In this fictionalized historical epic based in truth, Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love and Basketball, The Secret Life of Bees, Beyond the Lights, The Old Guard) directs Dana Stevens’ script from a story by Stevens and Maria Bello about the Agojie, a band of all-female warriors that protected Dahomey, a West African kingdom, in the 17th to 19th centuries. Set in 1823, the story centers on Nanisca (Viola Davis), who is training a new generation of Agojie that are determined to protect the Dahomey way of life. (135 min.)

Glen: Colonialism and the slave trade were joint horror shows, and at the heart of this particular story is a civilization trying to survive an invasion of evil while also saving the soul of their society. In what is undoubtedly an idealized and sanitized story, we have the Kingdom of Dahomey, which just wants to live in peace but is being threatened by nearby tribes. When they engage in battle, they take captive the enemy survivors and sell them to the Europeans (and in this case Portuguese Brazilians), just as their captive soldiers have been sold. King Ghezo (John Boyega) is walking a tightrope, and his General Nanisca (Davis, in a fierce, thoroughly compelling performance) seeks to guide him away from the slave trade and toward palm oil. Warlord of the neighboring Oyo tribe, Oba Ade (Jimmy Odukoya), is a willing participant in the slave trade and seeks to overthrow and subjugate the Dahomey people. That’s the backdrop, but the heart of the story is Nanisca and her female warriors, in particular new recruit Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), an insolent but deeply motivated trainee. The characters are thoroughly compelling, the performances are engrossing, and the world they inhabit is detailed and tangible. This is a helluva epic adventure tale complicated by layers of drama.

Anna: Why this currently has only a 5.8/10 rating on IMDb right now I can’t fathom. Davis is such a strong lead, and this role gives her a lot to work with. Nanisca is tough but also loving, headstrong but for good reason. Unfortunately, I don’t know enough about the historical happenings in Dahomey to speak on whether this movie follows any threads of truth or is simply using the setting and circumstances as a jumping-off point, but either way, the story is compelling from beginning to end. The group of recruits is a mix of young women either rejected by their families or captives brought from other villages the Agojie defeated. The young women are told to look out for themselves, yet they also must look after each other. They can never get married, never have children—they give their lives to the cause of protecting Dahomey. I found both the storyline and the visuals worthy of nothing less than a view on the big screen in a darkened theater.

Glen: IMDb may be off the mark, but Rotten Tomatoes seems more representative of our experience with a 94 percent critics’ score and 99 percent audience score. The film is stunning, and it’s worth noting that this is a very female-centric production. The director, the screenwriter, the story writer—all female—as are the director of photography, Polly Morgan; the film editor, Terilyn A. Shropshire; and the casting director, Aisha Coley. The battle and action scenes are incredible (within PG-13 constraints), but the film has more heart than most epics, in large part because we come to realize how much these women support each other. In a male-dominated world, they hold their heads high and never look away, and we feel their pride. Bring your tweens and adolescents to this one. Lessons abound.

Anna: It’s definitely a great film to share with your kids who are old enough to handle the violence. It isn’t overly gory or anything, but there are definitely a few moments that could upset younger or more sensitive kids. It felt empowering and important, and I can’t sing higher praises for the cast and crew that put this film together. Both visually and story-wise, it was a total winner in my book.

New Times Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Sun Screen. Glen compiles listings. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.

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