Widows (2018)

Director: Steve McQueen
Stars: Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki
Runtime: 129 minutes

Synopsis: A group of women plan a heist to pay a debt their dead husbands left behind.

• Performances: 9/10

Why? Even though the film had a lot of characters in it, each actor fully committed to their role. There wasn't one single bad performance, and I'd even go as far as saying that Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Daniel Kaluuya, and Robert Duvall may all get a couple of nominations and why not wins come awards season.

• Screenplay: 7/10

Why? If you watch the movie expecting the big action heist ride promised in the trailer, you'll be disappointed. If you go in expecting another Steve McQueen film similar to his previous work ("12 Years a Slave", "Shame", or "Hunger"), you'll also be disappointed. "Widows" falls somewhere in between those two categories, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. The characters, and there's a lot of them, are not as well developed as I was expecting them to be, and the twists delivered within the story didn't affect me as much as they were intended to. There was also a bit of cheese here and there but I can't say that it bothered me much. However, I must say that the drama was handled pretty well, as was the main antagonist (played by Daniel Kaluuya) who despite not getting a lot of screentime, managed to make the audience despise him. The heist elements were also pretty fun to watch.  

• Costumes/Makeup: 7/10

Why? No complaints here. Violas Davis' wardrobe was extremely well designed.

• Editing: 6/10

Why? I felt that the film was slow paced at times, and overcrowded at other times. The time jumps weren't handled very well which is a shame since time plays an important factor in the film's narrative. Finally, I personally would've gotten rid of some of the characters less vital storylines, which would've helped with the pacing and made the movie shorter than it is.

• Cinematography: 8/10

Why? "Widows" reunites Steve McQueen with cinematographer Sean Bobbitt, who was in charge of photography in all of his previous movies. And while I wouldn't call this latest collaboration their best work together, I have to say that it sets the bar pretty high for future heist movies. The action, especially when it involves a car chase, is shot beautifully, and the camera movement plays an integral role in the presentation of the film. 

• Score/Soundtrack: 8/10

Why? Hans Zimmer does it again. The score may not be one you'll be humming when leaving the theater, but it perfectly did its job of increasing the tension when it needed to.

FINAL GRADE: 7/10