The title of the film, "Women Talking", definitely describes it perfectly. If that already scares you off, you might as well avoid the movie altogether. It's really all about how a group of women from a secluded commune discuss their future after a series of sexual assaults by male members of the group. The basic premise didn't bother me personally, but the film still didn't click. That's not because of the cast, which is peppered with numerous great (though exclusively white) actresses. Claire Foy and Jessie Buckley, in particular, impressed me. That wasn't enough, though.

There are several reasons why I didn't like the film. Among other things, I found it visually incredibly unpleasant. I'm sure that the creatives behind the film wanted to say something profound with the desaturated color scheme, but in the end, they only achieved that everything looks kind of "cheap". In addition, everything is way too dark. The camera work is also mediocre at best, so the images kept drawing me out.

What really bothered me, however, was the setting in a Mennonite commune, which can also be described as a cult or sect. Sure, it's all based on true events, but the context is never really established in a way that the viewer can comprehend. The main focus of the film is a group of women who are consistently oppressed and abused in the patriarchal system of the religious community. They are also denied access to education. However, all of the characters in the film express themselves so eloquently that you never really feel this premise.I also found the treatment of religion to be very squishy. It is never really made clear what a crucial role faith, or rather, indoctrination, plays in the oppression of the women.

Ultimately, despite some strong performances, the film failed to captivate me. Every single aspect that "Women Talking" tackles, I've seen much better in other films. And I ultimately didn't find the characters to be authentic—especially when you compare them to characters from other similar films like Elizabeth Olsen's role in "Martha Marcy May Marlene", for example.