Widows (Jamal Manning)
In a stellar cast that includes heavyweights talents like Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Carrie Coon, Jon Bernthal, Daniel Kaluuya, Jacki Weaver, Robert Duvall and more, Brian Tyree Henry could’ve easily gotten left in the shuffle in Steve McQueen’s crime drama-thriller, Widows. But in the role of Jamal Manning, a crime boss who is etching his way into politics, Henry gives another outstanding performance, particularly in a role that’s filled with several different complexities. As a politician, Manning’s platform is based on providing goods and relief for the underclass citizens and turning over unreformed policies that pollute Chicago’s current well-being, as well as providing intelligent and impassioned arguments and debates. But his campaign is built by ill-gained connections and dirty money, demonstrating a power struggle that informs Henry’s intriguing and nuanced performance. Even in an ensemble that’s this thoroughly stacked, Henry gets many of the movie’s richest, most compelling, and most thoughtful sequences.