Widows

(spoiler free)

Based on the 80s television series of the same name, new heist flick ‘Widows’ is certainly not short on star power. Boasting an ensemble cast including Viola Davis, Liam Neeson and Colin Farrell among many others, on paper this crime drama proves irresistible. Furthermore, behind the camera we’ve got acclaimed director Steve McQueen, who also pens the screenplay with Gillian Flynn, the mind behind ‘Gone Girl’. So surely the talent assembled here would amount to a cinematic marriage made in heaven, or would it leave audiences grieving over the death of its limitless potential?

The story follows a group of recently widowed women who must now fend for themselves after their criminal husbands leave them in a dangerous position due to a botched job. As was already mentioned ‘Widows’ has a very impressive cast attached to it and largely they do a great job. Standout performers include Daniel Kaluuya, who plays Jatemme Manning the brother of crime lord, Jamal Manning who’s running for local political office. Kaluuya is a menacing presence as Manning, who’s responsible for enforcing and intimidating whenever necessary. He’s miles away from his more likable roles in films such as ‘Get Out’ and ‘Sicario’ but just as convincing, showcasing a nice versatility in truly terrifying fashion. Manning’s political opponent Jack Mulligan is played by Colin Farrell who also demands attention amongst the crowded cast. He’s fantastic at portraying the charismatic campaign man and whilst it’s debatable whether or not you’ll warm to his character Farrell portrays him in a thoroughly entertaining way. Lead actress Viola Davis is predictably good too, conveying her character with the wonderful range of ability we’ve come to love and expect from her. However, it’s her characters adorable dog, Olivia who upstages her and the rest of the cast too, seriously lighting up the screen where the dull narrative fails to.

The positives about ‘Widows’ really do start and stop with the cast. The narrative has a lot of issues and really holds the film back from becoming anything remotely compelling. The story is an odd mixture of a crime thriller, a political drama and a heist caper, and whilst some moments within each of these elements do work the separate components just don’t react well together on screen. There is a relentless amount of set up in terms of both characters and storylines. It takes an age to get going after its explosive opening and once it does it’s too little too late as any investment audiences might have had is long gone. It’s this pacing that is the real killer for ‘Widows’, so much so that should be dramatic plot developments have next to no impact when they could have been narrative highlights. This story could maybe work well as a book, all the elements are there for a truly gripping page turner but something has been lost on its journey from the pages of its screenplay to its cinematic setting resulting in an often lifeless thriller which just can’t captivate audiences.

Don’t let the big named cast fool you into buying into this heist, as you the viewer are the real mark. Instead of delivering an exciting heist story embedded in a dark crime thriller what ‘Widows’ really offers is an under-cooked, tonally mismatched ensemble piece that’s never as good as its players. Albeit, the cast are very good – numerous performers on top of those mentioned do really good work here but the presentation of the story leaves a lot to the imagination. Audiences would find themselves in much safer hands with Sandra Bullock and co. from ‘Oceans 8’ earlier in the year otherwise you’ll have to mourn the missed opportunity that ‘Widows’ can’t ever quite capitalise on.

Written by Hamish Calvert

---

Rating – 4/10

Question: What is your favourite Steve McQueen film?
(Leave your answers in the comments section below!)

---

Thanks for reading this review and please let us know what you thought about the movie! Leave a comment below or drop us a tweet over at @HCMovieReviews.

---