Widows (2018) is a film that so very nearly flew completely under the radar for me. Up until about two weeks ago I had heard literally nothing about this film despite it being a new Steve McQueen film and so quite highly anticipated. With the cast that the film had also I couldn't believe that I hadn't even heard even a peep about it. No posters, no trailers, no radio or tv spots, nothing. But alas, as you may have guessed, the film was finally brought to my attention and as soon as I heard about it it became one of my most highly anticipated films coming out before the end of the year, although I am not particularly excited for much coming out before January, but it was a new Steve McQueen film and so that was enough to tickle my interest. And I am very happy that I did hear about this film before it came and went from cinemas because it is a very impressively made, acted and written film that takes you on an exhilarating ride for the entire runtime. The film follows the widows of three bank robbers who are killed by swat police in a heist gone wrong. One of these widows, Veronica (Viola Davis), is threatened by Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry), one of the candidates in the upcoming local elections and also the man who Veronica's husband, Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson), had stolen $2 million from in his fatal final heist. He gives Veronica two weeks to get the money back to him, which spurs her on to pull off her husband’s next planned heist, hiring the other two widows to help her pull it off.
The most noticeable thing about this film is how fantastic the cast is, and how well they all perform their roles. I have already mentioned Liam Neeson and Veronica Davis, with both putting in great performances (despite Neeson's limited appearance). Colin Farrell is predictably great as Jack Mulligan, a local politician who comes from a family who has held political power in the area for generations, including his father Tom Mulligan, played by Robert Duvall who is as captivating as his legendary status would suggest he would be. However, not even Robert Duvall could steal the show from Daniel Kaluuya who plays Jatemme Manning, the broth of Jamal Manning. He is effectively the main antagonist of the film, or at the very least the most threatening of the antagonists. He is one hell of a scary psychopathic character in this film. His character finds pleasure in dishing out pain and has no sense of empathy towards his victims but is also smarter than your average cold-blooded killer. He has easily the most memorable moment in the film also. The scene falls quite near to the beginning of the film and is the first real show of his psychopathic tendencies. It is a shocking and viscerally tense scene which grabs your attention, sucks you in and keeps you there until it finally blows up in your face (literally). It is a perfectly shot and performed scene and Kaluuya is superb in that moment and does not let up for the rest of the film. The one person who I would say is not particularly captivating in the film is Michelle Rodriguez as Linda, one of the windows. She does not put in a bad performance, but it is also just a performance that didn’t capture me, but I think it may be more to do with the fact that I am just not a massive fan of her acting to begin with.
The film is unsurprisingly extremely well made. Steve McQueen has proven himself to be a spectacularly talented director and his talent is very much on show in this film. The film is really nicely shot with some very creative sequences and set pieces. I have already mentioned the moment on the basketball court which his shot in a way which builds tension and keeps it high throughout, making it the most memorable moment of the film, but it is not the only memorably creative moment in the film. Another sequence that has properly stuck in my mind in one where Jack Mulligan is travelling back to his home after appearing at a local rally and discussing how he does not want to be in politics with his PA. The camera sits on the hood of the car and never shows the interior so all we see as an audience member is a screen half filled with a tinted dashboard, half filled with neighbourhood. As the scene drags the camera pans to the other side of the car so that the two halves of the screen switch places and the neighbourhood changes from desolate and broken down to beautiful and expensive looking houses. It is a huge contrast that is done in order to create not just a striking visual image, but also make a political statement about the divide in class in American society. The fact that the scene shows the entire two-minute journey from the slums to the high life shows just how close and how far away the lower classes and higher classes really are. The film is full of political statements, including a very clear and obvious statement about the police and minorities in America, a topic that has been at the forefront of American thinking for months now. The film manages to fit these ideological themes into a film that is also a really, really good action film. The final heist is an exhilarating and brilliantly shot moment of action that could rival that of many action scenes in films that pride themselves on their action scenes and is another show of McQueen's talent.
Widows is an extremely entertaining and very well-made film by one of the most talented directors working today. It is full of great performances and memorable characters, exhilarating action scenes and a political storyline that keeps your interest throughout and keeps you guessing as to where it is going to go. It is a film that manages to create a brilliant piece of film entertainment for the average movie goer, whilst it has enough technically brilliant shots and subtle ideological themes which will please film biffs and cinephiles who like to dissect a movie beyond the entertainment factor. It is probably McQueen’s most accessible film to date and I recommend seeing it in the cinema mainly due to the action scenes which have enough size and scope that the tv won't do them proper justice. McQueen keeps going from strength to strength and after seeing Widows I will be making sure to keep a much closer eye on his future releases.