The Woman King
TriStar Pictures | Release Date: September 16, 2022 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
76
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 53 Critic Reviews
Positive:
48
Mixed:
5
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Little White LiesRogan GrahamOct 19, 2022
The Woman King is unafraid to sprawl out and dig in as it explore histories untold, while delicious action sequences of near-exclusively hand-to-hand combat unfurl in front of us. It is a celebration of a filmmaker and a cast at the peak of their powers. Read full review
100
ConsequenceCarys AndersonSep 12, 2022
Come for the bloodshed, stay for the sisterhood. Like Black Panther before it, The Woman King immerses us in African culture; only this time, it shifts the focus to real-life women and proves, without the corny factor, that we have always been warriors. Read full review
91
The PlaylistKathia WoodsSep 10, 2022
The Woman King is more than an action movie. It’s a film that depicts a side of African history that is rarely told and an opportunity for Black people to assert their humanity and regality. Read full review
91
ColliderChase HutchinsonSep 10, 2022
The Woman King is a film that has the confidence to be completely sincere in both the sharp moments of humor and the stunning battle sequences. The way it all grapples with history is subsequently clear-eyed, making some closing statements feel especially resonant. It is a film that ensures there is no denying Prince-Bythewood's dedication as a director and visual artist who can take on any cinematic challenge with ease. Read full review
90
Arizona RepublicAlexis PotterSep 14, 2022
I knew nothing about the real story of the Agojie before I saw "The Woman King." I thought it was a breathtaking, creative and powerful film. And despite knowing the history now, I still do. Read full review
89
Austin ChronicleSarah JaneSep 14, 2022
It looks beautiful, the costumes are gorgeous, the fight scenes are terrific, and there is a nice bit of gore. It may be a long haul to the eventual battle but don’t let that dissuade you from signing up. Read full review
88
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsSep 15, 2022
This is a film driven by what makes its characters and conflicts tick. It’s freely fictionalized, and some of it’s overpacked. But “The Woman King” feels human-made, not machine-learned. Read full review
88
The Seattle TimesKatie WalshSep 15, 2022
At the center, the true general, Prince-Bythewood, marshals every aspect of The Woman King in concert, conducting action, thrills and emotion beautifully. It is a remarkable, powerful film, and not to be missed. Read full review
88
Washington PostAnn HornadaySep 14, 2022
The Woman King may be a fable, but its power is real: Her name is Viola Davis, and she’s nothing less than magnificent. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comRobert DanielsSep 10, 2022
When The Woman King works, it’s majestic. Read full review
85
The AtlanticDavid SimsSep 28, 2022
The Woman King is a barn burner if you’re just looking for an invigorating night at the movies. But Prince-Bythewood’s real triumph is in grounding that sterling entertainment in a challenging dramatic text. Read full review
83
PolygonKatie RifeSep 13, 2022
This film has a fire in its belly. But more importantly, it also has a heart full of love: love of life, love of freedom, love of Black people and culture, and love for its ferocious, complicated, brave women. Read full review
80
NMEJames MottramNov 18, 2022
Swapping out historical accuracy for crowd-pleasing scenes of blood-curdling female empowerment, The Woman King is somewhat conventional as it plots its emotional beats, but it’s power comes from its rousing performances, especially Davis, who can knock a man dead with her stare, let alone her machete. Read full review
80
The Irish TimesDonald ClarkeOct 7, 2022
You will learn something of Agojie, the all-woman Dahomean army, from The Woman King, but this is largely popcorn-friendly fantasy pitched at maximum volume. Read full review
80
The IndependentClarisse LoughreyOct 6, 2022
This is kinetic, muscular, easy-to-cheer filmmaking applied to a story ready-made for the silver screen. Read full review
80
The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeOct 2, 2022
It’s about overcoming trauma; it confronts and interrogates the role of some African peoples – the Dahomey included – in the enslavement of others. It’s also a thunderously cinematic good time: see it on the biggest screen you can find. Read full review
80
The TelegraphTim RobeySep 29, 2022
Gina Prince-Bythewood’s epic drama springs off the success of Black Panther and roars into action: it’s every bit as propulsive, as detailed, as richly imagined. It’s fast, and it’s loose, and it totally works. Read full review
80
IGNTara Bennett Sep 16, 2022
The Woman King overcomes the perils of its overstuffed script with a collection of performances that elevate the whole. As expected, Viola Davis is the emotional center of the piece, masterfully fine-tuning her performance to go from fierce to vulnerable as needed. Read full review
80
Time OutAnna SmithSep 16, 2022
The Woman King is a story of sisterhood and racial identity that deserves to pack in the crowds. About time, indeed. Read full review
80
TimeStephanie ZacharekSep 16, 2022
This is an action spectacle with a beating heart. Read full review
80
ABC NewsPeter TraversSep 16, 2022
A fierce and feeling Viola Davis headlines this historical epic about women warriors in 1823 West Africa and reminds us how indelible and truly inspiring it is to see these brave sisters doing it for themselves. Read full review
80
The New York TimesManohla DargisSep 15, 2022
The kinetic action adventure The Woman King is a sweeping entertainment, but it’s also a story of unwavering resistance in front of and behind the camera. Read full review
80
Screen RantMae AbdulbakiSep 13, 2022
Minor hiccups aside, The Woman King is a blockbuster with a lot of heart and a clear story that is tightly written; it’s well worth the watch. Read full review
80
BBCCaryn JamesSep 10, 2022
The Woman King leans toward fantasy in its heroic moments, but is rooted in truth about war, brutality and freedom. It is a splashy popcorn movie with a social conscience. Read full review
80
SlashfilmChris EvangelistaSep 10, 2022
There are more than a few moments in The Woman King that will have you fist-pumping and grinning like a goofball, amazed at energy of it all. And all that action is often aided by raw, real emotion which is handled deftly. Read full review
78
Paste MagazineKevin Fox, Jr.Sep 16, 2022
The Woman King is confident of its indulgences—a few moments of melodrama, a natural but questionable romance subplot—because it earns them. It invests in its characters so that each new wrinkle feels meaningful. It may feel like an assemblage, but I could stand to sit longer in the beautiful space it cobbles together. Read full review
75
LarsenOnFilmJosh LarsenSep 22, 2022
Unfortunately the screenplay, by Dana Stevens, relies on crowd-pleasing story beats and injects a groan-worthy romantic subplot; the movie yearns a bit too much to be a hit. At least director Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball, Beyond the Lights, The Old Guard) brings a lively musicality to the sequences depicting Dahomey cultural rituals, as well as a clean ferocity to the many (and gruesome) battle sequences. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliSep 19, 2022
Many of the characters might have longer, more fully fleshed-out arcs. But what Prince-Bythewood provides is more than enough for a rousing motion picture filled with well-choreographed battle scenes effectively folded into stories of human interest. Read full review
75
ObserverDylan RothSep 19, 2022
Director Gina Prince-Bythewood delivers a solid and entertaining action-infused drama, digestible, unpretentious, and totally comfortable with itself. Read full review
75
Original-CinJim SlotekSep 15, 2022
Complications of history aside, The Woman King is Black Panther minus the vibranium and with more women warriors, an empowerment tale fueled by kickassery, with battle scenes, ear-splitting ululated war cries and sword fights. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeJoy AshfordSep 15, 2022
The Woman King lets its excellent cast weave between hubris, shakiness, and strength, achieving not just richer representation but more thrilling fight scenes, too. Read full review
75
The Associated PressLindsey BahrSep 15, 2022
The film is exactly what you need it to be: An exciting and emotionally true spectacle that required a heck of a fight to simply exist. Read full review
75
CNNBrian LowrySep 15, 2022
Somehow, the film manages to feel like a throwback to the action movies of old while featuring people who were seldom allowed to occupy prominent roles back then. If the finish is a bit too busy to be as rousing as intended, by then, The Woman King has made the most of its formidable arsenal. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperSep 14, 2022
Director Gina Prince-Bythewood’s stirring and sprawling period-piece epic “The Woman King” is groundbreaking in that it tells the story of the legendary, real-life, all-female West African warrior unit known as the Agojie, but also quite traditional in that it follows the blueprint of blockbuster action sagas such as “Braveheart,” “Gladiator” and “Rob Roy.” Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubJordan HoffmanSep 14, 2022
Prince-Bythewood, whose Beyond The Lights is one of the most overlooked movies of the last decade, has created a vision of historical Africa that has truly never been seen in a mainstream American movie. For that alone, she deserves a crown. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleCary DarlingSep 12, 2022
Sure, it’s overly simplistic and not altogether historically accurate but if anyone is looking for a well-made, action-fueled popcorn movie, “The Woman King” sure beats a Wikipedia page every day of the week. Read full review
75
TheWrapSep 12, 2022
The Woman King possesses broad appeal. It’s an oft-told tale, yes, but here imparted with a fresh angle and a meaningful moral. And it has something in store for those who prefer the action genre, too. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattSep 10, 2022
The fighting, when it comes — from competing tribes, and from white colonizers steadily advancing an international slave trade — is viscerally satisfying too, even as the screenplay, by Dana Stevens (Fatherhood) and actress Maria Bello, works mostly in the broad strokes of genre storytelling. Read full review
75
IndieWireKate ErblandSep 10, 2022
If this is what a Hollywood-ized and -sized blockbuster looks like in 2022, bring it on. Bring them all on. They’re worth the fight. Read full review
75
Movie NationRoger MooreSep 10, 2022
The Woman King reminds us that the real history we don’t know makes for a great story, and a grand action yarn. You want to learn where all the good parts and “realistic” elements of that comic book movie “Black Panther” and its sequel came from? Gaze upon “The Woman King,” and be thrilled. Read full review
75
New York PostJohnny OleksinskiSep 10, 2022
What a refreshing break from what usually constitutes an epic nowadays — mixing Ant-Man and the Hulk. Read full review
70
ScreenCrushMatt SingerSep 16, 2022
Like another of the year’s very entertaining action movies, RRR, it uses real events as a jumping-off point to tell an invented tale flecked with real history supported by fanciful storytelling. In other words, it’s a movie, not a documentary. And a fairly exciting one at that. Read full review
70
Rolling StoneDavid FearSep 16, 2022
An Afrocentric historical epic designed to be screened as big as possible, made by a Black female filmmaker, starring a Black woman of a certain age as an action hero, telling a story that’s left out of world-history books, vying for a mass audience in the age of I.P. imperialism — these are not just qualifiers for The Woman King. They are the sounds of ceilings being shattered and, hopefully, left to rot as piles of splintered glass on the ground. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangSep 15, 2022
The sense of sisterly solidarity that powers The Woman King is the movie’s raison d’être; it’s also part of Prince-Bythewood’s authorial signature. Read full review
70
VarietyPeter DebrugeSep 10, 2022
It’s stirring but slightly stodgy, designed to stand the test of time. Read full review
70
Screen DailyTim GriersonSep 10, 2022
The Woman King doesn’t always successfully juggle its myriad narrative ambitions, but director Gina Prince-Bythewood has crafted battle sequences that are exciting and moving at the same time. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterLovia GyarkyeSep 10, 2022
Energetic performances and technical precision come together to glorious effect in Prince-Bythewood’s rousing action film. It’s a lush, prime piece of entertainment in many respects. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineKenji FujishimaSep 15, 2022
The film is a historical action epic that, for all the novelty of its setting and subservience to contemporary attitudes, traffics in a lot of cliché narrative beats and ideologies. Read full review
60
The GuardianPeter BradshawOct 4, 2022
This is a big, bold picture with the vivid presences of Davis, Lynch, Atim and Mbedu giving it some real voltage. Read full review
60
New York Magazine (Vulture)Alison WillmoreSep 21, 2022
The Woman King is strongest when it immerses itself in the dynamics and the personalities of the Agojie. Read full review
60
The GuardianBenjamin LeeSep 10, 2022
The Woman King is a sturdy, rousing piece of studio entertainment, that makes both the new feel old and the old feel new. Read full review
40
Wall Street JournalKyle SmithSep 15, 2022
Sony Pictures is positioning “The Woman King” as not only a rousing action film but also an important one: At the screening I attended, a marketing slide read, “Join the conversation.” I’ll start: Is there any limit to Hollywood shamelessness? Read full review
40
Vanity FairRichard LawsonSep 10, 2022
An action-drama sourced from history (while riffing considerably on that history), The Woman King is a sturdy testament to how renewed a staid form can feel when it’s stretched to include different narratives. Read full review
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