The Woman King is an epic historical movie about a group of all-female warriors who protected the African kingdom of Dahomey with skills and ferocity unparalleled in history.
Officially released on September 16th, 2022 (later in most African countries), the movie starred familiar names like Viola Davis, John Boyega, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, and Jayme Lawson.
The internet buzzed, and everyone talked about the rich cultural and historical factors of the story.
We watched it! Because wherever you can find African female representation, you’ll see us carrying a flag.
There are several things to love about TWK that we can barely sit still, but we managed to select five for this article.
The Representation
One thing we have constantly hammered on is representation. Female representation. African representation. Black representation. Representation through and through.
And The Woman King gave us that! We loved seeing the display of African culture, black actors, and female strength!
The Agojie
Speaking of female strength, The Agojie embodied it through and through. The camaraderie, the fierceness, the beauty, and the love.
General Nanisca showed us what an unbreakable yet compassionate leader looked like, and the other warriors made our eyes water with love.
The sense of sisterhood and mix of different personalities that were the Agojie reminded us of our friend groups. Talk about squad goals!
The Cast and its Talent
The cast! Oh, the cast! It consisted of several women we love and adore, like Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, and Jayme Lawson and their performances was spectacular! We felt represented. John Boyega came through with his thick west African accent that we all appreciated.
It was pure talent shining through, and we could feel all the emotions through the screen.
The Scenery
When the mainstream media tries to paint a picture of Africa to their audience, it’s usually of huts, lions, and hungry children. And we’ve almost always disagreed because Africa is much more than that picture.
The Woman King visuals stunned us. It took the usual hut imagery and gave us something that made us hold our breath in the appreciative pleasure of how beautiful these historical structures are.
The reddish-brown sands and lush greenery made our hearts sing like no other.
The Compassion
The 1800s were dark times for West Africa. With the slave trade at its highest, it was a time of betrayal when African empires sold their African captives to white slavers in return for weapons and protection from attack.
However, even during all these, the movie illustrated moments when some characters worked towards ending the pain. It showed us that compassion for each other could heal much, even during the darkest days.
Watch The Woman King now!
The Woman King is in cinemas now, and if you want to go on a historical, daring, and heart-pounding adventure through epic Africa, you should see it.
If you have seen it, tell us which character resonated most with you on our social media. We want to hear from you!
