The Woman King is based on the fascinating story of the Agojie, an all-female warrior unit in a West African kingdom in the 19th century. The film stands out from the rest of the period films as it talks about a largely unknown chapter of history. The characters and their strengths as well as the dilemmas make for an interesting watch. A few scenes are deftly handled, especially the Manmohan Desai-type twist in the mid-point. However, the film is slow and lacks nail-biting moments, except in the climax. The trailers promised a lot of action but it’s limited. Speaking of performances, Viola Davis owns the role and how. Thuso Mbedu (Nawi) is a great find and gets to play an important character. Lashana Lynch (Izogie) leaves a huge mark. Others like Sheila Atim (Amenza), John Boyega (King Ghezo), Jordan Bolger (Malik) and Jimmy Odukoya (General Oba Ade) are decent. The action is superb, though it’s a little gory in places. All in all, The Woman King is a fine one-time watch. The Oscar snub is unjustified.

My rating - *** out of 5!