She selected the project because of her previous work playing the role of the Wakanda spy and former Dora Milaje warrior, Nakia, in Black Panther.
She describes it in terms of a dichotomy: "The Agoji women were involved in the slave trade and that has changed the dynamics and polarisation of Benin to this day.
Along the way, she stops to meet Martine de Souza, a Beninese guide, and they continue to the Royal Palaces of Abomey, the ancestral home of Dahomey's Ahosu (king).
They view a fresco showing panthers guarding crossed swords, bas-relief depictions of Ahosi combat, and the preserved throne of Ahosu Ghezo, which rests on the skulls of Dahomeyan enemies.
Etienne performs a Voudoun ritual allowing her to visit the burial place of Alewomman, after which she observes a ceremonial Egungun dance by descendants of Yoruba slaves captured by Alewommen.
[11] Carol Midgley gives 3 of 5 stars in The Times (UK), saying, "The last ten minutes of Warrior Women with Lupita Nyong'o proved an important corrective to the romantic, reverential stories that we had heard so far of the Agoji."
The Guardian's Elle E. Jones gives 4 of 5 stars, noting, "[Y]our average historian probably wouldn’t have had the Oscar-commended empathy required to conduct Nyong’o’s most moving interview.
"[12] Warrior Women with Lupita Nyong'o was iNews' Gerard Gilbert's Pick of the Day[13] and Sarah Hughes' 4 of 4 star review acknowledged that, "Intriguing as the story was, it was also not straightforward.
"[14] Sean O'Grady for Independent (UK) gave it a positive review, writing, "An outstanding and novel contribution to Black History Month from Channel 4, and excellent in its own right.
"[16] Warrior Women with Lupita Nyong'o received Television Business International's 2020 Content Innovation Award for Factual TV Project of the Year.
[17] In an editorial for The Telegraph (UK), Helen Brown discusses her concern how efforts to provide strong feminine role models could lead to "airbrushing these complex women into cartoon superheroes."
"[18] In an opinion editorial for The New Yorker, Julian Lucas writes a critique about the historical accuracy of The Woman King in which he uses Women Warriors with Lupita Nyong'o to clinch his argument.