Steve McQueen has come to be seen as one of this generation’s finest auteurs, a highly-respected filmmaker who has been able to captivate audiences with his unique approach to storytelling and his remarkable technical prowess, most likely a remnant of his career as a visual artist before he went into narrative filmmaking. He achieved all of this having only made three feature films – Hunger, Shame and 12 Years a Slave. Five years since the explosive, historically-resonant debut of the latter film, McQueen has returned with another great film, and one that is as excellent as it is unexpected territory for the director, who has put aside his arthouse credentials for something slightly more mainstream, a gritty crime thriller with an ensemble consisting of a variety of talented actors, hailing from numerous different continents and having found varying levels of success in their previous endeavours. Widows may not be the finest work of McQueen’s career (which is not a shortcoming, because he’s made some truly remarkable masterpieces), but it is a solid heist film that deftly defies becoming a B-movie, and rather serves the audience with exhilarating, action-packed storytelling that is as compelling as it is diverting, which results in a truly memorable affair that stands as a risky, but ultimately extremely successful, endeavour for McQueen.

Right from the outset, we are drawn into Widows on the strength of its cast, which is filled with a considerable amount of stellar talent, creating one of the year’s most fascinating ensembles. McQueen previously worked with a larger cast with 12 Years a Slave, and he succeeded in making every character – regardless of the size of their role and their importance in the film – appear worthwhile and undeniably imperative to the film as a whole. Widows features a similar approach, and the leading role was given to Viola Davis, one of her generation’s most willful performers, a woman of great virtue and extraordinary talents, watching her is always an experience that is intense but nonetheless rewarding. Unfortunately, Widows is very much expected territory for her, and while she has refined the role of a strong, independent woman who does not bow down to anyone, it is becoming somewhat predictable. This isn’t to imply that her performance in Widows was bad in the least – it is a complex, nuanced portrait of a woman who is doing her best to survive, and it is a role Davis thrives on. It is expected, but it doesn’t invalidate the sheer brutal might of her performance. However, the breakthrough performances don’t come on behalf of Davis, who is as excellent as always, but in those she shares most of her scenes with. The standout in the film for me was most definitely Elizabeth Debicki, an actress who has been in orbit for a while now, but has yet to have her breakthrough – Widows may be just that, and of the four titular widows, her character is the most fully-developed and fascinating. Debicki is astonishing in the role, showing herself to be capable of a performance far more nuanced than we’d expect. It is a great performance from an actress who is well overdue for her mainstream breakthrough – and here’s hoping that this film does the trick. Michelle Rodriguez gets so excellent moments to showcase her talents as a dramatic actress as well in the film’s third-largest part, a single mother who needs to make a difficult choice. Davis, Debicki and Rodriguez define this film, and as the widows, it is about their individual journeys from grieving spouse to willful criminal, undertaking a risky endeavour not for the thrill of it, but out of sheer necessity.

Widows also has a number of smaller performances that are noteworthy, all of which work toward creating the mighty ensemble that makes this film such a remarkable cinematic event. Colin Farrell (dusting off his flawed American accent) is very good as the corrupt government official running for office in Chicago, and Hollywood legend Robert Duvall is equally as good as his father – some more work on both characters would have been beneficial, because they’re fascinating characters, but not nearly developed enough to be entirely compelling. The main shortcoming with Widows is that there are so many characters, very few reach their full potential. Case in point is Cynthia Erivo, who finally makes her long-awaited film debut after being one of the brightest contemporary stage stars. Her performance as Belle is excellent but underdeveloped, and she has one of the film’s most compelling characters, albeit one that isn’t given too much time to realize her full potential – someone who works two jobs to support her and her daughter, Belle is the closest the film comes to having a character to match Davis’ Veronica Rawlings in sheer willpower and defiant strength – but this realization only comes much later, and by that point, the audience is too invested in the central story to care too much about the specifics of the characters involved. Daniel Kaluuya is also another interesting case, because, on the surface, his character of Jatemme would be an effective villain – ruthless, bloodthirsty and emotionless, this is the kind of character that could have easily become one of cinema’s most memorable villains – yet, his appearances are misleading, because he lacks any complexity, being the enforcer to his mobster brother, played by Brian Tyree Henry. Personally, I found Henry to be the most effective of the secondary cast, both in his character’s development and his performance – equal parts charming and sinister, it confirms to me that Henry’s future in the industry is not only overdue, it is also inevitable. The cast of Widows is excellent, and even if some of these characters could’ve benefitted from some more slight development, the strength of the ensemble is undeniable, and none of these actors are wasted in the least.

You couldn’t be blamed for being dubious about Widows – after all, this was Steve McQueen’s foray into mainstream filmmaking, and not many of us would think he’d opt to make an action thriller as a follow-up to his previous three films, all of which could not be further from this film. However, Widows subverts expectations of the traditional heist thriller – it never resorts to cheap, predictable trickery that we normally see in the countless inferior crime dramas that are produced without much effort on a frightening scale. McQueen and Flynn seem to respect the audience enough to provide us with a compelling story that is thrilling but not excessive. It is a realistic film that looks at the perils of the central heist, not showing it as something fun or joyful for these women, who are not doing it out of choice, but out of necessity for their safety and wellbeing – taking such a risk is obviously extremely dangerous, and the perils of undertaking this mission is not ignored. Widows is a solemn and serious affair, and McQueen never dares to create the illusion that these women are enjoying what they’re doing in the least – the widows don’t derive adrenaline-fueled pleasure from this heist, and their reservations and acknowledgement of how dangerous what they are doing is often impinging on their decision to execute this plan, being well-aware of the consequences if they don’t succeed. Widows is a powerfully raw film, a gritty crime thriller that shows the most hideous side of career criminals and their missions, and while Widows is suitably entertaining, it refuses to condone these actions as anything other than absolutely necessary, which makes this an unexpectedly complex heist film, subverting conventions of the crime thriller genre and redefining these traditions as entirely its own.

Yet, its pointless to reduce Widows to just a heist thriller, because it is far more than that, with McQueen and Flynn venturing into many different complex issues, almost all of which are worth talking to about  – contemporary issues such as gang warfare, police brutality, government corruption, dire social inequality and tense race relations – all of these highly-relevant and current topics are present in this film, which sets the story in modern Chicago, which is a city that is inundated with these problems, with Widows having an almost theatrical quality to how it takes place in a city with such complex issues plaguing it. Widows manages to make an impact when looking at these issues without being heavy-handed, and he has made a film that never intends to preach its subject matter but addressing them as distinctive problems that remain relevant and resonant in a modern social landscape. Widows is far from being limited to a simple heist thriller – it is a multilayered portrayal of numerous problems that addresses the nature of society and its many inescapable issues that operate as a web of deception and danger, with the powerful holding control over the weak, who are the ones that normally suffer at the hands of secretive power-plays and apathetic dismissal of human issues. McQueen and Flynn deserve kudos for their ability to take a Lynda La Plante novel written decades ago and turning it into one of the year’s most inert, potent and moving social commentaries, which an impressive feat all on its own.

Widows is a great film – it is far from being the slick, endearing crime thriller we normally see, operating as a brutally realistic, gritty and raw odyssey about social inequality and suffering, looking at some difficult issues in a way that is poignant and emotionally-resonant. Steve McQueen proves himself to be just as excellent with this kind of genre film as he has been with his more artistic fare, and he manages to construct an elegant and meaningful action thriller that gives the audience enough credit to be able to intelligently connect with these characters. The film reforges the conventions of the heist genre,  becoming something extremely effective, and undeniably moving. The performances from the star-studded cast are brilliant, and the filmmaking is almost flawless. It is certainly amongst the year’s finest films, a complex character study that makes some profoundly moving assertions about contemporary issues through its dedication to portraying its subject matter in a way that is nuanced, truthful and emotionally-attentive. Far more than just a heist thriller, Widows is a tremendous film and proves Steve McQueen as one of this generation’s finest filmmakers. Truly astonishing work, and a towering achievement of the crime thriller genre.