African Queens: Njinga

Name: African Queens: Njinga
Genre: Documentary
Released: February 15, 2023
Rating: 69

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 5 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Overwhelming dislike based on 4 Ratings

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1.5	User Score Overwhelming dislike based on 4 Ratings

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African Queens: Njinga

Now Playing: African Queens: Njinga

Series Details & Credits

Netflix | Release Date: February 15, 2023

Summary: Queen Njinga of Angola is the focus of this documentary series executive produced by Jada Pinkett Smith.

Genre(s): Documentary

Recent Episodes

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S2:E4. Episode 4
Air Date: November 30, -0001
tbd
S2:E3. Episode 3
Air Date: November 30, -0001
tbd
S2:E2. Episode 2
Air Date: November 30, -0001

See all Seasons and Episodes

Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Angie Han

Feb 15, 2023

Season 1 Review: If it’s slightly frustrating that this project only seems to be scratching the surface of Njinga’s complexity as a real ruler or narrative potential as a fictionalized heroine, it’s only because it mounts such a compelling case for her appeal to begin with. Read full review

Melanie McFarland

Feb 15, 2023

Season 1 Review: Black experts from across the diaspora, including observations from a modern Woman King, Queen Diambi Kabatusuila of the Bakwa Luntu people, assist Oni in bringing Njinga to life. The details drawing her as a leader capable of expansive nobility and grave horror are enthralling, but the actor realizes her as a woman whose family is the source of her strength and a significant military weakness. Read full review

Richard Roeper

Feb 15, 2023

Season 1 Review: Narrated by executive producer Jada Pinkett Smith and benefiting greatly from the writing of Peres Owino and NneNne Iwuji, “African Queens: Njinga” at times feels a little bit like homework — but it’s a subject well worth our attention, and a lesson plan executed in well-paced, entertaining fashion. Read full review

Joel Keller

Feb 15, 2023

Season 1 Review: Despite the fact that the interview portions of African Queens: Njinga feel more like window dressing than anything else, the dramatic segments are well-written and acted, making those talking head segments less intrusive. Read full review

The Guardian Ellen E Jones

Feb 15, 2023

Season 1 Review: These dramatised sections are pretty workaday stuff, of the same indifferent quality you would expect from equivalent scenes in a daytime-scheduled, Channel 5 Tudors doc. ... In general it lacks context or deeper analysis beyond the straight recounting of Njinga’s biography. Read full review

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User Reviews

Mystichydra

Feb 28, 2023

It's a genuinely interesting, and oft unexplored, aspect of history. Despite a couple of the professional critics taking issue with the talking heads, I found the historians to be much more engaging than the dramatic reenactments. Which is the bulk of the problem with this series.

I imagineIt's a genuinely interesting, and oft unexplored, aspect of history. Despite a couple of the professional critics taking issue with the talking heads, I found the historians to be much more engaging than the dramatic reenactments. Which is the bulk of the problem with this series.

I imagine this wasn't the most funded project on Netflix, and it shows. It often looks cheap, and feels stock. Especially with any kind of action scene, which often has the same caliber as a daytime-tv episode of a CW production. Think one tier less than Hercules, quality-wise. It's bad, and anti-immersive. But all those things could have been mitigated in more capable hands. My biggest problem is - the script. Generic, lacking fluidity, overly dramatic in some scenes, and seemingly not enough in others. It's often laughable and borderline unwatchable. The acting frankly ebbs and flows in quality, and I think much of that incongruence is due to the script.

There were odd creative choices, too. Such as when playing dub music and implying 'alteration' (i.e being stoned on something) when introducing the Imbangala (hired mauraders for the Portuguese), and they happened to have dreadlocks. That's personally questionable for a couple reasons - the first is the obvious reductive stereotype. But the second is - generally speaking, playing modern music when trying to portray something historical almost never works. Some people are fans of say, Peaky Blinders, playing PJ Harvey and Nick Cave and whatnot. Most aren't.

Lastly, when compared to other Netflix historical miniseries, the overall quality difference is noticeable. The series that dealt with Rome, Japan, The Pirates, The Ottomans, etc - they all had moments of low-budget cheesiness, but their strengths mitigated their flaws. Sadly, I cannot say the same for African Queens.… Expand

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Seasons & Episodes

69

Series Overview
Season 2

tbd
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: February 15, 2023
- tbd
  S2:E4. Episode 4
  Air Date: November 30, -0001
- tbd
  S2:E3. Episode 3
  Air Date: November 30, -0001
- tbd
  S2:E2. Episode 2
  Air Date: November 30, -0001
- tbd
  S2:E1. Episode 1
  Air Date: November 30, -0001
Season 1

69
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: February 15, 2023