Women Talking
Year: 2022
Rating: PG-13
Length: 104 minutes / 1.73 hours
Some conversations are difficult. Things that people in power want to be covered up are often the conversations that need to happen the most. And while revealing these topics to the public is a great way to raise awareness, sometimes the most impactful way to effect change is to band together. A unified front against an egregious sin does more than merely asking those in power to stop. Women Talking (2022) takes on the heavy topic of sexual assault and makes it a not-so-simple conversation about what to do in a helpless situation.
While I feel She Said (2022) received more visibility, the heaviness of the circumstances of these Mennonite women hit significantly harder. Granted, neither film really captured the tension the way Spotlight (2015) did. It’s great that movies like this are coming out, despite being heavy topics that require introspection into the systems that enable them. Heck, even Promising Young Woman (2020) poked at all the excuses those in power used to justify continuing this abuse. What gives Women Talking a distinct edge on the same topic is their utter helplessness. If they leave this abusive colony, they don’t have the skills to survive in the modern world.
Even if this movie was quite proficient in its acting and handling of a sensitive topic, my only qualms come from frustration. Frustration about how they still need a man to make their conversation happen. Frustration that a society allegedly based on Christian values lets this collective rape continue to happen. And finally, frustration for these women who are so powerless that they develop Stockholm Syndrome. This is not a fun movie. It might even be a little boring. However, it’s an important conversation as we continue to break down these wicked systems.
A conversation that’s equally tough and frustrating, I give Women Talking 4.0 stars out of 5.
