Widows

Director, Steve McQueen, gained acclaim from being behind some rather unflinching films in recent years including Hunger, Shame and 12 Years a Slave. While I like to consider myself a fan of films, I've never found the time to think about watching one of his rather downbeat if powerful films but when I caught the trailer to 2018's Widows and discovered it was directed by McQueen, it seemed like the right chance to watch one of his seemingly more mainstream films.

Widows is a remake of a British TV drama but is set in contemporary Chicago. Viola Davis is enjoying a luxurious lifestyle paid for by her criminal husband (Liam Neeson) but chooses to not get involved turning a blind eye to whatever goes on. Everything comes to a crashing halt when Neeson and his crew are gunned down by police having just stolen a huge sum of money. The owners want it back and threaten Davis who turns to the widows of her husband's crew to perform a heist of their own.

This film surprisingly received a mix of reviews ranging from very positive to quite a few critical opinions but for me I really enjoyed Widows because of McQueen's direction that makes it more than just a crime film. Davis and her misfit team target one of the city's potential mayors played by Colin Farrell who is trying to bring about prosperity the poorer black communities who are a stones throw away from his leafy neighbourhood. It's here the film explores themes of racism and/in politics going far beyond the original and boosts the intensity of the film as the story nears its conclusion. Much of this is in thanks to a top ensemble cast but it is Davis who really shines as the middle class widow having to get her hands dirty.

McQueen nearly delivers the perfect crime thriller but he, and writer Gillian Flynn, somehow stumble in the third act when trying to wrap all the pieces together. The film goes from great to a sloppy televisual conclusion that relies too heavily on coincidence and robs the overall experience from feeling truly satisfying. However, I would still easily recommend this as an entertaining offering from the director which dabbles in some topical themes and boasts a terrific cast.