In this slowly paced, somber film, Sarah (Beverly Naya), still reeling from an abusive and traumatic relationship, tries to let go of her fears and give love another chance. Encouraged by her friend (Bimbo Ademoye), she decides to wade into the muddy waters of Lagos dating and she is met with disappointment. Through chance meetings, she meets two friends and enters into some sort of a love triangle. While navigating her relationship with the two friends, Fred and Michael (Uzor Arukwe & Bucci Franklin), her abusive ex is still lurking. ‘Win or Lose’ Review: Lighthearted Flick From the Slums of…
Author: Ayodele Olawumi
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Black Adam is set in the fictional middle eastern country of Kahndaq. In prehistoric times, it was ruled by a power-hungry king that enslaved his people in his quest for power. In their struggle for freedom, a champion emerges, Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson), originally known as Teth Adam, considered worthy by the gathering of wizards upon whom the power of the gods was bestowed. Adam used his powers for revenge and destruction and he is imprisoned by the wizards where he stays dormant for years. 5000 years later, the ancient and once prosperous country of Kahndaq is being overrun by…
Grammy winning artiste Lorde sings in her song, “Glory and Gore” – ‘In all chaos there’s calculation.’ There doesn’t seem to be any form of calculation or organisation in the chaos that is the plot of Our President’s Money. The plot is in disarray from the beginning through till the end, and one is unable to make sense of the film’s events. It is hard to give a summary of this film because of the frustrating randomness of the story. Stingy womanizer Dauda (Michael ‘McLively’ Anamesi) and boy toy of Amope (Toyin Abraham) plan to spend the seven days of…
Kunle Afolayan’s Anikulapo has been the talk of the film watching community since its release and the film has sparked several debates online and offline. Theories have been developed, opinions shared, thought pieces written, arguments have been made on the film, its plot and characters. In all of these discussions, one character that seems to get most of the flak is Saro (played by Kunle Remi). The character has been given many labels: irresponsible, undisciplined, a philanderer and a traitor amongst many others. Everyone has the liberty to develop their own opinions on a film and its characters but I…
With Choke, Sozo Films make their theatrical debut with a psychodrama inspired by a novel of similar title, “Choked”. Kosiso (Chimezie Imo) is a sickle cell patient who has been given a rare chance to have another go at life in a healthier state by the means of a bone marrow transplant, but his hope is dashed when his parents are convinced by a zealous reverend father (Kanayo O. Kanayo) to invest the funds meant for the procedure in a supposedly miraculous holy water. As his chances at love are also snuffed out due to his parents’ act, Kosiso goes…
-Spoiler Alert- 2022 seems to be a coming-of-age year for traditional epic films in Nollywood, with audiences being treated to culturally rich films. Earlier this year, King of Thieves stole hearts in the cinemas, now Kunle Afolayan excites us with Anikulapo while Biyi Bandele’s Elesin Oba waits in the wings. Anikulapo is a Yoruba traditional epic set when the Ọ̀yọ́ empire reign dominated Yoruba land. With this latest Netflix entry, Kunle Afolayan transports us back in time with a story inspired by the Ifá mythology, a true and proper display of culture. ‘ ‘Anikulapo’: In Defence of Saro Saro (Kunle…
Thrillers that have twins as the lead characters seem to always have exciting plots whether the characters are working together against a common adversary or whether they are on opposite sides. Brotherhood joins films like Sheldon Lettich’s Double Impact where Van Damme plays twins separated as babies joining forces as adults to avenge their parents’ death and Woo Ping Yuen’s Tai Chi Master featuring two Shaolin monks embarking on radically different paths after being expelled from their temple. In Brotherhood, twin brothers Wale (Folarin Falana) and Akin (Tobi Bakre) face off on either side of the law. After witnessing the…
Tẹjú Cole states in his 2018 essay “On the Blackness of the Panther”, “many movies made by Hollywood have engaged in thought experiments about Africa. Some, made for American whites, resurrect colonial fantasy, with the African roles either brutish or naive. Others, made for American blacks, have a goal of uplift, cloaking the African experience with a fictional grandeur.” Somehow The Woman King manages to be a hybrid of both kinds of film. Historical accuracy is put aside for a story that would be more endearing to a western audience. Dahomey is portrayed as a peace-loving kingdom that only participates…
In 2002 Lanre Olorunnisola was unjustly imprisoned, in 2016 he published a memoir titled “Prison Notes”, chronicling his time and experiences in the prison. Inside Life is the film adaptation of Lanre Olorunnisola’s story, a story well told that it’s tempting to narrate, but for the fear of spoiling the film for potential viewers I won’t go in deep. Larry (Wole Ojo) is instructed by his boss to go to Lagos to represent the company in a long-running court case. What is meant to be a routine court appearance on behalf of the company becomes a brief prison sentence when…
In Todd Phillips’ 2009 comedy blockbuster The Hangover, Doug and his groomsmen take a trip to Las Vegas for his bachelor’s party, his friends wake up the next morning to find Doug missing. They have to find him before the wedding (if he is still alive). They scour the city looking for him, encountering several problems only to realise at the death that they left Doug on the roof of their hotel. Passport has a similar plot pattern, at least in the nature of the story. Spoilt rich kid Oscar (Jim Iyke) has come to Lagos from London to propose…