One of the most trending news flooding the Nigerian airwaves is about the success of this Nollywood blockbuster from the house of Funke Akindele, which is nothing other than A Tribe Called Judah. Ever since its release last year, it has been smashing records left and right, chief of which is the fact that it has managed to gross over a billion naira. A very impressive feat, not just for the producers of the movie, but for the industry as a whole. And of course, it’s a movie I would very much love to give a review on.
The movie got to me in a way only a few Nollywood movies have gotten to me before, and that is a remarkable feat. It shows that the industry is improving and stamps the fact that we’re not called one of the top industries for nothing. So, without further ado, let’s get into the details, shall we?
Narrative
The movie tells the story of Jedidah Judah and her five sons and how they try to survive the harsh conditions that they encounter. Each of Jedidah’s sons is from different men from different tribes of Nigeria; Emeka was born to an Igbo man, Adamu was to a Hausa man, and Shina was born to a Yoruba man. Then, there was also Pere and Ejiro.
Jedidah was just a single mother struggling to cater for her children in the harsh climates of the slums of Lagos State, she had no one to help her except her two oldest boys. Two of her other children were always getting in trouble and her last son, Ejiro was a painter and loverboy. Things took a drastic turn though when Jedidah suddenly fell sick and was subsequently diagnosed with hypertensive chronic kidney disease and treating her required millions of naira. An amount of money that none of them could raise. So, to save their mother, the sons decide to rob one of the rich men in their area. However, things don’t go as planned. Not by a long shot.
Cast
I love how special time was taken to really write the characters. Both the main ones and the supporting characters. It seemed like everyone had a role to play and no one was just there for the show which was remarkable.
Jedidah
This role is played by Funke Akindele. She’s the no-nonsense mother who has managed to raise five boys alone, against all odds. The backstory behind her having five sons from five different men is quite a sad one, and when you think about it, kinda realistic because a lot of the decisions she made are the same as a lot of people make in real life.
She’s been through a lot right from her teenage years and had a lot of reasons to be angry at the world, but she didn’t let it dull her spark. She was still kind, even though she was a bit of a hothead. Scratch that, she was very much a hothead. Still, she never hesitated to give when she had and lend a helping hand. It was something she was known for in the community.
One flaw she had was her children, she stood for them no matter what they did. Even if it was bad, she always had their back, especially when they did something wrong.
Emeka
This role is played by Jide Kene Achufusi. He is Jedidah’s first son. He works as a sales rep in an upholstery shop at the mall. He was a graduate, but with no job at all, he had no choice but to take the only one he could find. He then uses it to help his Mom out in the upkeep of his home. He’s the firstborn and carries himself as such, he’s always ready to pounce and deal with any of his brothers who stress their because she already goes through so much just by raising them.
Adamu
This is played by Uzee Usman. He is her second son and he works at the same mall as Emeka, but as a security guard. He’s an ambitious man and wants more for himself, more than what his present state can get him. He’s not desperate, but he’s willing to do what he can to change not just his status, but that of his family as well.
Shina
This is played by Tobi Makinde. He’s one of the neighborhood hoodlums that terrorize the streets, the people popularly known as the agberos. He’s always getting into fights and into trouble and this is one chief source of his mother’s stress.
Pere
Played by Timini Egbuson, he’s a pickpocket who is another source of worry for his mother. Always getting into one kind of trouble or the other. He almost gets his ass kicked by Emeka one time for stressing Jedidah.
Ejiro
Played by Olumide Oworu, he’s the last born and the baby of the house, something he definitely acts like. He’s always full of questions and always wants to do everything his brother does. But he has his own thing. He’s in a relationship and he’s also a good painter, something he sells on the side to make some money. Right from the beginning of the movie, we’re shown that he’s got the spirit of a hustler, and that carries throughout the movie.
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If there is one thing the film was sure to show us, is how despite their differences, they were all a unit. They’re brothers, as different as night and day, but once one of their own needed help, they immediately swung into action and banded together. They really were a tribe because when they were together, only a few could stand against them.
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Chairman Chigozie Onouha
This is played by Uzor Arukwe. He’s Emeka’s boss and owns the Upholstery shop in the mall. He’s also the one the brothers plan to rob. He’s a stingy and arrogant man, and like the other characters, he was beautifully written. Whenever he came on-screen, you simply wanted to reach in and grab him by his fancy collar.
My Thoughts
If you’ve come this far, you should be able to guess what I think about the movie. I immensely enjoyed it. It captivated me right from the start and that was amazing, not many movies can do that. The story started right in the heat of the action, and that is always the best start. Also, I love how they handled their suspense. There are movies you’d watch that either lack suspense, or draw it out way too much to the point that it becomes annoying. This movie handled it well.
I commend their stunts team. The fight scenes were quite good and the choreography was just awesome, definitely an improvement from Funke’s previous movies. I also enjoyed their use of culture, language, and traditions throughout the movie. The location was right on par, they really showed what it was like to be living in poverty in the deepest reaches of a Nigerian town.
On the downside, there were only a few things I could pick out. The movie started well, just like I said, however, it got to a point where everything seemed to come to a standstill and it seemed like nothing was going on except the characters having random conversations. The story dragged on for a while, and later on picked right back up.
Another issue I noticed is their sound effects which, I’m sad to say, is still kind of poor. Sound effects during action scenes are really important, if they don’t convey the scenes well, it can ruin them, no matter how good they are. The gunshots, the sound of fists against flesh, and the breaking of glass, all these are important because they add to the suspense and every other thing that makes you enjoy the movie.
For now, I can’t think of any other issue with the movie, which is to show you just how much I enjoyed it.
My Rating
So, what will I be rating this movie? It’s definitely a 9 out of 10 for me. I know it doesn’t tick all the boxes, but it sure ticks a lot of boxes in my books. It’s realistic, and the characters are so relatable. You can see yourself in any one of her children, or even Jedidah herself. I guess this is the reason it’s such a big hit. If you're yet o watch it, you can check out the trailer here.
It has great rewatch value and it’s a movie that will stand the test of time. The ending of the movie was two-way. It could be the definite end, or it could lead to a sequel. I guess that’s for Mummy Funke and her team to decide. Meanwhile, we’d keep enjoying her blockbuster.
This movie broke a lot of boundaries and it has finally taken the bar to an unprecedented height, something I’m very much grateful for. It means that in the coming months and years, we’ll see better movies hit our cinemas and our streaming platforms. And Nollywood will keep reminding the world why we’re one of the best.
I’m so proud.
Thank you for reading. I’m a fan of movies and I watch anyone that catches my fancy. Be sure to leave a comment below, I would love to know what you’re thinking. See you in the next review.
N.B: Images not sourced are taken from the movie.
