Crime thriller in which three widowed women plan to complete the heist in which their husbands were killed.
The film is intended as an entertainment, an old-fashioned heist thriller, but even in its most escapist moments, it never loses sight of the bigger issues underlying its heroines’ plight.
McQueen's contemplative, soul-searching style is in evidence enough without detracting from genre thrills and feminist fury.
It is a film with a sledgehammer punch.
Widows is hugely impressive, engaging and slick in a way that maintains McQueen's signature mature style without getting caught up in a tired, crime caper tradition. It interrogates the workings of grief and trauma as well as the corruption of institutions, be it political or familial, exposing the enduring frailties of the people and systems we should be able to trust the most.
In a collaborative endeavour almost overburdened by outstanding work, it seems strange to single out any single element for recognition. For me, that is the film’s greatest strength.
Heart-stopping action combined with heartbreaking drama.
A heist movie with serious bite, Widows is both brilliantly tense and strikingly relevant.
With the help of a staggering ensemble cast, Steve McQueen has made an intelligent, emotional thriller that contemplates contemporary American politics as confidently as it does blowing shit up.
No need for mourning garb for this smart, gripping thriller.
The end result is entertaining as hell: a defiantly feminist piece of art that questions why the default setting for commercial movie-making still favours male-led stories.
Director Steve McQueen: Why I chose to remake 1980s TV hit Widows--video
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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