True to its name, It Blooms in June tells the story of a relationship between a father and daughter pair that increasingly gets emotionally complex until their dynamic reaches a head on a specific day in June. 

Korede Azeez makes a strong directorial feature debut in a movie that one could describe as a firm but steady unfolding of the heart’s grip. As portrayed by Femi Jacobs, Lanre Akande is a widower who raises his only daughter alone after the death of his wife. He is burdened with guilt, blaming himself for her death and vowing to never let anything happen to his daughter, Mira, who Susan Pwajok plays. Unfortunately, this leads to an overly sheltered life for Mira, his daughter who lives in a defeated complacency under his suffocating grip. She accepts her father’s overbearing nature and willingly curbs her own desires until it is time to decide on a university, which we can tell is the first time she really takes her stand against her father. 

Lanre is burdened by the thought of his daughter leaving home. The scheduled departure date in June looms over both of them like a ticking timer. For Mira, it brings the promise of a life she has been denied all her life and for Lanre, it brings his greatest fears to light. All of this is made worse by the new neighbors, Ebisinde (Kem Ajieh-Ikechukwu) and his mother (Kiki Omeili). Ebisinde quickly develops an interest in Mira and encourages her to step out of her shell and live life a little. His mother does the same for Lanre. These warm, lavender-scented matchups soon descend into chaos as Ebisinde and Mira’s relationship develops, revealing a frantic side to Lanre. 

It Blooms in June starts with a gentle sweetness that lasts from the first scene to the end. Unfortunately, the cute dynamic isn’t the only thing that persists. The pacing of the movie very slowly takes its time and stays on a flatline that hardly picks up. There is steady anticipation of a possible traumatic event that would ultimately tip Lanre off the edge and be the catalyst for his growth. The event does finally come, and so does his growth, but it betrays a discouraging flaw in the movie that almost brings the house of cards down. It Blooms in June is too safe. 

Each scene in the coming-of-age movie seems to be intentionally emptied of any real danger or risk. Ebisinde is introduced as a cocky young man who suddenly loses all of his gumption when it comes down to owning up to his feelings for Mira. Lanre has all of his greatest fears taking shape in front of his very eyes but save for a few raised voices, all he does is mostly remain docile. The climax is subtly built up for most of the movie but is eventually confined to an unmoving scene that inspires no real fear or electricity. What are we scared of, people?!

This safety is complemented by character inconsistencies that might have been easily ignored in a more action-centered movie but It Blooms in June tells a story about two characters and their internal journeys. This very fact exacerbates the inconsistencies into gaping plot holes. For most of her life, Mira follows her father’s wishes and does nothing to oppose him. Suddenly she is sneaking out at night and stealing his ATM card to go on a flight to Lagos. For a girl who has never been around her own city due to her father’s overprotectiveness, the leap is an incredible one and not satisfyingly built. 

Lanre isn’t left out of the fray. For more than a decade, he has lived in fear of one thing – his daughter growing up and encountering life in its entirety and brutality. His fear literally comes to life and while he is seen to have a few outbursts, one would have expected a sharp spiral into near insanity. Simply put, the characters grew too sharply. One minute they were their usual selves, and the next minute they had evolved into fearless, well-adjusted people without a deep enough motivating force mandating their drastic changes. However, luckily enough for viewers and creators alike, It Blooms in June has one powerful saving grace. It does one thing and it does it incredibly well— it makes you feel good. 

The portrayal of Mira and Lanre’s dynamic is remarkably catered, only to be rivaled by the most swoon-worthy romantic comedy. As you watch the movie, you find yourself smiling and rooting for this lonely father-daughter pair. In fact, you are so engrossed in the sweetness of it all that you forget everything else. Big Kudos to Femi Jacobs and Susan Pwajok for their undeniable chemistry. 

Like a flower slowly unfurling its petals and filling the air with a soft fragrance, It Blooms in June opens you up and gently preaches to you, “It’s okay. Let go.” It manages to mix nostalgia, relatability, and healing into one pleasant fragrance that leaves you smiling wide enough to forget all of the times during the movie when you furrowed your brows in confusion and tapped your feet in annoyed impatience. The movie is a cocktail of sweetness, plot holes, and helicopter parenting.  

It Blooms in June is available on Prime Video.

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Side Musings

• While Ebisinde and Mira had such a cute dynamic, I know I couldn’t have been the only one who wondered about what was happening with Ebisinde’s wardrobe and styling. If the assignment was to create a character that was Gen Z and cringe in the most obvious way possible, with the hair, contact lens, camera, and occasional cocky smirk, they knocked it right out of the park.