The director of Hunger and the Academy Award-winning 12 Years a Slave continues to astound with what looks at first like a complete left turn into commercial action. But Widows serves up much more than jolts. With the always-superb Viola Davis at its core, McQueen's latest digs deeper, revealing the heartbreak, the politics, and the mixed emotions behind the action.

Veronica (Davis) lives an idyllic life in Chicago, ensconced in the loving arms of her partner, Rawlins (Liam Neeson), and in their luxurious condo. But Rawlins bought that cushy life robbing people. When a job with his gang goes fatally wrong, Veronica's life falls to pieces. With a local crime lord (Brian Tyree Henry) and his muscle (Daniel Kaluuya) pressing her to pay Rawlins's debt, Veronica sees only one option: round up the three other women (Michelle Rodriguez, Cynthia Erivo, and Elizabeth Debicki) who've slept for years next to these seasoned criminals, and make a plan to win their lives back.

Adapted from Lynda La Plante’s 1980s British TV series by McQueen and Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn, Widows crackles with intelligence, resulting in a big, twisty, satisfying thriller. Very few filmmakers can pull off Hollywood entertainment with a personal imprint. Steve McQueen has done it.