(3 / 5)
Well-acted meh with twists.
Widows is being advertised, as quoted by one critic as “Riveting…full of shocking twists”. They got the twists part right, but riveting? I’m not sure about that. Apart from some decent acting performances, the twists are really the only appealing thing on offer here. Strip those away and what’s left is a pretty bland proposition.
Veronica (Viola Davis) is unaware of the extent of criminal activity her husband Harry (Liam Neeson) is involved in, until she loses him during a heist. Along with Linda (Michelle Rodriguez) and Alice (Elizabeth Debicki), she is forced to pick up the pieces he left behind.
In her previous film Gone Girl, writer Gillian Flynn created a more suspenseful and therefore entertaining offering in comparison to this. Although Viola Davis plays her well, I was unable to elicit much in the way of connection with the courageous lead character, Veronica. It’s almost as if she was too ballsy and therefore hard to relate to. Special mention to Daniel Kaluuya in his role as Jatemme Manning, showcasing his versatility as an actor.
Widows premieres in Sweden on 16 November.