The Woman King (2022)

Verdict

A rousing, muscular historical action drama with standout performances, especially from Viola Davis and Lashana Lynch. It takes some liberties with history, but its emotional momentum, battle choreography, and old-school epic scale make it an easy recommendation for viewers who want prestige filmmaking that still delivers big-screen thrills.

Best for

• fans of historical epics
• viewers who like warrior stories and military training arcs
• audiences who want action with strong female leads
• people drawn to performance-driven prestige dramas
• fans of battle choreography and rousing crowd-pleasers

Skip if

• you need strict historical accuracy
• you dislike Hollywood-style simplification of complex history
• you want a slow, contemplative period piece
• you are turned off by PG-13 action intensity

Overview

The Woman King plays like a throwback in the best sense: a big, emotionally direct historical adventure built around a commanding central performance. Gina Prince-Bythewood stages the action with clarity and force, and the film knows how to make every training sequence, stare-down, and battlefield charge feel consequential. Viola Davis gives the story its gravity, while the ensemble brings warmth and urgency to the Agojie’s world.

Worth noting

What makes it work is the balance between spectacle and character. The movie is at its strongest when it leans into the discipline, camaraderie, and generational tension inside the warrior unit, then explodes into tightly controlled violence. It can feel a little streamlined in the middle, and the historical framing has drawn justified debate, but as cinema it has real propulsion and confidence.

Bottom line

If you want a prestige action film that still wants you to cheer, this delivers. It is polished, accessible, and emotionally legible without feeling flimsy, which is a rarer combination than it should be. The result is a crowd-pleasing epic with enough craft and star power to justify the hype.

Top Letterboxd reviews

Spiff11 (0.5★) · 4549 likes

So like, nobody did any sort of research before picking a topic to make a #girlboss movie? Here's some snippets from the most laziest form of research imaginable: "The growth of Dahomey coincided with the growth of the Atlantic slave trade, and it became known to Europeans as a major supplier of slaves. As a highly militaristic kingdom constantly organised for warfare, it captured children, women, and men during wars and raids against neighboring societies, and sold them into the… more

jourdain searles (4★) · 2345 likes

lashana lynch, marry me

Bryan Espitia (4★) · 2056 likes

You know this rules hard when Viola Davis stops a bullet with her giant sword

David Sims (4★) · 1417 likes

just an absolute fastball down the middle

Joe A (4★) · 1163 likes

Make no mistake, The Woman King is a movie filled with gripping scenes delivered by powerhouse performances from its entire cast, Lashana Lynch being my personal favorite. But also, the movie kicks so much ass. Studios take note, this how you do action in a PG-13 movie. Stunning choreography mixed with high octane energy- every battle scene is equal parts suspenseful, brutal, and breathtaking. The movie may meander a bit in the middle, but it starts and ends with an absolute bang.

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Topics

historical epic, war drama, action, female-led, period piece, battle choreography, prestige cinema, colonial era, crowd-pleaser, military training