Movie Review: "Anikulapo" is a Breath of Fresh Air But Not Without Its Flaws

 

Spoiler Alert!

If you’re yet to see Anikulapo, right now will be a good time to close this article as it contains some spoilers, but if you’ve seen the movie or you just don’t mind, proceed ahead by all means. 

Anikulapo is a movie that follows the story of a man called Saro, a stranger and textile weaver who recently arrived in the old Oyo empire. He is housed and helped by a woman called Awarun, under some conditions that he agrees to. Not long after this, he starts an illicit affair with Queen Arolake who feels unsafe and less happy with her marriage to the king. Both lovers eventually try to make a break for it, but they are caught, and Saro is put to death. However, this wasn’t the end for him. He was given a new chance at life and a newfound power that set him up on a path that brought about his hubris and undoing.

Anikulapo is best described as a historical fantasy drama with a touch of romance. Its runtime is about two hours and fifteen minutes. The acting was well done with line-ups like Bimbo Adekoye, Kunle Remi, Hakeem Kazie Kazim, Sola Sobowale, and more. The new and familiar faces delivered in their various characters.

One standout was a clever move from the director (Kunle Afolayan) that is noticeable in the casting of Oba Aderoju (Hakeem Kazie Kazim), a Hollywood actor. This man was not going to speak any Yoruba with his background. This was avoided by having his character speak through a mouthpiece (another character) rather than speaking directly to other characters. Sola Sobowale was fantastic in her role as well, no doubt at this point. She is the big mama of Nollywood currently.

Another standout was the effort put into the location and costumes. A great effort was put into the design of the set of scenes. We haven’t had many mainstream movies set in the era this one was based on. So, it was a breath of fresh air to have a feel of this setting.

There are several themes in this movie, like pride, loyalty, lust, slavery, and many more. Some of these have generated memes on social media, like "Stay Wicked" a meme that came as a result of the climax. 

Moving on, Anikulapo is not without its issues, and I would like to point out some of the ones I discovered after finishing the movie.

First is character development. Some issues with character development become noticeable midway through the movie. The character of Saro was built from the start of the story, and the writer did a good job of reeling in the audience.

However, things start to get a little bit murky mid-way through the movie when we have some time jumps. This is where Anikulapo falls into the usual trap that I’ve noticed with some Nollywood movies.

Hear me out, there is always this issue of giving the audience stories that are meant to be a series or stories that can be made concisely as a movie into a series. This often results in some questionable moments and turns of events.

This is not without a reason either. Sometimes, it could be a result of what studios want. Sometimes, it might be out of the control of the writers and directors, Other times, it could be about the budget running out or not being enough.  I believe Anikulpao with eight episodes and close to an eight-hour runtime, would have done a better job of delivering a complete delivery on character development and some of the message it wanted to pass across.

There wasn’t much interaction with the mystical entity, and its power was exploited and stolen by Saro and his lover. It would have been a treat for the audience if this mysterious part of the plot was explored.

After all, Aníkúlápó "which means one that holds death in his purse," is where the movie got its title. For viewers and fans that are familiar with the plot of movies or series that touch on supernatural subjects, one would have thought the entity would come asking for its power or there would be a bargain between Saro and the entity, which would bring high stakes to the plot.

We never get to see this happen. Saro was just a normal man who escaped death by luck while also capturing a power beyond his understanding or reach. It would have been interesting to see more stakes introduced with this; all we got was a cliffhanger at the end.

Overall, it was an okay watch that left the audience desiring more if given a deep and proper thought.

About the Author

Olayinka Ajayi is a writer, creative director, and movie blogger from Nigeria. Having been involved in the entertainment circle since childhood, his interests range from comics, movies, and animations to video games. He has consistently developed his interest in the entertainment field which led to the creation of his movie review blog, 'Review Krunch', the blog is distinct for its engaging reviews and analysis. 

When he is not analyzing the latest movies or working on some creative designs and stories, he's helping out as a contributor in mobile game communities.