Review of Widows (2018) by Kj P — 30 Nov 2018

A great heist film always gets me excited, as the intricacies that can be put into those stories can make for a fantastic film. From movies like Heat to newer movies like The Town, this genre has always had me yearning for the next great one. While I don't believe Widows quite fits into the conversation with the two aforementioned films, I believe the audience will absolutely get their fill with this one. Director Steve McQueen has directed critically acclaimed films like Shame and even directed a film to win best picture in 12 Years a Slave, and although I don't personally believe you'll be seeing very much of this film around the coming awards circuit, here's why I believe it's worthy of seeing in theaters.

A heist has gone wrong. Four women have been left without husbands and to protect their own lives and families, they decide to complete the unfinished job that had been set in motion by their late partners. With the addition of a politician (which I won't get into detail on), it adds a few needed layers for the overall story. This film's premise has the potential to be incredibly emotionally resonant, but I feel as those the first act of this film shoots down any real emotional impact that the ending of the film could've had.

The heist that kicks off the film feels incredibly rushed and I understand that the point of the movie is to focus on the four widows themselves, but the fact that the deaths of their husbands is brushed over left no room for emotion in my opinion. The husbands should have been more fleshed out so that audiences can get attached to every character before their demise. This was the films biggest downfall in my opinion, but it left a pretty big hole in my overall experience of this movie. I wish I had cared more about who lived and who died.

The biggest thing Widows has working in its favour is the fact that Steve McQueen is a very talented filmmaker and the trio of writing talents with McQueen, Gillian Flynn, and Lynda La Plante was fantastic. This movie is full of surprises and I feel as though many viewers will have their jaw on the floor on a couple different occasions, but as I said, the emotional impact of everything is slightly lost, due to how brief the opening of the film is. Sadly, this is a rare case where I feel that most of this movie could be looked at as the best film of 2018, but the first act really taints those praises for me.

On top of the well-written screenplay and overall great direction, this cast is stacked from head to toe. From Viola Davis giving an always devoted performance to Michelle Rodriguez giving her all, to relative newcomers in Cynthia Erivo and Elizabeth Debicki, to even Colin Ferrel and Robert Duvall who always do their thing on-screen, I was blown away by this cast. I would mention the performances of the husbands, but as I said, they're very brief. If it wasn't for these three elements, I don't believe I would've enjoyed this premise as much as I did.

In the end, this is a very, very solid film that had the potential to be a great one. Not enough development is given to anyone to truly care about who makes it out of these situations. Steve McQueen is a director whom I will follow until his very last film entry because he's just that talented and Widows isn't a slight to that statement whatsoever. Although surprising and well-structured, this movie does feel like it's missing something and I feel an additional 20 minutes in the first act may have had me loving the film as a whole. Overall, Widows is a very good time at the movies and I recommend checking it out.