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Widows (2018 film)

Widows is a 2018 neo-noir heist thriller film directed by Steve McQueen from a screenplay by Gillian Flynn and McQueen,[3] based upon the 1983 British television series of the same name.[4] The plot follows four Chicago women who attempt to steal $5,000,000 from the home of a prominent local politician in order to pay back a crime boss from whom $2,000,000 was stolen by the women's husbands before they were killed in a botched getaway attempt. A British-American co-production, the film stars Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez and Elizabeth Debicki in the title roles alongside Cynthia Erivo, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Jacki Weaver, Carrie Coon, Robert Duvall, and Liam Neeson in an ensemble supporting cast.

Widows
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySteve McQueen
Screenplay by
Based onWidows
by Lynda La Plante
Produced by
Starring
CinematographySean Bobbitt
Edited byJoe Walker
Music byHans Zimmer
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • September 8, 2018 (2018-09-08) (TIFF)
  • November 6, 2018 (2018-11-06) (United Kingdom)
  • November 16, 2018 (2018-11-16) (United States)
Running time
130 minutes[1]
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$42 million[2]
Box office$76 million[2]

Widows premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2018, and was theatrically released in the United Kingdom on November 6, 2018 and in the United States on November 16, by 20th Century Fox. The film received critical acclaim, with praise aimed at its direction, editing, screenplay and performances (particularly Davis, Debicki and Kaluuya), with critics crediting it for blending "dramatic themes with popcorn thrills".[5][6] The film grossed $76 million worldwide on a production budget of $42 million and received several award nominations, among them being one for Davis for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

Plot

In Chicago, Harry Rawlings and his criminal gang's getaway van are blown up during a police standoff after stealing $2,000,000 from crime boss Jamal Manning. Jamal threatens Veronica, Harry's widow, demanding compensation, needing the money to finance his campaign for alderman of a South Side ward. He is running against Jack Mulligan, the next-in-line of a dynastic family that has held the position for decades. Mulligan doesn't like politics, but is happy to profit from it; his father Tom, the previous alderman, warns him that he will face everlasting shame if he loses to Jamal.

Veronica is given a key to a safety deposit box by Bash, Harry's loyal chauffeur, which contains Harry's notebook with a detailed plan for stealing $5 million from Mulligan's home. She is advised to sell the notebook to Jamal's people, but decides against it.

Veronica decides to carry out the heist, recruiting two of the other widows of Harry's gang, Alice and Linda. Alice has lost her livelihood and is pressured by her mother to become a sugar baby. Linda has lost her store, as her husband secretly gambled away the rent payments. The fourth widow, Amanda, does not join them, as Veronica discovers she has a 4-month-old baby. Alice acquires guns and a getaway van while Linda deciphers Harry's blueprints. Jamal's brother and right-hand man Jatemme attacks several witnesses and kills Bash while looking for Harry's notebook. Eventually, Alice uses a real estate executive, her sugar daddy, to identify the blueprint as the safe room in the Mulligan family mansion which also serves as Jack Mulligan's campaign headquarters.

Linda recruits Belle, her babysitter, to be the group's driver. Veronica visits Amanda and notices Harry's flask in the home, which raises question of what Harry's involvement with Amanda - and the baby - is. Her suspicion is confirmed when her dog paws vigorously at a closet door, indicating she is very familiar with the person behind it - revealed to be Harry after Veronica storms off without a confrontation. It is revealed that Harry double-crossed his crew by deliberately blowing up their getaway van and is in league with Mulligan to ruin Jamal's campaign. Returning home, Veronica opens the door to her son's room and relives the memory of his death: while on the phone with Harry, he was shot by police officers after being pulled over while driving. Veronica visits the Mulligan mansion under the guise of asking Jack for protection from the Mannings, and is able to case the premises while Belle scans the outdoor security.

Veronica blackmails the CEO of the Mulligans' security company for the safe code, using incriminating photos left in Harry's notebook. The heist begins with Belle creating a disturbance down the street to draw the outside security detail away. Veronica and the others stun the security guard inside and intimidate Tom Mulligan's carer. Veronica, Linda, and Alice reach the safe and retrieve the money. Tom Mulligan appears from his bedroom, unmasks Veronica and wounds Alice with a gunshot; Linda fatally shoots him.

The women escape, but Jatemme appears, holds Belle at gunpoint and flees in their van with the money; they follow him in a separate car and ram him from behind, causing him to crash and killing him. They retrieve the money, then get Alice to the hospital. Veronica returns alone to their hideout, where Harry arrives to steal the money, needing $1 million of it to keep Mulligan quiet about his faked death. Harry claims that after the death of their son and subsequent disintegration of their marriage, he wanted to start over with Amanda and their child. Harry retrieves the money in the van and turns to shoot Veronica – but Veronica kills him first, then plants on him the gun used to kill Tom Mulligan.

Mulligan wins the position of alderman due to a sympathy vote following his father's murder. Linda reacquires her store, Alice sets up her own business, and Belle moves away. Veronica donates a large sum to rebuild a school library on the condition that it be named after her son Marcus. Outside of a diner, Veronica sees and warmly greets Alice.

Cast

 
 
 
Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, and Elizabeth Debicki star as the titular widows.
  • Viola Davis as Veronica Rawlings, a Chicago teachers' union delegate and Harry's widow
  • Michelle Rodriguez as Linda, a clothing store owner and Carlos's widow
  • Elizabeth Debicki as Alice, Florek's widow, who becomes a sugar baby to support herself after her husband's death
  • Cynthia Erivo as Belle, a babysitter and beautician who looks after Linda's children and works with Veronica's group
  • Colin Farrell as Jack Mulligan, a politician who is mixed up in Veronica's plan
  • Brian Tyree Henry as Jamal Manning, a crime boss and politician who believes Veronica is indebted to him
  • Daniel Kaluuya as Jatemme Manning, Jamal's brother and mob enforcer
  • Jacki Weaver as Agnieska, Alice's abusive mother
  • Carrie Coon as Amanda, Jimmy's widow, who is not involved in Veronica's robbery scheme
  • Robert Duvall as Tom Mulligan, Jack's father and a power broker at odds with his son
  • Liam Neeson as Harry Rawlings, a renowned bank robber who was Veronica's loving husband
  • Jon Bernthal as Florek, a member of Harry's gang who was Alice's abusive husband
  • Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Carlos, a member of Harry's gang who was Linda's gambler husband
  • Garret Dillahunt as 'Bash' Babiak, Harry and Veronica's chauffeur
  • Lukas Haas as David, a real estate developer with whom Alice develops a transactional sexual relationship following Florek's death
  • Matt Walsh as Ken, the CEO of a security company
  • Kevin J. O'Connor as Bobby Welsh, a disabled bowling alley worker who was formerly involved with Harry
  • Jon Michael Hill as Reverend Wheeler
  • Coburn Goss as Jimmy Nunn

Production

The project was announced as being in development on March 27, 2015, with a script written by Gillian Flynn and Steve McQueen, and with McQueen attached to direct.[7] In September 2016, Viola Davis joined the cast. It was reported that Jennifer Lawrence was approached for a role, but, due to scheduling conflicts, had to decline.[8] In November 2016, Cynthia Erivo joined the cast.[9] In January 2017, André Holland entered negotiations to co-star in the film, but does not appear in the finished product.[10] The next month, Elizabeth Debicki was cast in the role Lawrence had declined,[11][12] and Michelle Rodriguez[13] and Daniel Kaluuya were also announced as cast members.[14] In March, Liam Neeson joined the cast.[15] The following month, Colin Farrell was added along with Robert Duvall.[16][17] In May, Garret Dillahunt, Jacki Weaver, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Lukas Haas and Brian Tyree Henry were set to co-star,[18][19][20][21][22] and in June, Carrie Coon was added.[23] Michael Harney and Jon Bernthal joined the cast in August.[24][25] The British actress Ann Mitchell, who had portrayed Dolly Rawlins in the television series, has a small part as Amanda's mother.

Principal photography began on May 8, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois.[26][27]: 18 

Hans Zimmer composed the film's score with additional music provided by Steve Mazzaro. The soundtrack, released by Milan Records, includes the score as well as songs by Nina Simone, and the Cool Kids, as well as a new song "The Big Unknown" by Sade later released as a single.[28]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2018.[29][30] It was released in the United States on November 16, 2018.[31]

Reception

Box office

Widows grossed $42.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $33.6 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $76 million, against a production budget of $42 million.[2]

In the United States and Canada, Widows was released alongside Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and Instant Family, and was projected to gross $12–18 million from 2,803 theaters in its opening weekend.[32] It grossed $4.2 million on its first day, including $600,000 from Thursday night previews. It ended up making $12.3 million over the weekend, finishing fifth at the box office. Deadline Hollywood stated that the low debut was because of a "lack of urgency" in the advertising, and that the studio should not have relied on the good reviews alone to sell the film.[33] Other publications, including Business Insider, said the film should have been released outside the busy November frame, and that the perceived marketing toward specifically African-American audiences, and its R-rating, limited the film's appeal.[34] In its second weekend, the film dropped 33% to $8.2 million (and $10.5 million total over the five-day Thanksgiving frame), finishing eighth, and then made $4.4 million in its third weekend.[35][36]

About the box-office and the movie’s reception, Actress Cynthia Erivo said: “There’s something that’s super messy about ‘Widows,’ which I loved. There’s an expectation of a heist movie to be slick and tidy, and it just wasn’t that. I think that was its charm, but I’m not sure that everyone quite understood that. But maybe we’re getting to a place where people will.”[37]

Critical response

 
Steve McQueen received praise for his direction.

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 91% based on 420 reviews, with an average rating of 8.1/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Widows rounds up a stellar ensemble for a heist thriller that mixes popcorn entertainment with a message – and marks another artistic leap for director Steve McQueen."[38] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100, based on 57 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[39] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars; social media monitor RelishMix noted online responses to the film were "mixed".[33]

Owen Gleiberman of Variety praised McQueen's direction and Davis's performance and wrote, "The strongest aspect of Widows is the way the movie gets us — and keeps us — rooting for its desperate-living heroines. They're past the point of just wanting to have fun (the subtext of almost every heist movie); they're less concerned with comeuppance than sheer survival."[40] Eric Kohn of IndieWire gave the film an "A−", saying the film "works as well as it does due to the way McQueen juggles substance with entertainment value to such eager subversive ends. The movie engages with topics as complex as sexism, police brutality, and interracial marriage, but it still delivers on the car chases and gunplay. No superhero movie digs this deep."[41] Dirty Movies considered it one of the best films of 2018, describing it as McQueen's best work since Hunger.[42] Representing more critical views, Leah Greenblatt at Entertainment Weekly gave the film a "C+", arguing that it's "not clear exactly what kind of movie(s) Widows wants to be" and that it feels like a "crazy-quilt patchwork of other, better films".[43]

Accolades

Top ten lists

Widows was listed on numerous critics' top ten lists for 2018, among them:[44]

Awards and nominations

Organisation Category Recipient(s) Result
BAFTA Awards Best Actress in a Leading Role Viola Davis Nominated
Satellite Awards Best Motion Picture – Drama Widows Nominated
Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama Viola Davis Nominated
Best Film Editing Joe Walker Nominated
Best Original Score Hans Zimmer Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actress Elizabeth Debicki Nominated
Best Editing Joe Walker Nominated
African-American Film Critics Association Top 10 Films Widows Nominated
Black Film Critics Circle Best Actress Viola Davis Won
Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Acting Ensemble The cast of Widows Nominated
Best Action Movie Widows Nominated
Best Editing Joe Walker Nominated
Dublin Film Critics Circle Best Actress Viola Davis Nominated
IndieWire Critics Poll Best Supporting Actress Elizabeth Debicki 4th place
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Best Ensemble The cast of Widows Nominated
London Film Critics' Circle Supporting Actor of the Year Daniel Kaluuya Nominated
Supporting Actress of the Year Elizabeth Debicki Nominated
Screenwriter of the Year Gillian Flynn Nominated
Steve McQueen Nominated
British/Irish Actor of the Year Daniel Kaluuya Nominated
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actress Elizabeth Debicki Nominated
Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actress Elizabeth Debicki Nominated
Best Action Movie Widows Nominated
Best Ensemble Cast The cast of Widows Nominated
National Society of Film Critics Best Supporting Actress Elizabeth Debicki Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Brian Tyree Henry Nominated
North Carolina Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actress Elizabeth Debicki Nominated
North Texas Film Critics Association Best Actress Viola Davis 4th place
Best Supporting Actress Elizabeth Debicki 3rd place
Online Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actress Elizabeth Debicki Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Gillian Flynn Nominated
Steve McQueen Nominated
Best Editing Joe Walker Nominated

See also

Further reading

  • Phillips, Michael (November 8, 2018). "Viola Davis, Gillian Flynn and Steve McQueen enter Chicago underworld with 'Widows'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2018-11-11.

References

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External links

widows, 2018, film, widows, 2018, noir, heist, thriller, film, directed, steve, mcqueen, from, screenplay, gillian, flynn, mcqueen, based, upon, 1983, british, television, series, same, name, plot, follows, four, chicago, women, attempt, steal, from, home, pro. Widows is a 2018 neo noir heist thriller film directed by Steve McQueen from a screenplay by Gillian Flynn and McQueen 3 based upon the 1983 British television series of the same name 4 The plot follows four Chicago women who attempt to steal 5 000 000 from the home of a prominent local politician in order to pay back a crime boss from whom 2 000 000 was stolen by the women s husbands before they were killed in a botched getaway attempt A British American co production the film stars Viola Davis Michelle Rodriguez and Elizabeth Debicki in the title roles alongside Cynthia Erivo Colin Farrell Brian Tyree Henry Daniel Kaluuya Jacki Weaver Carrie Coon Robert Duvall and Liam Neeson in an ensemble supporting cast WidowsTheatrical release posterDirected bySteve McQueenScreenplay byGillian Flynn Steve McQueenBased onWidowsby Lynda La PlanteProduced bySteve McQueen Iain Canning Emile Sherman Arnon MilchanStarringViola Davis Michelle Rodriguez Elizabeth Debicki Cynthia Erivo Colin Farrell Brian Tyree Henry Daniel Kaluuya Jacki Weaver Carrie Coon Robert Duvall Liam NeesonCinematographySean BobbittEdited byJoe WalkerMusic byHans ZimmerProductioncompaniesRegency Enterprises New Regency Film4 Productions See Saw Films Lammas Park TSG EntertainmentDistributed by20th Century FoxRelease datesSeptember 8 2018 2018 09 08 TIFF November 6 2018 2018 11 06 United Kingdom November 16 2018 2018 11 16 United States Running time130 minutes 1 CountriesUnited KingdomUnited StatesLanguageEnglishBudget 42 million 2 Box office 76 million 2 Widows premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8 2018 and was theatrically released in the United Kingdom on November 6 2018 and in the United States on November 16 by 20th Century Fox The film received critical acclaim with praise aimed at its direction editing screenplay and performances particularly Davis Debicki and Kaluuya with critics crediting it for blending dramatic themes with popcorn thrills 5 6 The film grossed 76 million worldwide on a production budget of 42 million and received several award nominations among them being one for Davis for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 4 Release 5 Reception 5 1 Box office 5 2 Critical response 6 Accolades 6 1 Top ten lists 6 2 Awards and nominations 7 See also 8 Further reading 9 References 10 External linksPlot EditIn Chicago Harry Rawlings and his criminal gang s getaway van are blown up during a police standoff after stealing 2 000 000 from crime boss Jamal Manning Jamal threatens Veronica Harry s widow demanding compensation needing the money to finance his campaign for alderman of a South Side ward He is running against Jack Mulligan the next in line of a dynastic family that has held the position for decades Mulligan doesn t like politics but is happy to profit from it his father Tom the previous alderman warns him that he will face everlasting shame if he loses to Jamal Veronica is given a key to a safety deposit box by Bash Harry s loyal chauffeur which contains Harry s notebook with a detailed plan for stealing 5 million from Mulligan s home She is advised to sell the notebook to Jamal s people but decides against it Veronica decides to carry out the heist recruiting two of the other widows of Harry s gang Alice and Linda Alice has lost her livelihood and is pressured by her mother to become a sugar baby Linda has lost her store as her husband secretly gambled away the rent payments The fourth widow Amanda does not join them as Veronica discovers she has a 4 month old baby Alice acquires guns and a getaway van while Linda deciphers Harry s blueprints Jamal s brother and right hand man Jatemme attacks several witnesses and kills Bash while looking for Harry s notebook Eventually Alice uses a real estate executive her sugar daddy to identify the blueprint as the safe room in the Mulligan family mansion which also serves as Jack Mulligan s campaign headquarters Linda recruits Belle her babysitter to be the group s driver Veronica visits Amanda and notices Harry s flask in the home which raises question of what Harry s involvement with Amanda and the baby is Her suspicion is confirmed when her dog paws vigorously at a closet door indicating she is very familiar with the person behind it revealed to be Harry after Veronica storms off without a confrontation It is revealed that Harry double crossed his crew by deliberately blowing up their getaway van and is in league with Mulligan to ruin Jamal s campaign Returning home Veronica opens the door to her son s room and relives the memory of his death while on the phone with Harry he was shot by police officers after being pulled over while driving Veronica visits the Mulligan mansion under the guise of asking Jack for protection from the Mannings and is able to case the premises while Belle scans the outdoor security Veronica blackmails the CEO of the Mulligans security company for the safe code using incriminating photos left in Harry s notebook The heist begins with Belle creating a disturbance down the street to draw the outside security detail away Veronica and the others stun the security guard inside and intimidate Tom Mulligan s carer Veronica Linda and Alice reach the safe and retrieve the money Tom Mulligan appears from his bedroom unmasks Veronica and wounds Alice with a gunshot Linda fatally shoots him The women escape but Jatemme appears holds Belle at gunpoint and flees in their van with the money they follow him in a separate car and ram him from behind causing him to crash and killing him They retrieve the money then get Alice to the hospital Veronica returns alone to their hideout where Harry arrives to steal the money needing 1 million of it to keep Mulligan quiet about his faked death Harry claims that after the death of their son and subsequent disintegration of their marriage he wanted to start over with Amanda and their child Harry retrieves the money in the van and turns to shoot Veronica but Veronica kills him first then plants on him the gun used to kill Tom Mulligan Mulligan wins the position of alderman due to a sympathy vote following his father s murder Linda reacquires her store Alice sets up her own business and Belle moves away Veronica donates a large sum to rebuild a school library on the condition that it be named after her son Marcus Outside of a diner Veronica sees and warmly greets Alice Cast Edit Viola Davis Michelle Rodriguez and Elizabeth Debicki star as the titular widows Viola Davis as Veronica Rawlings a Chicago teachers union delegate and Harry s widow Michelle Rodriguez as Linda a clothing store owner and Carlos s widow Elizabeth Debicki as Alice Florek s widow who becomes a sugar baby to support herself after her husband s death Cynthia Erivo as Belle a babysitter and beautician who looks after Linda s children and works with Veronica s group Colin Farrell as Jack Mulligan a politician who is mixed up in Veronica s plan Brian Tyree Henry as Jamal Manning a crime boss and politician who believes Veronica is indebted to him Daniel Kaluuya as Jatemme Manning Jamal s brother and mob enforcer Jacki Weaver as Agnieska Alice s abusive mother Carrie Coon as Amanda Jimmy s widow who is not involved in Veronica s robbery scheme Robert Duvall as Tom Mulligan Jack s father and a power broker at odds with his son Liam Neeson as Harry Rawlings a renowned bank robber who was Veronica s loving husband Jon Bernthal as Florek a member of Harry s gang who was Alice s abusive husband Manuel Garcia Rulfo as Carlos a member of Harry s gang who was Linda s gambler husband Garret Dillahunt as Bash Babiak Harry and Veronica s chauffeur Lukas Haas as David a real estate developer with whom Alice develops a transactional sexual relationship following Florek s death Matt Walsh as Ken the CEO of a security company Kevin J O Connor as Bobby Welsh a disabled bowling alley worker who was formerly involved with Harry Jon Michael Hill as Reverend Wheeler Coburn Goss as Jimmy NunnProduction EditThe project was announced as being in development on March 27 2015 with a script written by Gillian Flynn and Steve McQueen and with McQueen attached to direct 7 In September 2016 Viola Davis joined the cast It was reported that Jennifer Lawrence was approached for a role but due to scheduling conflicts had to decline 8 In November 2016 Cynthia Erivo joined the cast 9 In January 2017 Andre Holland entered negotiations to co star in the film but does not appear in the finished product 10 The next month Elizabeth Debicki was cast in the role Lawrence had declined 11 12 and Michelle Rodriguez 13 and Daniel Kaluuya were also announced as cast members 14 In March Liam Neeson joined the cast 15 The following month Colin Farrell was added along with Robert Duvall 16 17 In May Garret Dillahunt Jacki Weaver Manuel Garcia Rulfo Lukas Haas and Brian Tyree Henry were set to co star 18 19 20 21 22 and in June Carrie Coon was added 23 Michael Harney and Jon Bernthal joined the cast in August 24 25 The British actress Ann Mitchell who had portrayed Dolly Rawlins in the television series has a small part as Amanda s mother Principal photography began on May 8 2017 in Chicago Illinois 26 27 18 Hans Zimmer composed the film s score with additional music provided by Steve Mazzaro The soundtrack released by Milan Records includes the score as well as songs by Nina Simone and the Cool Kids as well as a new song The Big Unknown by Sade later released as a single 28 Release EditThe film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8 2018 29 30 It was released in the United States on November 16 2018 31 Reception EditBox office Edit Widows grossed 42 4 million in the United States and Canada and 33 6 million in other territories for a total worldwide gross of 76 million against a production budget of 42 million 2 In the United States and Canada Widows was released alongside Fantastic Beasts The Crimes of Grindelwald and Instant Family and was projected to gross 12 18 million from 2 803 theaters in its opening weekend 32 It grossed 4 2 million on its first day including 600 000 from Thursday night previews It ended up making 12 3 million over the weekend finishing fifth at the box office Deadline Hollywood stated that the low debut was because of a lack of urgency in the advertising and that the studio should not have relied on the good reviews alone to sell the film 33 Other publications including Business Insider said the film should have been released outside the busy November frame and that the perceived marketing toward specifically African American audiences and its R rating limited the film s appeal 34 In its second weekend the film dropped 33 to 8 2 million and 10 5 million total over the five day Thanksgiving frame finishing eighth and then made 4 4 million in its third weekend 35 36 About the box office and the movie s reception Actress Cynthia Erivo said There s something that s super messy about Widows which I loved There s an expectation of a heist movie to be slick and tidy and it just wasn t that I think that was its charm but I m not sure that everyone quite understood that But maybe we re getting to a place where people will 37 Critical response Edit Steve McQueen received praise for his direction On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 91 based on 420 reviews with an average rating of 8 1 10 The website s critical consensus reads Widows rounds up a stellar ensemble for a heist thriller that mixes popcorn entertainment with a message and marks another artistic leap for director Steve McQueen 38 On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100 based on 57 critics indicating universal acclaim 39 Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of B on an A to F scale while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it 3 5 out of 5 stars social media monitor RelishMix noted online responses to the film were mixed 33 Owen Gleiberman of Variety praised McQueen s direction and Davis s performance and wrote The strongest aspect of Widows is the way the movie gets us and keeps us rooting for its desperate living heroines They re past the point of just wanting to have fun the subtext of almost every heist movie they re less concerned with comeuppance than sheer survival 40 Eric Kohn of IndieWire gave the film an A saying the film works as well as it does due to the way McQueen juggles substance with entertainment value to such eager subversive ends The movie engages with topics as complex as sexism police brutality and interracial marriage but it still delivers on the car chases and gunplay No superhero movie digs this deep 41 Dirty Movies considered it one of the best films of 2018 describing it as McQueen s best work since Hunger 42 Representing more critical views Leah Greenblatt at Entertainment Weekly gave the film a C arguing that it s not clear exactly what kind of movie s Widows wants to be and that it feels like a crazy quilt patchwork of other better films 43 Accolades EditTop ten lists Edit Widows was listed on numerous critics top ten lists for 2018 among them 44 1st Richard Roeper Chicago Sun Times 1st David Sims The Atlantic 2nd Vinnie Mancuso The Globe and Mail 3rd Matthew Jacobs The Huffington Post 3rd Joshua Rothkopf Time Out New York 4th Tim Grierson Screen Daily 5th Brian Tallerico RogerEbert com 5th Mark Olsen Los Angeles Times 6th Michael Phillips Chicago Tribune 6th Jason Guerrasio Business Insider 6th Kristen Lopez RogerEbert com 7th Christopher Orr The Atlantic 7th Marlow Stern The Daily Beast 8th Jesse Hassenger The A V Club 8th Mara Reinstein Us Weekly 8th Carly Darling Houston Chronicle 9th Max Weiss Baltimore Magazine 9th Omer Mozaffar RogerEbert com 9th Vinnie Mancuso Collider com 9th Peter Bradshaw The Guardian 10th The Guardian 10th Matt Singer ScreenCrush Top 10 listed alphabetically WIRED Top 10 listed alphabetically Hal Boedeker Orlando Sentinel Best of 2018 listed alphabetically not ranked NPRAwards and nominations Edit Organisation Category Recipient s ResultBAFTA Awards Best Actress in a Leading Role Viola Davis NominatedSatellite Awards Best Motion Picture Drama Widows NominatedBest Actress in a Motion Picture Drama Viola Davis NominatedBest Film Editing Joe Walker NominatedBest Original Score Hans Zimmer NominatedChicago Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actress Elizabeth Debicki NominatedBest Editing Joe Walker NominatedAfrican American Film Critics Association Top 10 Films Widows NominatedBlack Film Critics Circle Best Actress Viola Davis WonBroadcast Film Critics Association Best Acting Ensemble The cast of Widows NominatedBest Action Movie Widows NominatedBest Editing Joe Walker NominatedDublin Film Critics Circle Best Actress Viola Davis NominatedIndieWire Critics Poll Best Supporting Actress Elizabeth Debicki 4th placeLas Vegas Film Critics Society Best Ensemble The cast of Widows NominatedLondon Film Critics Circle Supporting Actor of the Year Daniel Kaluuya NominatedSupporting Actress of the Year Elizabeth Debicki NominatedScreenwriter of the Year Gillian Flynn NominatedSteve McQueen NominatedBritish Irish Actor of the Year Daniel Kaluuya NominatedLos Angeles Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actress Elizabeth Debicki NominatedLos Angeles Online Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actress Elizabeth Debicki NominatedBest Action Movie Widows NominatedBest Ensemble Cast The cast of Widows NominatedNational Society of Film Critics Best Supporting Actress Elizabeth Debicki NominatedBest Supporting Actor Brian Tyree Henry NominatedNorth Carolina Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actress Elizabeth Debicki NominatedNorth Texas Film Critics Association Best Actress Viola Davis 4th placeBest Supporting Actress Elizabeth Debicki 3rd placeOnline Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actress Elizabeth Debicki NominatedBest Adapted Screenplay Gillian Flynn NominatedSteve McQueen NominatedBest Editing Joe Walker NominatedSee also EditList of black films of the 2010sFurther reading EditPhillips Michael November 8 2018 Viola Davis Gillian Flynn and Steve McQueen enter Chicago underworld with Widows Chicago Tribune Retrieved 2018 11 11 References Edit WIDOWS 15 wentieth Century Fox Film Corporation British Board of Film Classification Archived from the original on October 13 2018 Retrieved October 9 2018 a b c Widows 2018 Box Office Mojo Archived from the original on June 20 2021 Retrieved February 20 2019 Widows Viola Davis sparkles in this superb modern noir RTE 5 November 2018 Archived from the original on 1 July 2019 Retrieved 28 July 2019 Gillian Flynn Joins Steve McQueen To Script New Regency Heist Thriller 27 March 2015 Archived from the original on March 30 2017 Retrieved April 5 2017 Widows review round up Steve McQueen s heist film is a ferociously entertaining crowd pleaser Firstpost September 11 2018 Archived from the original on November 6 2018 Retrieved November 6 2018 Fujitani Ryan November 21 2018 Fantastic Beasts The Crimes of Grindelwald Could Use a Bit More Magic Rotten Tomatoes Archived from the original on November 16 2018 Retrieved November 15 2018 McNary Dave March 27 2015 Gillian Flynn Steve McQueen to Write Heist Thriller for New Regency Variety Archived from the original on September 30 2017 Retrieved January 14 2017 Chitwood Adam September 17 2016 Viola Davis Teaming with 12 Years a Slave Filmmaker Steve McQueen for Thriller Widows Collider Archived from the original on November 1 2016 Retrieved January 14 2017 Kroll Justin November 10 2016 The Color Purple Actress Cynthia Erivo Joins Viola Davis in Steve McQueen s Widows Variety Archived from the original on September 1 2017 Retrieved January 14 2017 Kroll Justin January 13 2017 Moonlight Star Andre Holland Joins Viola Davis in Steve McQueen s Widows EXCLUSIVE Variety Archived from the original on September 16 2017 Retrieved January 14 2017 Kroll Justin February 8 2017 Elizabeth Debicki to Co Star With Viola Davis in Steve McQueen s Widows EXCLUSIVE Variety Archived from the original on September 24 2017 Retrieved February 16 2017 Making of Widows How Steve McQueen Went Mainstream for a 40M Heist Movie The Hollywood Reporter 16 November 2018 Archived from the original on 2018 11 16 Retrieved 2018 11 16 Lodderhose Diana February 16 2017 Michelle Rodriguez Joins Steve McQueen s Heist Pic Widows Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on May 21 2017 Retrieved February 16 2017 Hipes Patrick February 24 2017 Get Out Star Daniel Kaluuya To Topline Steve McQueen s Widows Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on February 25 2017 Retrieved February 24 2017 Kroll Justin March 3 2017 Liam Neeson in Talks to Play Viola Davis Husband in Steve McQueen s Widows EXCLUSIVE Variety Archived from the original on September 30 2017 Retrieved April 4 2017 Kroll Justin April 4 2017 Colin Farrell Eyes Steve McQueen s Widows With Viola Davis EXCLUSIVE Variety Archived from the original on September 28 2017 Retrieved April 4 2017 N Duka Amanda April 13 2017 Robert Duvall Boards Steve McQueen Directed Thriller Widows Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on April 14 2017 Retrieved April 13 2017 N Duka Amanda May 3 2017 Mindy Project s Garret Dillahunt Joins Widows Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on May 8 2017 Retrieved May 13 2017 Galuppo Mia May 5 2017 Jacki Weaver Joining Viola Davis in Steve McQueen s Widows Exclusive The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on May 12 2017 Retrieved May 13 2017 N Duka Amanda May 8 2017 Manuel Garcia Rulfo Cast In Widows Desmin Borges Joins Netflix Film Private Life Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on August 31 2017 Retrieved August 30 2017 N Duka Amanda May 23 2017 Lukas Haas Cast In Steve McQueen s Widows Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on August 31 2017 Retrieved August 30 2017 Atlanta s Brian Tyree Henry Joins Cast Of Steve McQueen s Widows blackfilm com read 24 May 2017 Archived from the original on 17 November 2018 Retrieved 16 November 2018 Carrie Coon Joins Steve McQueen s Heist Thriller Widows Exclusive The Hollywood Reporter 22 June 2017 Archived from the original on 2020 10 21 Retrieved 2020 02 19 N Duka Amanda August 17 2017 Brendan Coyle Joins Mary Queen Of Scots Michael Harney Cast In Widows Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on August 22 2017 Retrieved August 30 2017 Fleming Mike Jr August 30 2017 Jon Bernthal Wraps Steve McQueen s Widows Eyes Damien Chazelle s First Man Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on August 31 2017 Retrieved August 30 2017 Filming of Steve McQueen s Widows to close South Side streets Chicago Sun Times Archived from the original on 2019 04 18 Retrieved 2018 11 06 Widows Directors Guild of America Archived from the original on August 17 2017 Retrieved April 4 2017 Steve McQueen s Widows Soundtrack Features New Music from Sade and Hans Zimmer Pitchfork 25 October 2018 Archived from the original on 2019 02 15 Retrieved 2019 02 14 Vlessing Etan July 24 2018 Toronto Timothee Chalamet Starrer Beautiful Boy Dan Fogelman s Life Itself Among Festival Lineup The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on April 17 2019 Retrieved July 24 2018 Widows Toronto International Film Festival Archived from the original on September 19 2018 Retrieved July 24 2018 D Alessandro Anthony April 22 2017 Deadpool 2 New Mutants amp Dark Phoenix Find 2018 Dates Among Fox s Slew Of Release Changes amp Additions Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on October 30 2018 Retrieved August 21 2018 Rubin Rebecca November 13 2018 Box Office Fantastic Beasts The Crimes of Grindelwald Sequel Heads for 250 Million Global Launch Variety Archived from the original on November 14 2018 Retrieved November 13 2018 a b D Alessandro Anthony November 18 2018 Crimes Of Grindelwald Falls Short Stateside With 62M Debut WB Celebrates Global Win As Fantastic Beasts Series Hits 1B Plus Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on November 16 2018 Retrieved November 18 2018 Scott Travis November 20 2018 Why Widows has flopped at the box office despite stellar reviews and a powerhouse cast including Viola Davis and Liam Neeson Business Insider Archived from the original on November 22 2018 Retrieved November 23 2018 D Alessandro Anthony November 25 2018 Ralph Scoring 2nd Best Thanksgiving Debut With 84M Creed II 55M Live Action Champ Robin Hood Goes Wrong At 14M Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on November 25 2018 Retrieved November 25 2018 D Alessandro Anthony December 2 2018 Ralph Breaking 25M 2nd Weekend Grinch Steals 203M Hannah Grace 6M In Slow Post Thanksgiving Period Sunday Update Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on December 3 2018 Retrieved December 2 2018 Cynthia Erivo Answers Every Question We Have About Widows 30 October 2019 Widows 2018 Rotten Tomatoes Fandango Archived from the original on May 20 2019 Retrieved October 10 2021 Widows reviews Metacritic Archived from the original on March 8 2019 Retrieved December 13 2018 Gleiberman Owen September 9 2018 Toronto Film Review Widows Variety Los Angeles California Penske Media Corporation Archived from the original on September 9 2018 Retrieved September 9 2018 Kohn Eric September 9 2018 Widows Review Steve McQueen s Riveting Heist Movie Is Ocean s Eight With a Dragon Tattoo TIFF IndieWire Los Angeles California Penske Business Media Archived from the original on September 9 2018 Retrieved September 9 2018 The Top 10 Dirtiest Films of 2018 dmovies org 18 December 2018 Archived from the original on 2018 12 27 Retrieved 2018 12 27 Greenblatt Leah November 16 2018 Widows is an all star bonanza that never quite finds its tone EW review Entertainment Weekly New York City Meredith Corporation Archived from the original on December 4 2018 Retrieved December 5 2018 Best of 2018 Film Critic Top Ten Lists Metacritic Archived from the original on 2020 11 14 Retrieved 2018 12 27 External links EditOfficial website Widows at IMDb Widows at Metacritic Widows at Rotten Tomatoes Widows at Box Office Mojo Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Widows 2018 film amp oldid 1133294074, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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