Author: Osamudiamen Joe

Samaria is a highly subversive film and a particularly good one at that. If a film is subversive or if it “subverts expectations,” this means that it uses plot twists in its story to surprise and challenge the audience. A variety of techniques are used to achieve this. The twist should make sense within the context of the story while enhancing character arcs and challenging genres. Sometimes, the subversion is used for shock value, sometimes it is an attempt by the filmmaker to deconstruct a specific genre or trope. Short Film Review: Biddy-da-dum, ‘BOO’D UP’ Delivers an Engaging Watch Some…

Given everything that happens in this film, BOO’D UP is a pretty ironic title. This was the first thing that came to mind right before the fade to black. To be boo’d up or booed up means to be in a romantic relationship. It means to be “paired up” and basking in the enjoyment that presumably comes with having a significant other. Except no one in the Chukwuka Osakwe-directed short seems remarkably content with their lot, as far as love and romance go. The story focuses on three characters— Nonso (Taye Arimoro), Vee (Gbubemi Ejeye), and Jeff (Aderinto Stephen)— who,…

Juju Stories, the 3-part anthology film by Surreal16, is finally on streaming– it was released on Amazon Prime Video on October 7. The stories feature a lot of magical realist elements, combining the mundane aspects of Nigerian society with the seemingly metaphysical. Movie Review: ‘Juju Stories’ is an Occultic Rhapsody In this review, the critic describes Juju Stories as “tales about magic sans any magic.” Rob Rector at Film Threat says the film features “vignettes that explore the more magical elements of Nigerian culture,” and the reviewer at Movie Freak mentions that even though everything looks “simple and real” on…

I talk about the French New Wave a lot. Whenever I get to be part of a discussion about film, whether online or in person, I find a way to smoothly transition from the topic at hand to the group of people who pioneered a movement that greatly revolutionized our approach to film production and theory, namely, Jean-Luc Godard, Francois Truffaut, Jacques Rivette, Claude Chabrol, Agnes Varda, and Jacques Demy. I do not even usually have to try that hard; the influence of the French New Wave is everywhere. Writing about Godard’s debut film, Breathless (1960), in 2003, the late…

I do not think we’re meant to see films once. Stanley Kubrick once said, “The whole idea that a movie should be seen only once is an extension of our traditional conception of the film as an ephemeral entertainment rather than as a visual work of art. We don’t believe that we should hear a great piece of music only once or see a great painting once, or even read a great book just once.”  If you share the above sentiment, then you agree that films should be seen again and again, in different eras and under different societal conditions.…

At only six episodes, it might be possible to watch all of Ludik in the space of one afternoon, probably on 1.5 speed and with lots of snacks to boot. However, the chances are you won’t. The reason is simple enough. Even though Ludik, a Netflix original crime drama set in South Africa that serves as an Afrikaans first, turned out to be marginally more engaging than I anticipated, it falls into the same pitfalls as the others. The problem lies in the characters– specifically the main character, Daan Ludik (Arnold Vosloo). At no point does the series make a…

Jordan Peele occupies a rare and intriguing position in our current cinematic landscape. With only three feature films under his belt, he has proven that he is capable of providing audiences with movies that are entertaining and, at the same time, rich in theme. His high-concept stories are underpinned by compelling characters and confident filmmaking which quietly sets up key elements and pays them off in the most spectacular ways. Peele’s style across all three films can be described as grounded and realistic. Whether he is exploring a world where white pro-Obama-for-a-third-term-if-possible liberals steal and trade in black bodies for…

The term “prestige TV” has been around since the ’90s. It was used to categorize certain shows which were considered highbrow and “elevated” compared to their somewhat ordinary counterparts. In the late 90s, TV was experiencing burnout. Sitcoms had become too formulaic and audiences were desperate for a new kind of entertainment. The arrival of the following shows from cable networks changed the landscape for good: The Sopranos and The Wire, both from HBO, as well as Breaking Bad and Mad Men, from AMC. By the time the streaming giant Netflix launched its first original show in 2013 with House…

The Kenyan film industry is finally getting the Netflix treatment, expanding the streaming giant’s reach across Africa. The first original series from Africa to debut on Netflix was Queen Sono, a South African production which premiered back in 2020. Since then, other South African titles have graced the streaming service such as Blood and Water, Kings of Jo’burg and Jiva!  Last year, Kemi Adetiba’s King of Boys: The Return of the King premiered on the platform after a long moment of anticipation from fans and was the talk of the town for a while. Blood Sisters pulled off a similar…

Paul Thomas Anderson is one of cinema’s most beloved auteurs. The film director who dropped out of film school after attending only two days of lectures has made a name for himself not only in America but also across the globe as one of the most brilliant and confident visual storytellers working today. PTA, as he is popularly called, wears multiple hats as far as the filmmaking process is concerned; he writes, produces and directs his screenplays and is more than capable of filling the role of a cinematographer as evidenced by his work in the 2017 period drama, Phantom…