Girl power is back in a big way, not that it ever left the big screens. So, we begin today’s pulse-pounding expose with The Woman King. This flick stars the inimitable Viola Davis jacked up like the Incredible Hulk in an epic African war film. Before you start yawning and rolling your eyes, consider this: The Woman King blows away the competition with brute force, exquisite cinematography, and a competent cast of characters. It’s like Troy on steroids. These female warriors are real heroes, and they mean business.
Of course, the depiction of women on screen is heavily scrutinized these days. It’s not just movies, but any type of artistic media, including games. There is no set of rules for depicting the power of a woman, and the perception is always subjective. We could point to casino slots like the Cat Queen, which uses Cleopatra-like imagery to create its main figurehead as a heroine just as easily as we could point to Marvel’s Black Widow or Commander Shepherd in Mass Effect. All different, and all-powerful in their own way. But on-screen, we see big changes, and that’s apparent in some new big-screen outings.
The Woman Soldier tells the story of a nonconformist African teenager taken to the King’s lair because she refuses to marry the man her adopted father chose for her. What follows is a spectacular Hollywood blockbuster with incredible performances from all cast members. The likes of John Boyega, Lashana Lynch, Thuso Mbedu, and Sheila Atim star in this extraordinary saga. It tells the tale of the Agojie – an elite group of female soldiers who serve the Kingdom of Dahomey. The year is 1823. Muskets and cannons abound, but this battle is mainly between rival African tribes to prevent the sale of their brethren to European slave traders.
Without giving too much away, it is 100% adrenaline-loaded action from inception to the closing credits. Granted, the film has some predictability, but it’s well worth its run time. This historical action drama is a little slow out of the starting blocks, but it packs a wallop and is well worth viewing. Distributed by TriStar pictures, this 2-hour, 15-minute film is an instant hit.
These Women Are Pretty Darn Scary
Enter the realm of Barbarian. If there’s one thing we know about Justin Long besides the fact that he was with Drew Barrymore, it’s this: he stars in some pretty weird movies. Justin Long is typically known for his comedy and horror movies – quite the combination. He starred in Jeepers Creepers, and he didn’t last too long.
He was also a hit sensation in the movie Accepted, and he creeped us out in Tusk. But this isn’t about Justin Long – the woman in Barbarian steals the show from Justin Long. Her name is Georgina Campbell, a.k.a. Tess Marshall.
So, what’s it all about? This film will keep you guessing from the beginning until it unfolds and unravels in a writhing, contorting, and twisted series of acts. This is Detroit, downtown, and dirty. Travelers are busy booking reservations online for what appears to be the only beautiful home in the most dilapidated neighborhood imaginable. We’re talking ghost town, folks. There are homes with no roofs, streets with no people, vacant lots, overgrown bushes, smashed sidewalks, and general disrepair everywhere.
This begs the question: why would anybody want to pay good money to stay there? That’s the first part of the mystery. Campbell is the ever-skeptical traveler in a home that she is forced to share with no other than Bill Skarsgård, a.k.a. Keith. Why are they renting the same B&B at the same time – that’s one for the sages.
The show’s star, or the male lead Justin Long, only enters pretty late. He is the homeowner, but his indiscretions have landed him in lots of hot water. Right, let’s get to the plot. Something sinister is brewing beneath the home. It is heinous, evil, and barbaric. What it is
I won’t tell you; suffice it to say – watch your back. It gets pretty ugly in double-quick time.
Of course, it’s not all brains and brawn – it is also some pretty twisted women at the box office driving sales. One such example is the new horror movie known simply as Pearl. The trailer for Pearl is unsettling – the unsettling that you would see in The House That Jack Built. However, Pearl is set in a different time – about a hundred and four years ago. This young lady is caring for her disabled father and her overzealous mother. Meanwhile, her husband is away fighting the Great War – that’s World War I. Starring Mia Goth, this horror flick may not be for all movie audiences – it’s a bloody awful mess.
