Hers, Mine, Ours is a 2021 short film directed by Deji ‘Riley’ Omoloja and written by Akuchinyerem Okonkwo. With a synopsis reminiscent of Tade Ogidan’s 2004 film, Dangerous Twins, Kuchi Chris plays the technical role of portraying the twins, Nwakaego and Nwamaka. Based on the ageless plot structure of sibling rivalry, the short film follows the twins as they resolve this rivalry, violently.
The short film opens with Dele (Ajayi Akorede Tega), who is married to one of the twins, on a surprise date with his wife. Familial discussions arise and we find out the ‘other twin’ has gone to join a cult. From there, the short film unravels this claim as a lie and what happened to the ‘other twin’ is revealed. Nwakaego has felt repressed in her more expressive twin, Nwamaka’s shadow, all her life. Chance brings Dele to her one fine afternoon and somehow, Nwamaka, who describes herself to Dele as ‘the fun one’, gets together with Dele and they get married which feels like a betrayal to Nwakaego. She kidnaps her twin and does away with her.
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Ajayi Akorede’s suave take of the character somehow complements the naivety and cluelessness the character espouses. And while Kuchi Chris does her best to carry the role, there is a flaw to her depiction, perhaps due to a lack of plot compactness, or the distinct characterization needed to differentiate the twins, she has a lethargic mien which overtakes her performance. And since we find her character(s) at the heart of the narrative, it affects the entire delivery of the film. A decent story that could have been elevated by the lead’s performance loses that chance. However, all is not doom and gloom. The potential, for Kuchi Chris, is present, and experience will nourish it appropriately. For now, however, we will take what she has presented as hers.
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Hers, Mine, Ours is available to stream for free on AfroLandTV.
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