User reviews

It is indeed an interesting story to check it out, i love history and old times stories.. to tell you the truth i was waiting for this show to be released on netflix , then i started watching and i got lost quickly in the low budget acting and scenes ... they brought actors from england with english accent to represent african history... not one actor convinced me with his role or personality..... this show could be a great one on netflix if they worked hard but it was a flop ... you meet the Africans speaking UK accent ... then the Portuguese and the dutch have same accent ... oh i couldn't handle that anymore .

As native Angolan, I have to criticize this western revisionist "documentary".

1- The actors aren't native, the languages also aren't. They hired a British-Nigerian... it's not even a native Nigerian. And even if it was, Nigerians and Angolans aren't the same just because we share higher amounts of melanin. We have different cultures, languages, and even physical traits. Our histories also diverge.

( nothing against Yorubas and Igbo people, much respect for their history and cultures, but I believe they wouldn't like someone from a different culture to portray their own history on TV ).

2- Many names and important Kingdoms were ignored to promote an inaccurate story, as well for many historical facts omitted for western narratives... again.

Angolan stories should be about Angolan truths and reality from that period, not western revisionism and ignorance.

It's just disrespectful and insulting.

It might be a good initiative to focus more on African stories, but at least, the very least, is to do a good job, specially when we are talking about national heroes, nationality and culture, you have the obligation to do it right and the most respectful way possible.

It doesn't matter who is behind all of this, the fame and money they have in America, you should just respect our cultures and stories.

Maybe it's time for western people to stop putting Africans in generic skin color boxes... our realities are different; first we see ethnic groups, languages and nationality, and only after we look at skin colour and only if necessary.

Jada Smith yet again is going full throttle with the non-sense. Wrong accents, wrong names, everything about this "documentary" is false.

If you are so supportive of Africans, why did you not go and hire true Africans for the roles instead of British actors with a dark skin tone? Because it's the dark skin tone you're after, not the truth.

You could have hired real African men and women, gave them an opportunity, and the show would have had, maybe, a chance. But I guess we're all here following what "her grandma told her"

The name of the show tells you everything about what's going on in Jada's isolated head... African - Queens. That's all she's trying to prove, one way or another, and she's failing. Miserably.

Way to go dumping your money down the drain... again.

Way to go showing your, and your grandma's ignorance to the world.

This time, Will can't stop keeping your name and your failures apart.

This show seems like someone was not happy about history, so they just decided to ignore it and invent their own stories and outcast their imaginations as the "untold stories about African Queens" It is difficult to critique this kind of show because of its intriguing title and polarized context, despite being filled with so many lies and hoaxes.

They have a strong layer of protection and defensiveness against criticism due to cultural appropriation and political correctness. The minute you post your opinion, it's either deleted or banned because someone is very much attached to their "sensitive" and "fragile" feeling and brutally attack back, and of course "win".

This show is just lies that have been delivered to the public as truths. It shouldn't be praised, and the project should be shut down completely.

Yeah, the fact is stay away this need to be a child's book or so. She or Jada Smith is way too delusional. She thinks that her view of the truth is. That's what Grandma tells her. I am done with this woke nonsense. I cancel Netflix and go to another platform. End of that.

• Nonsense Document
• Delusional Facts
• Gender swaps
• Race swaps
• Woke promotions

Yes, you get everything you want from this Document. The truth is the answer you are looking for. And many more. Sure you now know that sarcasm is a real thing.

This is what i have to say and iam shame that iam living in those times here to defend my own race. Shame.

... it manages to be remarkably superficial - there's a distinct lack of detail, of character, of personality, of context, & analysis.

The poor-quality dramatic sequences also do nothing for the supposed exploration of this figure, her culture, & her times.

Everyone is shallowly sketched, & details are glossed over with great regularity

It's astonishing that Ms Pinkett-Smith gave this first entry 5 parts- & yet the very format has limited the ability to go deeply into the subject...

The drama & scope is limited, cliche, & trite- I found myself more drawn to books on the subject - where the character of Nzinga, her spirit, & sense of self comes far more alive, ironically, than in this live action docu-drama...

The narrator should be African, to tell our stories from the correct perspective.

African names must be pronounced in our language and intonation because they carry deep meanings.

Smacks of a colonial perspective when everyone, apart from the actors is non-African.

Expected better from Netflix.

Netflix, Africa must tell her own stories. That is a deal breaker. We can no longer turn a blind eye to the foreign telling of our history.

Glad you have begun to share our stories pre and post slavery and the fact that's we fought for our freedom and independence for over 400 years.

Some of us are still fighting today.

This series was fantastic to watch. Engaging, informative, and cinematic.

And I do mean cinematic.

If you're someone who gets stuck and can't see past details that truly don't subtract from the experience then, sure, this isn't for you. But then again, any good story requires the listener to have a basic imagination and interest in being challenged.

For weeks I've been searching for something that was different to the gruelling, repetitive nonsense of most action shows on any streaming service till I came across this, purely by accident. A hidden gem of storytelling and a few creative liberties.

Having all female experts discussing this history and sharing the story of a truly strong, powerful woman was an amazing experience. Especially the archivist and the African Queen - the cultural and historical depth of their input cannot be understated.

So, obviously, if strong women scare you, best give this one a miss.

The story told is harrowing and the show gives their best to get you to see the world through her eyes and to at least rationalise, if not sympathise, with the decisions that are made.

A wonderful story, with solid effort put into the storytelling. I hope Netflix produce more series and stories like this.

Well-informed and highly educated and respected talking heads are frustratingly and disappointingly underutlised in this show leaving what is essentially a very basic introduction to a small part of African history illustrated by some pretty poorly scripted if acceptably acted docudrama - both melodramatic and at the same time kinda boring as the drama really isn't very enlightening.

The costume, sets, production are fine, if a little 'small' feeling especially things like palaces and royal dress, and 'native' languages being used as set dressing and to add 'colour' (the production has gone for the C20th/C21st trope of if its 'historical' an RP anglo accent is 'the past' innit!) demonstrate that it isn't enough to bring in a couple of South Africans to get authenticity when telling the stories of this massive and ancient continent from which we all hail.

The show would have benefited from listening to a few more African voices (alongside the black Western academics there are a couple of brilliant profs/Drs from the continent & a female King but most are black Britons/French/Yanks) coz there's a continent full of canny, creative and knowledgable folk innit.

A well-meaning, handsome introduction to snippets of African history.

Ok Netflix wanted to use a real historical figure and make a movie/docu about that person , that would of course attract lots of viewers in order to do so they have to make here look like a GOOD guy (woman) somewhat superhuman like .And they did a great job with that , a lot of people specially a certain group of viewers will find this to be just what they were looking for ;)

It is touching moving and powerful and it has a EMPOWERMEND kind of feeling to it , the people doing the story telling are enthusiastic and really love to be in this documentary and it shows by the way they are telling the story.

The movie parts are also not bad . I don't know if all Africans have that typical accent when they speak English , but for some reason i have a feeling that's not the case i real life

Now the negative things i have to say about this documentary is that . If your someone who read books about Queen Njinga and watched more documentary about here you just know they portraited here in to much like a GOOD (guy) in this one

she was brutal fierce powerful smart but also CRUELL and they just left that part out , she also wasn't afraid to be the bad person in order to achieve something ,

She was also the LARGEST HUB for SLAVE TRADE with the DUTCH and Portuguese , she sold other kingdoms in slavery in that way she saved here own and became a wealthy QUEEN

So long story short

yes powerful documentary but not ACCURATE enough for me but still a decent watch ,and who knows maybe they will make a season 2 and show more of here other side.

I am an American Black woman and can only say that I would be sad if series like these stopped. I am always a second away from unsubscribing from Netflix, but these series (Queen Njinga & Cleopatra), Queen Charlotte, and Bridgerton are what keep me here. I wouldn't dare say what is or isn't accurate for countless reasons... I will say that these type of series awaken curiosity... and often the reason they inflate the impact of the character in these shows and movies is because there is a need to counteract the unbelievable negative brainwashing and imagery we've been exposed to since... the beginning of American history. I'm so glad that everyone is speaking freely about how they feel about these shows... mainly because I'm so glad these type of shows exist.

To all the posters on here that are criticizing with their double standards about the Portuguese not being the first to practice slavery on Africa and that Africans practiced slavery on their own. It's not possible to relativize the one with the other. Get off your high horse people!

Victim blaming serves to create psychological distance between the blamer and it occurs when the victim of a crime or any wrongful act is held entirely or partially at fault for the harm that befell them. The victim blaming serves no one. There is no justification or excuse.

Slavery, forced labor and human trafficking are violations of human rights because these acts strip human beings of their inherent rights. Period!

I can not understand why this has received some bad reviews, did they watch it all? Thank goodness for the good reviews and mine will be among them.

I have enjoyed the portrayal of these great Queens and the fact that it has been researched very well, with good depictions of both Queens and their eras, their backgrounds and the settings.

I found this highly entertaining and I enjoyed watching and learning at the same time. Great music, good acting and beautiful costume details.

Maybe some minor exaggerated bits but who knows for sure the accuracy of truth as none of us were there were we? Most enjoyable thank you.

It's not that bad. It's like any other documentary out there. I don't think anyone can get the exact history right, it's almost impossible unless you were with them 24/7. Overall it's a good mini documentary. It's not a crime to cast black peoples from uk. If you think about it they all come from Africa. Some scenes need some work tho but it's not that bad. It's definitely worth a watch.

This show is getting a lot of backlash just because Jada. If it was narrated by let's say Morgan freeman with exact words it would have not got these kinda low reviews. Everyone is just hating on Jada rather than just appreciate her effort to bring light on these forgotten part of history. I don't think Jada can create anything without getting backlash from Audience. I don't like her as well but it's good to know this part of history.

I really enjoyed this a lot. It was my first time hearing this story of Njinga and it was very inspiring. I enjoyed this episode more than the cleopatra episode, it had more theatrics. They spoke English the entire series for ease but i understood that this would not have been the case in that day.

I learned a lot watching this. The slave trade was horrible. It was interesting seeing how the catholic church was so involved with slavery.

I feel the story of Njinga was told very well, and i cant wait to learn more on my own. So sad that these stories aren't shared more, that's why I'm grateful for this series.

As an African American woman, I have heard of Queen Njinga and read only a little about her online, I love seeing her story told on screen and truthfully. The series touches on the huge difference between slavery within Africa and European chattel slavery, particularly Portuguese, putting the myth that Africans practiced the same brutal type of slavery or even invented it to rest. Folks can argue all they want but it's undeniable that the Portuguese and eventually the British, French, destroyed West African villages and stole human beings for their abundant wealth. Colonization and converting Africans to Christianity to trick them into back breaking servitude was the norm with the Europeans. Certainly, some African tribes sold others rival tribes into the trade, there's no question about that. However, the majority of slaves were stolen, kidnapped, villages raided, only a small percentage were sold by Africans. Queen Njinga was a masterful leader, like so many others in Africa, who worked hard to try saving as many of her people as she could from the evils of chattel slavery. I'm only on the second episode and can't wait to finish!

I know the story of Njinga but only the high level version. This was a good introduction to who she was, her people and the historical context of her life.

What I liked about this is that the historians told the history as it was and didn't attempt to paint Njinga as this perfect leader who didn't do some pretty brutal things herself to gain and/or maintain power and often had to adhere to the slave trade in order to maintain some form of peace and protect her people.

The acting and writing was a little weak in the first episode, but got stronger as the docu-drama progressed. This was very good and has inspired me to read the book about Njinga's life.

I hope Netflix will do more seasons of this as there are other African Queen's who were known for their valiance, leadership and strength. I would love to see their stories told as well.

I first read abou Njinga (or Nzinga) in a 1954 book that had little information on her life, other than the highlights. (possible spoiler here-- my favorite is the 'chair'.) Njinga was the first African ruler to play European political games, play the Europeans off one another, and unify conflicting African nations, shifting alliances whenever the benefit was greatest for her people. Sadly, she played well, but it was still a losing game, as this fine series says in its closing titles. Njinga was a wise and courageous warrior who lived in a difficult time. The first episode starts slowly but becomes more surefooted in the episodes with the most historical information. Some anachronistic music is a distraction but this is not present after the first episode. The scholarly commentary is interesting (some is from a modern 'woman king'), explains historical events that are not portrayed onscreen, and never breaks the continuity. Adesuwa Oni and Marilyn Nnadabe give outstanding performances and the rest of the cast is very good. The South African locations are stunning. I was curious about the fate of two characters who abruptly disappear from the story line, but since Njinga was just as ruthless as her oppressors, I can figure it out for myself.

This is a good start to what looks like a fascinating series.

For those of you debating slavery, it IS possible for two ideas to both be true. Yes, slavery is wrong no matter the continent or time. And, yes slavery is not practiced the same on every continent and during every time.

I am glad there is a story about African women that is well done. It may not be perfect, but it is well done. Yes, there are some inconsistencies but I found the series very enjoyable. I think the acting is great. I think it adds another part of the story of slavery in the western world that is rarely told. Based on the title, I am expecting more stories of other African queens or woman kings.

Queen Njinga was historically one of the few recognised African leaders in this barbaric era.

Slavery was rife in this period of which the catholic Church greatly profited. Was the African slavery as brutal as the Portuguese Dutch or British slave trade, where the average lifespan of a colonial slave in the so called new world was eight to ten years, that another debate.

She was a leader but one women fighting against European lead slavery is always a losing battle.

I take the positive in this drama documentary, not 100% accurate but a good watch and if if gets people to do more research on African history I take it.

In a world where the term "Queen" is often used as slang or a term of endearment, this movie prompts us to think more deeply about what it truly means to call someone "Queen."

This docuseries is a thought-provoking, eye-opening, powerful testament to the strength, resilience, and royalty of African Queens.

It tells the story of a female monarch who navigated a world where women were not meant to rule and did her best to protect and uplift her people.

The costumes, sets, and narrators are all top-notch, making for a compelling viewing experience.

But this series is about more than just one queen; it's about reclaiming the stories and histories of a continent that has been systematically erased and misrepresented by colonizers for centuries.

The truth about the civilizations and people that Europeans claimed never existed is finally being brought to light.

It's time for a new narrative, one that highlights the greatness of Black men and women and portrays them as kings and queens, not gang bangers and hood rats.

For too long, the media and entertainment industry have perpetuated negative stereotypes about people of color. This docuseries is a much-needed correction to that narrative.

And while some may nitpick and argue about the details, the bigger picture is that these stories are finally being told.

The series also addresses the issue of slavery, which has affected many cultures throughout history.

However, the Transatlantic Slave Trade stands alone in its scope, brutality, and institutionalization. It involved the forced removal of 14 million people from their homes, the stripping of their culture, and their enslavement in a new land for a span of over 300 years.

Even after emancipation, laws were put in place to ensure that they were considered less than human and made it almost impossible for them to live as free people.

We cannot continue to mute the truth out of fear of facing the consequences.

This docuseries is an important step towards understanding and reconciliation, and I, for one, cannot wait for the next installment.

Thanks Netflix for this educational and well presented series. Thanks for bringing this aspect of black history to life, and I hope you do more of these types of film documentaries. I can't believe the low scores. They are so unnecessary. Please ignore them and watch for yourself and learn. The story is that of a strong indefatigable woman who is very intelligent, relentless, and a great warrior. She could see through the Portuguese trickery at every turn, and even though she had vastly inferior weaponry fought valiantly against the slave trade, and disrupted the Portuguese business model as a result, rather than acquiescence.

Thank you for bringing Njinga's story to light. Well done, terrific cast, but most importantly this story, and others like it should never be forgotten. In the spirit of compassion for humanity and all of it's misdeeds, these stories need to become the foundation for introspection about how we can all do better.

I liked how the tone of the series took this view. While it was made clear how greed and profiteering took place from several countries, (including the Church of Rome), exploiting a non-technical race, the focus remained on Queen Njinga who never wavered in her conviction to fight the horrific injustice of what she knew was a global endemic.

She tried to at least preserve and protect her own kingdom as best she could. This came at a great price for her, repeatedly, yet she never martyred herself; rather, she refused to acquiesce to the supreme ignorance of the day, always believing that a small seed of her resistance would take root. And it did.

While all dramas and documentaries try to present the historical truth to fit a certain perception, this show seemed honest about what facts remain obscure to history, leaving a lot to conjecture. Yet with the known facts of Queen Njinga's life, I feel they succeeded in creating a fantastic representation of her character and the world she faced.