Rating: 9/10

“Mom, do you have any new movie on Netflix?” It was Friday evening, and I was itching to watch a foreign film with my mom. We logged into Netflix and began searching for foreign films. Finally, one of them grabbed our attention! We clicked on the film and began to watch it.

We finally finished watching the movie at midnight. I was speechless by the end, and wanted to watch the film again.

The movie is called Queen of Katwe. It’s about a young girl, Phiona Mutesi, who lives in the slums of Kampala, Uganda. She lives with her mom and siblings in a state of chaos and poverty. One day she meets a middle-aged man named Robert Katende, a missionary who teaches young children how to play  chess. Phiona becomes intrigued and fascinated with the game. Katende notices this and invites Phiona to play this game.

Phiona’s mother is not as happy and pulls her out of the game. Katende argues that stopping Phiona from doing something she loves is not right. He convinces her to bring back Phiona because he believes that she is extremely sharp and is an asset to the team. Under his supervision and guidance, Phiona becomes the top player of her team. She travels to nationals and beats the players that were considered to be the best and much older than her. By the end movie, it highlights that her success brings more opportunities to lead a new life away from poverty and chaos not only for herself, but for her mother and siblings too.

The film was a nonfiction story, and Walt Disney and ESPN films produced it. It was showcased in the 2016 International Film Festival in Toronto, Canada. It released in the U.S. on September 23rd, hitting $2.5 million in the first week.

The audience for this movie is for open to anyone. It is engaging, appropriate, as its movie rating is PG. Its plots very unique and powerful. It showed the audience, that if one  keep on working hard, they will eventually rise to the top, especially when people think of them as inferior. I really liked the message because it can even relate to modern time, whether it is people struggling to support their families or even trying to lead normal lives.

The casting of the film was excellent, each of them mastering their character. At times I forgot that they weren’t actually their characters because their emotions were so real.

The makeup and costume was so whimsical and cultural, which I found extremely intriguing and interesting. Their costumes were reflective of their African culture and lifestyle. They were extremely vibrant and popped with a combination of warm and cool colors. It also reflected their status because their clothes were tattered while other women had on fancier clothing.

Overall, I really enjoyed the movie, as it was authentic and unique from other movies I have seen. It conveyed an important message to be grateful for a roof over one’s head and a stable life.In every way the film was brilliant because of its plot, makeup, costume design, and setting. The fact that they didn’t change the concept and showcased the exact story made more of an impact. I would recommend everyone to watch this film and enjoy it as much as I did!