Movie Review: “Widows”

“Widows”

Runtime: 129 mins

Release Date: November 16, 2018

Directed by: Steve McQueen

Starring: Viola Davis

Michelle Rodriguez

Elizabeth Debicki

Liam Neeson

“Widows” is a great film, but not as great as I was expecting. Director Steve McQueen (“12 Years a Slave”) has three films to his name, apart from the newly released “Widows,” and I consider each of those three films to be virtually flawless. Unfortunately, “Widows” has several serious flaws.

However, these negative aspects are far outweighed by the good aspects of the film. McQueen’s direction is characteristically masterful. There are a few extremely complex and breathtaking mirror shots—one at the beginning and one at the end of the film. These shots are not only beautiful but also serve as symbolic bookends for the main character. There is also an extremely impressive one-take shot at the start of the film with several car crashes and explosions.

Perhaps the greatest skill McQueen shows off in “Widows” is his ability to work with actors. Of course, it helps that this film’s cast is incredibly gifted. There is not a single bad or even mediocre performance from anyone here. The titular “Widows,” played by Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez and Elizabeth Debicki, all play their roles marvelously, especially Davis.

Daniel Kaluuya (star of last year’s breakout smash, “Get Out”) establishes his broad acting range here. He has already proven he knows how to play a likable hero, but here, he makes it clear he can also play the terrifying villain. Kaluuya manages to steal the show, even though he only appears in three or four scenes. Before he has even said more than 10 words, he establishes an unbearably intimidating presence. I make no exaggeration when I say I have not been more afraid of a character since Heath Ledger’s Joker in “The Dark Knight” or Javier Bardem’s Anton Chigurh in “No Country for Old Men.” Kaluuya is a superstar in the making, and I cannot wait to see more from him.

These two aspects—the direction and the acting—are able to make the film a wildly entertaining watch. Unfortunately, the story does not hold up well under scrutiny.

The film’s central twist is almost entirely responsible for this. It made me more confused and frustrated than satisfied and enthralled. It could have been entirely left out and the film would make more sense and be more re-watchable. The more I think about its implications on the film’s overall plot, the more nonsensical it becomes. I struggle to understand why McQueen and co-writer Gillian Flynn (“Gone Girl”) even included it in their finished screenplay.

The best reason I can come up with is to have some much-needed development and a payoff for Viola Davis’s character. However, if this is, in fact, an attempt at development, I think it weakens her character more than it strengthens it.

This touches on another substantial issue with “Widows”: its characters. Since “Widows” is a film adaptation of a British miniseries from the 1980s, it suffers from the problems of many other TV to film adaptations. There are simply too many characters and none of them are developed enough.

Connected to this, in a way, there really is no hero in this movie. Sure, our three lead actresses are pretty close to traditional heroes, but they are not focused on or fleshed out enough.

Despite this, I still enjoyed the film quite a bit. McQueen definitely has the right to make a more popcorn thriller kind of film after all of his previous ones had such heavy subject matter. I just wish he was as good at telling more entertaining stories like this as he is at directing stories like “12 Years a Slave” and “Hunger.” My biggest complaint is  “Widows” is not as perfect as McQueen’s previous films, but overall the film still produces an entertaining viewing.

Drew Eckhart is a sophomore history and pre-law major from Edmond, OK. He has loved movies for as long as he can remember but thinks his passion really began when he watched “The Dark Knight” for the first time in theaters. His favorite type of movie blends comedy and drama seamlessly, and he loves great action films. In Drew’s free time, he enjoys reading and playing video games, as well as watching TV and movies. His favorite TV show is “BoJack Horseman” and his favorite movie is “Whiplash.”

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