WIDOWS is a heist film centered on the wives of a deceased group of criminals. One of the women is approached and threatened by old enemies of her husband’s gang, she is given the ultimatum to either come up with enough money to pay for her husband’s crimes or face severe consequences. With no options left, she decides to collaborate with the widows of her husband’s old gang in pulling off the final heist that was planned by their deceased spouses. Acclaimed filmmaker Steve McQueen directs a highly engaging cast and creates a truly powerful film. Viola Davis stars as Veronica Rawlins, and presents a powerful performance as the mastermind of this grieving group of widows. Two other widows accompany Veronica – these would be Linda (Michelle Rodriguez), Alice (Elizabeth Debicki), and a fourth woman named Belle (Cynthia Erivo) who eventually joins the crew.
A host of side characters fill out the cast as well. Liam Neeson plays Veronica’s husband Harry in flashbacks as well as the opening scenes, and while his on-screen time is brief it remains highly effective. Colin Farrell and Robert Duvall play Jack and Tom Mulligan, a father/son duo who are attempting to continue their political dynasty. Finally, Brian Tyree Henry and Daniel Kaluuya play Jamal and Jatemme Manning. Jamal is the criminal who threatens Veronica and is also running a political campaign against Jack Mulligan. Jatemme serves as Jamal’s brutal enforcer and is by far the most violent and intense character in the film. Daniel Kaluuya’s portrayal deserves special accolades in how effectively he plays this intense character.
Despite Veronica being very resolutely the lead character, sufficient screen-time is spent on each of her three comrades allowing these actresses to shine. The best moments by far however are when the crew are all together working on the heist. The chemistry between the four leads is palpable and by the time the heist is actually underway, I found myself genuinely hoping for a good outcome for each of these four women. The filmmakers play on this attachment by making the heist itself a thrilling operation filled with several moments of tension. The grief that these women undergo is portrayed in a very striking way that makes them dramatically compelling in addition to being a compelling ensemble of heisters. This grief humanizes them in an uncompromisingly emotional way that matches the brutality of the more violent scenes.
Despite the tension and emotional weight of things, the production does not take itself too seriously, at least not for the entirety of the runtime. There is plenty of humor thrown in throughout the film which is very welcome. Overall, there is next-to-nothing that could be complained about in WIDOWS, the political maneuvering of the Mulligans and Mannings can be a bit of drag when it interrupts the work of the heisters, but even this serves to fill out the world around the four main characters. The filmmakers have truly created a detailed and investing world and story, which earns this production a 5/5
