'Queen Sono' Is Netflix's First African Original Series

Queen Sono premiered on Netflix on February 28, 2020, and viewers are already raving about it. The South African crime drama television series is the first of its kind on Netflix. It is the first script-to-screen commission from Africa. It has been advertised as a drama of action and crime.

The Leading Character

The main character is Queen Solo, played by Pearl Thusi. She is a field operative of the Special Operations Group (SOG) and daughter of Safiya Sono, an anti-apartheid revolutionary leader and freedom fighter who was assassinated when Queen Sono was just a child.

When you think of spies, you wouldn't normally think of someone like Queen Solo. You probably would think about white males like Jason Bournes and James Bond. However Queen Sono is sure to change your mind about spies, and you will conclude that the right woman can also be a spy. Once you see her act as an undercover agent for a South African intelligence unit, you will admire her brains and her beauty along with her talents, strength, and boldness.

About Queen Sono

The first season has six episodes that are all available for viewing. So, you don't have to wait between episodes. They are only 32 to 47 minutes in duration. Therefore, it won't take long for you to watch all the episodes. Queen Sono's story focuses on her as a secret South African spy who is involved with criminal operations while dealing with personal crises in her own life.

Queen Sono is a powerful woman who is brave enough to tackle problems to protect her country and the continent no matter whatever threats come her way. Her tragic background makes her angry enough to seek justice.

The powerful woman introduces herself and what she can do in the very first episode that is entitled, "I Am Queen Sono." Not only will viewers see the great acting from the all-African cast, but they will get a glimpse of some of the places where the series was filmed. The first season's episodes were filmed on location in 37 different places including Johannesburg, South Africa, Lagos, Nigeria, Kenya, Nairobi, Zanzibar, and Tanzania. Viewers get to see those places and hear what the people sound like.

English is the main language of the series, but a variety of other languages are interspersed including Afrikaans, isiXhosa, Pretoria Sotho , Shona, Zulu, and Swahili. Some French and Russian languages are also spoken.

The spy drama is action-packed. Queen Sono does her own stunts and uses unconventional methods to get the job done. She has a mind of her own, and she often goes against suggestions from her bosses.

About Pearl Thusi

Many Americans might not be familiar with the leading character. Her real name is Sithembile Xola Pearl Thusi and her nickname is "Real Black Pearl." She is a 31-year-old South African actress, model, television host, and radio personality. She has been in her career since 2003. For two seasons from 2016-2017, she played Dayana Mampasi on ABC's Quantico as a human rights lawyer alongside Priyanka Chopra.

In 2017, Thusi starred in another Netflix film, the romantic comedy Catching Feelings. It is about a young couple's marriage turned upside down when an older man moves in to live with them. That film was written and directed by Kagiso Lediga, the same person who wrote and directed Queen Sono.

Reception

In such a short period of time since the series was released, it has already received positive reviews from movie critics. Rotten Tomatoes has given it a 100 percent approval rating with an average rating of 9/10 based on 8 reviews. Metacritic assigned the first season a score of 72 out of 100 based on 4 critics who gave it "generally favorable" reviews.

Netflix is now available in 190 countries. At the end of 2019, the streaming service had surpassed 100 million paid memberships outside of the United States. Netflix's goal is to get audiences in Africa's 54 countries in the continent to subscribe.

Why You Should Watch Queen Sono

You should watch Queen Sono to see the mixture of international espionage, and family drama. The series is not boring at all. It is action-packed.

You will see that Queen Sono is devoted to keeping her country and the continent safe by any means necessary. She bends some rules and makes some of her own to get the job done. Thusi admits Queen Sono lives on the edge, but she would have it no other way.

Even though Queen Sono is a spy movie, there is much more to learn from the film. The series explores life in South Africa through the characters in Queen Sono's life such as government figures, her family, and her friends. The series is educational. You hear African songs played during scenes. You see African culture and admire clothing worn by the characters, and you hear the various languages the characters speak.

Watch Queen Sono on Netflix and find out what the buzz is all about.