this film, she presents herself with a hard exterior but is able to touch into her more emotional and caring self her relationship with Thuso Mbedu's character. Their chemistry was great and one of my favorite parts about the film. The action in this film was really well done. The choreography was great, and the scope was vast. I loved how multiple shot led into each other. Although, part of me wish this had been rated R so that the fight scenes could have the blood and gore that this movie was wanting to deliver so desperately. I really feel like they had to cut even greater combat moves due to keeping the PG-13 rating. But even with that limited scope, that action delivers. There are some pacing issues, with the middle section of the movie dragging on a little too much for my tastes. The ending ramps everything back up again and delivers a great resolution that concludes the film wonderfully. Score: 74% | Verdict: Good
CinemaSerf2022-10-20
★ 7/10
Viola Davis offers us a compelling and emotional performance as the general of the highly trained and deadly, all-woman, bodyguard of the King of Dahomey (John Boyega). Increasingly embroiled in the ambitions of the European slavers and, to a certain extent, complicit in that trade themselves, the Agojie must face encroaching and modernly armed soldiers of the Oyo empire. On a personal level, this great warrior clearly has demons of her own and as she is introduced to the headstrong and courageous "Nawi" (Thuso Mbedu) she sees more of herself than she anticipated. When serendipity now plays it's hand the hitherto unshakable mettle of "Nanisca" faces an whole new series of perilous and personal challenges. The cinematography is beautiful, as is the whole look of the film in general. The political and social elements of the narrative are there to be seen but any comments made about them are levelled gently and at both sides who indulge, permit, and/or profit by the activities that made many very wealthy. The action scenes, the ensemble dancing, the singing - all are excellently presented in a colourful and plausible fashion; illustrating the sophistication of this legendary African nation and the shameless brutality of those who would be the exploiters. Lashana Lynch contributes well too, as the personable and feisty "Izogie" as do Sheila Atim ("Amenza") and Sivuyile Ngesi as the nemesis general "Migan". Annoyingly, I could not quite place the "Santo" actor until I realised it was none-other than the star of the truly mediocre "After" films - Hero Fiennes Tiffin - and he adds very little. It really benefits from the big screen experience, if you can - and is well worth a watch.
The Movie Mob2022-11-05
★ 8/10
The Woman King is a powerful action epic with fantastic fight choreography, dynamic, strong performances, and a compelling story rooted in history. Viola Davis crushes brutal action heroine! The entire cast was powerful, vicious, strong, and exciting. The action explodes right out the gate and feels so raw, with the jujitsu, Kali, and Chinese Wushu all blending with the machete and spear fighting to feel like the sword version of John Wick's gun-fu. Viola Davis' steely strong portrayal of Nanisca delivers a mighty yet caring warrior general, creating the genuine and dynamic atmosphere of the film. The entire cast gave stellar performances, but the stand out was Lashana Lynch as Izogie. Lynch was as over-powering, unstoppable, and skilled as any warrior in the film while also serving as the heart, humor, and strength of her Agojie sisters. The film was a fantastic adventure epic but lagged a little in the middle as it focused solely on character development and exposition. Yes, I know I'm complaining about character development, but it was just solid discussion and characters without much to keep me engaged for that hour-long middle section. But that is nitpicking. The movie is fantastic! Watch it!