Who would have thought that Steven McQueen, artist-turned-director of such classy arthouse fare as 12 Years a Slave, Hunger and Shame, would be able to make a fabulously entertaining thriller? Widows erupts on screen with the final moments of a heist-gone-wrong, the consequences of which establish the film's narrative. And the film doesn't let up, packing a wealth of plot and action into its two hour running time. It is a magnetic watch, brimming with craft and skill, both on and off the screen.

The titular widows are three women whose husbands were gunned down as they attempted to steal from a Chicago wannabe-politician. Now with their intended victim demanding recompense, the wives must take part in one final heist that could set them up for life, or doom them to follow their partners' fate.

Widows has perhaps the strongest ensemble of 2018. Headed by an electric Viola Davis (and when has she never not been outstanding) there are strong turns up and down the cast. As Davis' co-widows Michelle Rodriguez and Elizabeth Debicki are the emotional hearts of the movie,with the weight of proceedings felt through their journeys. There are interesting turns buried in this film from Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall and Brian Tree Henry. But the real standout turns are from the quietly astounding Cynthia Erivo, and Daniel Kaluuya, who is simply terrifying. Part of the reason that the film is better than it has any right to be is because of the strength of its cast.

As engaging a thriller as Widows is, it is also a fascinating deconstruction of so many issues that define America today. The script, co-written with Gillian Flynn (of Gone Girl fame), finds room to explore race, grief, gender, politics and corruption. There's almost too much here, meaning some narrative developments in the final third feel rushed, without the time to develop them. But I came out wanting to return to Widows, to unpick all the threads that are running through it; it is that skilfully detailed.

And yet the film is first-and-foremost a fun, pulpy thriller, with McQueen emerging as a great action director. Aided by another propulsive score from Han Zimmer and Sean Bobbitt's sleekly gorgeous cinematography, the film looks and sounds masterful. It is a timely yet entertaining deconstruction of the state of America, wrapped round an effective heist thriller.

This is a London Film Festival preview and Widows will be released on the 6th November 2018.