christian movie review the woman king

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The woman king, common sense media reviewers.

Memorable, historic, violent tale of African women warriors.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Promotes courage, perseverance, and teamwork, maki

The leaders of the Agojie -- Nanisca, Amenza, and

Positive representation of an African kingdom that

Lots of fight/battle scenes with a high body count

The Agojie are expected to be virgins. A man shows

"Bitches" is shown in subtitles; insults include "

Adults drink at a feast. One Agojie, who drinks fr

Parents need to know that The Woman King is an empowering historical adventure drama that follows Nanisca, the general (Viola Davis) of a 19th century West African all-female royal guard called the Agojie. The Agojie of the Kingdom of Dahomey (what's now Benin) -- the inspiration for the Dora Milaje in

Positive Messages

Promotes courage, perseverance, and teamwork, making it clear that these highly trained women warriors are every bit as capable, imposing, and successful as men. Values the abilities of women (particularly women over 30) and people of color. Stresses historical importance of abolitionist attitudes and the negative impact of colonization and the slave trade.

Positive Role Models

The leaders of the Agojie -- Nanisca, Amenza, and Izogie -- are firm and demanding but also encouraging and willing to teach young women from other tribes and villages. Nawi is brave, curious, and strong-willed, although also occasionally reckless and defiant. All of the women are strong, smart, capable, and brave.

Diverse Representations

Positive representation of an African kingdom that had an all-women king's guard. (The Agojie are little known in mainstream media.) Women have agency and are shown to be strong, smart, capable, and brave. The movie's only White characters are involved in the transatlantic slave trade; the movie also depicts Africans who sold other Africans to slave traders. A biracial Brazilian character identifies as Black once he's back in Dahomey and helps Nawi and sides with the Agojie. Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, a Black woman.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Lots of fight/battle scenes with a high body count. Battles are intense (bloody wounds, stabbings, slit throats, shots of dead bodies, etc.) and full of moments when it seems like a character is going to die. A couple of deaths (both real and presumed) are particularly emotional. Weapons used in full-scale battle scenes include spears, curved knives, ropes, and muskets -- and a particularly bloody use of sharpened fingernails. Domestic/sexual violence includes an older suitor punching a young woman he's expressing marital interest in, and flashbacks to a woman remembering being repeatedly raped.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

The Agojie are expected to be virgins. A man shows an interest in a young Agojie in training, who catches him naked when he's bathing in a river. His partially nude body (bare behind, back, chest, abs) is visible. They eventually speak, exchange longing looks, and in subsequent scenes are shown embracing and later in what's an implied post-sex scene. The king gives affectionate attention to a few different wives.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

"Bitches" is shown in subtitles; insults include "worthless," "lazy," "stubborn," "old woman."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Adults drink at a feast. One Agojie, who drinks from a small flask, makes a joke that the only good thing the White men bring is whiskey.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Woman King is an empowering historical adventure drama that follows Nanisca, the general ( Viola Davis ) of a 19th century West African all-female royal guard called the Agojie. The Agojie of the Kingdom of Dahomey (what's now Benin) -- the inspiration for the Dora Milaje in Black Panther -- fought off hostile tribes from bordering nations. Expect a high body count, with lots of fighting and intense, often bloody warfare. The Agojie use ropes, spears, finely sharpened fingernails, and other weapons in scenes that show dead bodies. A few of the deaths are particularly upsetting. There are also flashbacks to sexual assault and one moment when a suitor strikes a young woman he's courting. Language isn't frequent but includes "bitches" in subtitles. Adults drink, a man's partially nude body (bare behind, back, chest, abs) is visible, and there are scenes that show embracing and imply that characters had sex. The film is a labor of love from critically acclaimed filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood ( Love and Basketball and The Old Guard ). Families will want to research the history of the "Dahomey Amazons" to compare what's been written about the elite army with the film's plot. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (10)
• Kids say (10)

Based on 10 parent reviews

Heroic Blockbuster violence ( glosses over details about Slavery)

A well-made movie has intense, brutal violence, what's the story.

Writer-director Gina Prince-Bythewood 's drama THE WOMAN KING was inspired by the real-life Agojie, an elite, all-women royal guard of the Kingdom of Dahomey (West Africa) in the 19th century. The film's story follows the group's influential general, Nanisca ( Viola Davis ), whose warriors must fight off the neighboring tribe that's trying to conquer them and sell more and more people into enslavement. The Agojie, who live on the royal grounds, dedicate themselves to their sisterhood and to King Ghezo ( John Boyega ), forsaking the possibility of marriage or children. The film explores how Nanisca; her second-in-command, Amenza (Sheila Atim); protege Igozie ( Lashana Lynch ); and the rest of the guard train recruits -- young women who are either brought from neighboring villages in conflict with Dahomey or presented to the king by their fathers. One promising upstart is the strong-willed Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), who questions authority. Nanisca's mission to protect Dahomey grows urgent as the twin threats of the rival tribe and White enslavers imperil the kingdom's future.

Is It Any Good?

This powerful, poignant film with an excellent cast led by Davis celebrates Black sisterhood and strength. If you had any doubt that women over 55 can be fierce warriors, seeing Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All at Once and now Davis in The Woman King should disabuse you of that uncertainty. Davis is flat-out phenomenal as General Nanisca, bringing her characteristic gravitas and charisma to the role. The other warriors are also wonderful, particularly Atim, an award-winning British actor who should be cast in a leading role as soon as possible, and Lynch, best known for her Captain Marvel role, who's imposing but also funny and generous. Both give scene-stealing performances and more than hold their own with Davis. South African newcomer Mbedu is compelling and well cast as the ambitious young recruit ready to prove her worth.

The movie's action scenes are tautly shot by cinematographer Polly Morgan, who makes the most of the weaponry and landscape. Gersha Phillips' costume design is gorgeous, and Terence Blanchard's propulsive score -- a collaboration with South African producer, composer, and singer Lebo M -- deftly uses African percussion and themes. Although there's a slightly unnecessary romance, the movie's plot manages to balance action sequences with moments of character development, friendship, and historical reflection. Prince-Bythewood has been a critically acclaimed filmmaker for many years, and it's thrilling that she's continuing to demonstrate her skill at eliciting great performances from character-driven dramas.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in The Woman King . Do you think it's necessary to the story?

Does the movie make you interested in the historical background of the Kingdom of Dahomey?

Talk about the similarities between the Dora Milaje and the Agojie. Is it clear that the Black Panther squad was inspired by the Dahomey king's guard?

How is the slave trade depicted in the movie? What did you learn from watching?

Movie Details

• In theaters : September 16, 2022
• On DVD or streaming : December 13, 2022
• Cast : Viola Davis , Hero Fiennes Tiffin , Lashana Lynch
• Director : Gina Prince-Bythewood
• Inclusion Information : Female directors, Black directors, Female actors, Black actors, Female writers
• Studio : TriStar Pictures
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Friendship , History
• Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance , Teamwork
• Run time : 135 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : sequences of strong violence, some disturbing material, thematic content, brief language and partial nudity
• Award : Common Sense Selection
• Last updated : March 15, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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