An adaptation less confident in its source material might have focused on what comes before and what happens after but WOMEN TALKING focuses in on the crux, the critical moments of decision that determine the fate of these women, their community, their families, and their religion. In so doing, the colony becomes a synecdoche for patriarchal society and their decision reflects the myriad of difficult decisions women need to make to survive and keep themselves safe. Excellent performances from Claire Foy and Jessie Buckley bring the film’s stagier aspects to life and an astonishing score by Hildur Guðnadóttir fills the silence between the talking.