Inspired by true events, this is the remarkable, action-packed story about the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey with skills and a fierceness, unlike anything the world has ever seen. Follow the epic and intense journey of General Nanisca (Oscar® winner VIOLA DAVIS; 2016, Best Supporting Actress, Fences) as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life.
For in-depth thoughts on The Woman King, please see my colleague Brandon Lewis’ review from its original TIFF debut here.
Video Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of The Woman King offers a significant uptick in quality over the already wonderful accompanying Blu-Ray, making it the preferred way to view the movie at home. Sony continues to deliver 4K encodes which rank among the most impressive of the major studios. Skin tones appear slightly more natural with noteworthy amounts of crisp detail apparent on faces such as pores, perspiration and scrapes. This crisply delineated detail extends to textures such as hair, wardrobe and the environment. The expanded range of the color spectrum is jaw-dropping. The HDR/Dolby Vision enriches the earthy colors to have more nuance and depth. This is not a movie replete with dazzling colors, but there are elements of certain costumes and production design which really impress in this regard.
One of the most striking aspects of this 4K UHD effort is the balance in contrast. The highlights in the film are more firmly defined with whites pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found. Elements taking place in the cover of darkness are more vivid and finely delineated. The black levels in this presentation stay deep and inky with great detail even in the darkest moments. This disc also makes improvements when it comes to digital noise, nearly eliminating any trace that you find on the Blu-Ray. This 4K UHD presentation really shows its worth on all fronts including strong gains in detail, clarity and color. Sony has delivered another A+ transfer on this latest 4K release.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray provides a Dolby Atmos track that improves upon the great DTS-HD 5.1 MA track on the accompanying Blu-Ray. The film really embraces the expanded channel allotment as nearly all of the surround speakers provide fairly consistent activity during both the relatively subdued moments and the numerous formidable action sequences. The implementation of the height channels is an element that makes the environment much more three-dimensional and immersive. Atmospheric sound effects are rendered appropriately within the mix so that directionality is never an issue.
The low end effects from the subwoofer give moments big and small an excellent boost which you will feel pulsing through you and shaking things up. Dialogue is crisp and clear without ever getting lost amongst the competing elements. The film satisfies when it comes to the score as the music fills the room in an enveloping manner. Sony has treated The Woman King like royalty on this track.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director Gina Prince-Bythewood and Editor Terilyn A. Shropshire deliver a steady and informative commentary track in which they discuss their collaborative process, bringing this story to life, weaving in real-life research into the narrative, how they pulled off certain stunts, the structure of the story, analysis of different story beats, the preparations taken for this feature and more. This is a really rewarding listen for audiences that tune in.
- A Caterpillar’s Destruction – Viola Davis On Set: A ten-minute piece which focuses on Viola Davis and her journey with this project from the initial pitch from Maria Bello, embracing what a fulfilling opportunity this could be, researching this place and period in time, the intense training, what it means to her to be a woman in this role, working with the young actresses and more.
- Woman/Warrior: A 12-minute featurette which takes a look at the casting of this impressive ensemble, the characters that make up this story, the physicality of the roles, what the material means to them, the vibe of the set and more.
- Storytellers: A nearly 11-minute look at the work of director Gina Prince-Bythewood, the collaboration on set, the rehearsal process and much more.
- Representation Matters: A ten-minute featurette in which the cast and creative team discuss the lesser known African history which flows through this movie, what it means to them to have such portrayals on screen, the intense training regimens of these women, the level of historical accuracy in this production, striving to have darker skinned women in this film and more.
- Thuso Mbedu – Auditions: A nearly seven-minute look at the audition which eventually led to Mbedu being cast in this project.
Final Thoughts
The Woman King is a truly tremendous piece of filmmaking from the boundary-pushing Gina Prince-Bythewood. While the film is notable for giving Black women roles in which they can thrive and kick butt on screen, there is so much more going on from a sheer spectacle and emotionally devastating perspective. Viola Davis is fierce and memorable, and the remainder of the ensemble rises to meet her dedication to this project. There are not really any significant missteps along this journey; it is the type of movie that Hollywood would be wise to fund in the future if they want to keep away the cobwebs. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring an astounding A/V presentation and an informative assortment of special features. Recommended
The Woman King is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.