Viola Davis leads fierce female gang in first trailer for Steve McQueen's Widows

Five years after storming the awards circuit with his historical drama 12 Years a Slave, director Steve McQueen is roaring back to the big screen with a star-studded thriller. And the first trailer for Widows promises a wild ride tinged with the filmmaker’s signature style.

Written by McQueen and Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn, Widows follows four grieving women — played by Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, and Michelle Rodriguez — who plot to complete a dangerous heist that left their criminal husbands dead. Liam Neeson plays Davis’ spouse, who fronted the ill-fated gang, and the cast also includes Colin Farrell, Lukas Haas, Robert Duvall, Jon Bernthal, Carrie Coon, Andre Holland, and Daniel Kaluuya.

“Our husbands aren’t coming back. We’re on our own,” Davis is heard saying in the new footage. “They stole a lot of money and now people want it from us. Now, the best thing we have going for us is being who we are.”

And why is that? “Because no one thinks we have the balls to pull this off,” she declares.

Though McQueen has directed several short films and a Kanye West music video since winning a Best Picture Oscar for 12 Years a Slave, Widows marks his first theatrical release since 2013. His other credits include the critically lauded pictures Hunger and Shame.

Given the U.K. native’s robust track record, Widows’ Nov. 16 release date, and the pedigree of the film’s cast, the project is widely expected to be one of 20th Century Fox’s contenders on the awards trail later this year.

To tide you over in the months ahead, watch the tense trailer for Widows above.