Widows | Teen Ink

Widows

March 30, 2019
By MovieReviewer_18 ELITE, Short Hills, New Jersey
MovieReviewer_18 ELITE, Short Hills, New Jersey
678 articles 0 photos 8 comments

 Widows is a movie, as the name suggests, about a group of widows, who have just recently lost their husbands. The movie revolves around Veronica Rawlins, who was the wife of a criminal. Her husband and his crew end up dying in a police shootout, causing all of their wives to become widows. To make matters worse, Veronica Rawlins is soon confronted by Jamal Manning, who happens to be a candidate running for city council, telling her that she owes him two million dollars, because her husband robbed him of it. Jamal makes it clear that if she doesn't get the money, her entire life will be in danger. Because of this, Veronica requests that her driver, who had been her husband's driver, gathers up all of the other women who lost their husbands and shows her a safety deposit box that her husband had in case something went wrong. Once she gets to the safety deposit box, she discovers a notebook that details a mission that would involve gaining five million dollars. Accomplishing a mission like that would help to put Veronica's life around. However, Veronica knows that she can't do it alone, leading her to gather up the group of widows and inform them that they'll split the profit between them, after she gives the two million dollars to Jamal. As she attempts to pull off the heist that her husband was planning, all of the widows must struggle to live without their husbands, and as they attempt to do the impossible, they all begin to realize that they may be well in over their head, because they have no idea of what the world they're getting themselves into is really like. 


 Widows surprisingly manages to be a complex adventure that just continues to get better as it goes on. The beginning of the movie does a fair job of jumpstarting the entire movie and immediately sets the tone for the rest of the movie boldly. The middle of the movie does a marvelous job of progressing things along and presenting new, creative obstacles for all of the main characters. The enticing ending of the movie proves to be quite exhilarating and executes everything else that the movie was building up to. The actual conclusion of the movie is quite splendid and is definitely one of the strongest portions of the movie. Furthermore, the end of the movie greatly benefits from the thrilling twists and turns that the movie has at seemingly every inch and corner. 


 Widows proves to be a genuinely intriguing tale that knows how to please. The plot of the movie proves to be quite complicated and has so many different layers and depths. Even though the movie just appears to be a typical tale of people trying to pull off a heist, the movie manages to become more political and is capable of spreading messages of how unfair social injustice is. 
 

Widows gathers together a stellar ensemble that knows how to shine. Each and every character is able to stand out in his or her own unique way, and this is a direct effect of the outstanding cast. Viola Davis does a tremendous job of transforming into Veronica Rawlings and is able to bring a level intensity to the movie that helps ensure that the movie is dramatic throughout. Michelle Rodriguez does a fantastic job of playing one of the widows and is definitely one of the more likable characters of the movie. Daniel Kaluuya does a spectacular job of portraying Jatemme, and his character is one of the best in the entire movie and helps to make the movie substantially more interesting. His performance is crucial in creating a truly fearsome villain, and he is able to become a terrifying threat that will not cease until he gets what he wants. 


 Even though critics seemed to be quite fond of Widows, some viewers were strangely not on the same page. Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie an impressive 91%, which is quite the exceptional mark, but a measly 81% of Google users liked the movie, which is odd, since typically viewers are less harsh with movies than critics. There really isn't a clear answer to why some viewers didn't like the movie, other than that it was perhaps not what they were expecting. Despite certain people not enjoying the movie, the fact that critics thought so highly of it should be enough to sway aside uncertainty in wanting to watch this movie. 
 Widows proves to be an action-packed adventure that combines together politics and social problems to create a movie that feels bigger than the sum of its parts. It will surpass any and all expectations and is definitely one to see. 


The author's comments:

"We got to start thinking like professionals, because we’re in business together. There’s not going to be some cozy reunion. After this job, we’re done. We have three days to look and move like a team of men. The best thing we have going for us is being who we are." - Veronica Rawlins


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