Widows

"Widows" resembles an urban expose like "The Wire" more than a caper romp like "Ocean's 8." It's much tougher, grittier, literally a matter of life and death. Tone is everything in a movie and, in this one, McQueen sticks to it brilliantly.

It's a rare experience when you watch a film that you didn't want to end, and it's not every day where I call out something that merits five stars. But this is a five-star film, continuing McQueen's outstanding record in filmmaking.

McQueen plays gleefully with all the genre's tropes, from double crosses to training montages, subtly rewiring the interpersonal relationships and motivations, all while two of the women juggle childcare.

Widows does a generally decent job at keeping its pace up for most of the film, but it can be occasionally dispiriting for some of its meatier themes to fall by the wayside.

Gritty and ferocious, McQueen has you rooting for these ladies from the get-go, you feel invested in the story from the very beginning.