MOVIE REVIEW: FAR FROM HOME


(Mild Spoiler Warning!)


When hearing about Far From Home, what comes to mind first is Spiderman: Far From Home. When I heard about a Nigerian TV show releasing on Netflix, I was curious to see what it was about. 

This show got its share of usual critique from Nigerian Twitter space, not the Twitter space function but Nigerians on Twitter; just to clarify. 

They complained about the casting being too rigid after seeing the trailer and official poster. The complaint was about the cast looking way older than their age for the setup of the high school student's story it was trying to tell, which I entirely agree with, but does it break the immersion? Well, you’ll have to stay around till the end of the article to find out.

Far from Home follows the story of Ishaya Bello, a talented artist from the slums of Lagos who will not let anything stop or get in the way of him achieving his dream of becoming a renowned artist. 

The show is five episodes long; the first and final are fifty minutes, and the others are just thirty minutes. I didn't feel like they were too short or too long. Episode 2 had a continuation problem involving Ishaya finding himself in an odd place after passing out at a party. The pacing is good.

Moving on to the characters, Mike Afolarin plays Ishaya Bello excellently. He shines in it as he takes the audience on the journey of a character who will lie, steal, cheat and commit other heinous crimes to find his way to the top without looking back. 

This show has different familiar faces, and they play their characters well. However, the supporting characters are nothing you haven’t seen before in Hollywood movies and TV shows. The rich kid with daddy issues? Check. The one with mommy issues? Check. The nerd boy who will fall in love with the nerd girl? Check.

The outcast with whom no one wants to associate? Check. The cool boy who is the head of the sports team? Check. Nigerian touches to some of the characters, making them feel right at home.

There are the duo crime bosses: Rambo and Government. One is a brute without brains, and the other has some brains. If an award goes to the dumbest crime boss, you’ll ever see on screen. It has to be Rambo. It could be a decision from the writer’s room to make this character so generic just to fit into the budget of their productions, which is a smart move. Still, the character is almost cartoonish when he tries to be tough over simple issues and conflicts.

 Although, there was a scene where Rambo commanded Ishaya’s father not to call him a particular name. A backstory could have been explored during the runtime. (What if there’s going to be a second part that delves into this story?) 

I also feel this way about Ishaya’s father, but we must remember that the budget may not allow these explorations. So, we can give the show a free pass on this if that is the case. 

The cinematography of this show is of high quality and on a different level from many Nigerian productions, especially with its consistency and continuity. 

The editing and cutting of scenes weren't as awkward as you’ll find in many Nollywood productions. The show wasn’t bloated with brand advertisements in the audience’s faces. I will say the company in charge of the productions, Inkblot Productions, took the standard up a notch with this show in Nollywood. 

The sound score was okay, although some of the post-recorded voiceovers for some scenes didn’t sync well, and if you’re not paying attention well, you might not notice this. The choice of background music was excellent too.

Far From Home reflects a lot about our reality and society: dreams and ambition, poverty, dysfunctional families, privilege, and so many more. The ending was played safe. Ishaya got off too easy for what he had made others go through with his actions, but you know? That could be life.

Most of the characters got a happy ending, but not all, at least not Rambo, "Mr. No brains and all muscles." I find where he ended up comical—returning to the original question.

By the show's end, it didn’t feel like the choice of actors broke the immersion at any point. So, to the court of public opinion on the internet, you’re wrong on this one for me. The story is not groundbreaking, but it was an okay watch for me, and you can just watch this show to relax, and it's very easy to binge.


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. You can find him on LinkedIn and Twitter. 

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