While the Academy Awards often reward familiar faces in the acting categories, there’s a growing list of great actors who have somehow missed their shot at a nomination for far too long. Thankfully, this year’s set of nominees rewarded many first-timers, including Colin Farrell for his hilariously heartbreaking leading role in The Banshees of Inisherin and Brian Tyree Henry for his devastating supporting turn in Causeway. While it’s hardly the first time that these two brilliant performers have been deserving of recognition, it’s nice to see them both treated with dignity for their equally deserving performances. Farrell and Henry are two actors who seemingly improve with every project they appear in, and this was never more evident than when they shared the screen together in Widows.

Following his Academy Award wins for 12 Years a Slave, director Steve McQueen chose to take a genre detour and make a neo-noir heist thriller that deeply examined societal stigmas and the impacts of racism, sexism, and generational wealth on the city of Chicago. He just so happened to land one of the most impressive ensembles in modern memory. The film follows the heartbroken women of a failed heist crew Veronica Rawlings (Viola Davis), Linda (Michelle Rodriguez), Alice (Elizabeth Debicki), and the local beautician Belle (Cynthia Erivo) to perform the last mission that Veronica’s husband Harry (Liam Neeson) had planned. Their task is to rob Tom Mulligan (Robert Duvall), the city’s most fearsome and influential power broker.

This electrifying mission is cast with the backdrop of an election cycle that shows how deeply rooted in corruption the city is. Contending in the mayoral race is Tom’s son Jack (Farrell), the next-in-line in a privileged power dynasty, and Jamal Manning (Henry), a powerful gangster whose brother Jatemme (Daniel Kaluuya) runs a ruthless enforcement protocol. Both characters are damaging to the city in different ways, and both have the potential to affect the destinies of the women at the center of the narrative. Although Widows balances a lot of characters, Farrell and Henry brilliantly show how evil can exist on two sides of the same coin.

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Colin Farrell and Brian Tyree Henry Portray Different Types of Threats in 'Widows'

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Image via 20th Century Studios

Widows makes it clear that the female heist team is forced to perform this dangerous scheme because of the city’s deeply rooted infrastructural problems; they’re women forced to live with their husbands’ consequences and face the financial system’s inherently discriminatory tactics. This made it important to show those responsible for the state that the city is in. Jack Mulligan is responsible for contributing to economic disenfranchisement with his endorsement of the status quo, and Jamal is responsible for creating a sense of paranoia that draws helpless young men into his criminal scheme. Jack is giving more power to those who already have it, and Jamal is raising the next generation of criminals.

Farrell shows the dual role that Jack has in public and private during one of the most stunning tracking shots in recent memory. Jack appears at a public rally in support of his campaign where he charismatically discusses what actions he will take to improve the city’s working class and give underprivileged communities his full attention; Farrell’s enthusiasm is just enough to mask the plasticity of Jack's claims. Following these promises, Jack enters his car and unveils what he actually thinks about his plan, revealing how he aims to win over support from people of color by using his in with empty proposals. The cruelty of Jack’s words cut even deeper as the car passes through the impoverished, crippling urban communities to the sleek indulgence of the gentrified neighborhood he lives in. Farrell manages to make these five minutes of dialogue seem off the cuff and spontaneous, despite obviously requiring excessive rehearsal.

Similarly, Henry needs only a few moments to showcase the fear that Jamal inspires in others. He lingers in the background of Harry’s funeral, and the cone of silence that is created upon his arrival speaks volumes about his reputation. Henry makes every simple gesture or word of comfort seem terrifying, as there’s never any doubt of his power. He utilizes his physicality to impose upon Veronica as he demands that she pay up for her husband’s crimes.

Colin Farrell and Brian Tyree Henry's Characters Leave a Major Impact in 'Widows'

Colin Farrell as Jack Mulligan looking intently in 'Widows'
Image via 20th Century Fox

The brilliance of Widows is that these two characters don’t even have to be directly involved in the climax to be the cause of it; with each passing maneuver and debate they have, it’s clear that the results of the election won’t change anything about the threat these women are under, and it won’t lead to any brighter future. Each moment they appear, Farrell and Henry personify how similar these men are in their petty grievances and selfish ambitions. Jack uses policy and Jamal uses violence, but they’re both shaping the nightmare of reality that the other characters populate.

Farrell’s portrayal of Jack's callous tenacity is particularly terrifying during a critical twist that reveals Jack is in league with Harry, who survived his presumed death to betray his team and ruin Jamal’s campaign strategy. Once again, the passionless encounter between Farrell's Jack and Neeson's Harry is so coldly calculated that it’s only more infuriating for Veronica. Similarly, Henry shows Jamal’s powerful showmanship during the mayoral debate, only to reveal in private that the campaign hardly affects him. He may have temporarily gained prominence in the city’s upper class, but relies on intimidation to earn the $2 million from Veronica’s team that he is owed. Even with Jatemme dead and the election lost to Jack, Henry shows that Jamal is just as powerful as ever.

Causeway and The Banshees of Inisherin show how well these actors work as leads, but that doesn’t make either of their supporting performances in smaller roles less impactful. There are different challenges in working as part of a vast ensemble, as an actor has less time to individualize and flesh out their character. It’s impressive that both Farrell and Henry manage to leave such an impact on Widows in only a few short scenes; it’s even more incredible that they did so in a film where the ensemble is already stacked with brilliant performers. While Widows underperformed during its initial release, it’s inevitable that it will be regarded as a classic, and Farrell and Henry’s work is a major reason why.