You know the saying “All work and no play…” well our editorial team decided that we can do both and had an Audaz Movie Night! Honestly, it was just an excuse to go see the highly anticipated film, The Woman King, starring and produced by ICON Viola Davis. We’re excited to give you a sneak peek into the film and let you know why you need to run to the theater to see it! 

Set in the early 1800s, The Woman King tells the story of the Agojie, a group of powerful, Black women warriors who protect the Dahomey Kingdom from many forces seeking to destroy it. Facing the challenges of the growing slave trade, King Ghezo, played by John Boyega, charges and empowers his fiercest warrior General Nanisca, played by the incomparable Viola Davis, with protecting his people. The fast-paced film throws you into impressive action sequences immediately, but also manages to weave in significant character development with surprising plot twists along the way. The movie also doesn’t shy away from addressing the complicated nuances of the slave trade, including the role that various West African tribes played in selling and trading their fellow Africans to the Europeans.  

Produced by JuVee Productions, the production company owned by Viola Davis and her husband Julius Tennon, the movie had a strong opening weekend totaling $19 million and following its second weekend at the box office is set to hit the $38 million mark. In her press tour leading up to the film’s debut, Davis was very vocal about the difficulty she faced trying to get the film made.

“We fought for it for seven years…A black actress, especially a dark-skinned Black actress, is not going to have the same resume as a white actor,” she said in a recent interview. “You have to fight for them…you have to fight for the director…you have to fight for the budget, you have to fight for everything, even hair and make up.”

When asked about the importance of telling these kinds of Black empowerment stories, the movie’s Director Gina Prince-Bythewood said, “So many of us are taught, certainly in America, that our history begins with enslavement, but there was so much more going on before that…we truly do come from warriors and kingdoms and kings.”

This movie was a masterpiece in retelling a story that not many have heard. We marveled (no pun intended) at the Dora Milaje from the Black Panther comics and movie, but The Woman King brought in the reality of who these women warriors were and the sacrifice it took to defend their kingdom from European enslavement. Also can we talk about REPRESENTATION! In this movie, you see every shade of brown, and every shape of woman portrayed as a strong powerful warrior. 

Were creative liberties taken in the movie? Yes! Was it the most historically accurate? Perhaps not. But what it definitely did do is connect mainstream cinema to the history of a people long gone and already forgotten in the history books. And for us, this movie deserves all its flowers and accolades (and Oscars, yes we are calling it!) for highlighting Black women so fiercely and unabashedly. 

As Davis herself says, “this is a predominantly Black female-led movie, there is no White savior in it. If you do not plop your money down to see the movie then it is going to be really hard for the next Black artist to come into that room and get a movie greenlit.” 

We couldn’t agree more! So do yourself a favor, get your tickets and bring your friends and family too! Trust us, you will be thoroughly entertained and will also get the double benefit of supporting an exceptional movie as well as sending the message that our stories do matter and need to continue being told.  

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