(3.5 / 4)
A twisted labyrinth of a heist thriller that will hijack your notions of the genre and throttle you with surprise after surprise.
After directing 2014’s Academy Award Best Picture winner, 12 Years a Slave, acclaimed director Steve McQueen could have followed up with virtually any type of film he so desired. Despite focusing on quiet, historical dramas in the past, McQueen has taken a surprising left turn with his decision to adapt an acclaimed but somewhat obscure 1980s British TV show about a group of widows who inherit their criminal husbands’ problems. At a glance, a more adult version of Ocean’s 8 appears to be an odd choice. Perhaps this is why the director presents a short intro video before the film where he reveals that Widows has been a passion project of his for some time and he is overjoyed to finally present it to the world. Ultimately, this passion is evident in the finely crafted end product, as it becomes evident that the surprising choice of a project is the perfect precursor for a consistently unpredictable ride, as McQueen has created a heist film unlike any other.