Written by Erica Joy with screenplay by Briana Cole, produced by Angela White, Executively produced & directed by Chris Attoh (also starring as Professor Russel Taylor), this 2023 Ghallywood movie titled “NINE” was released to Prime Video & AppleTV.
This fantasy thriller with a runtime of 1hour 38minutes highlights the ritualistic kïllings in Africa with particular focus on Ghana, West Africa. Combining mysticism with theatrical storytelling, this movie portrays the unquenchable thirst for power. It also sheds light on how much university girls risk their lives meeting with strangers.
While the above lines may sound familiar, especially from the Nollywood movie industry perspective, the approach adopted here, however, makes it stand out enough for uniqueness.
Plot Summary
For three years, the people of Ghana have been bedeviled by a series of questionable deaths. The kïller unknown. When Chicago based detective Kerston (Damien D. Smith) is called by Inspector Vivian (Rosemary Zimu) upon seeing a resemblance in the kïlling of his daughter Brit at the 28th death. He immediately flies back to Ghana to assist in the investigation.
On the other side of things are a group of NINE warriors (mostly women) led by their warrior mother (played by Kate Henshaw). Having been training them since childhood, they’re ready for the task ahead.
Will these teams be able to find the kïller? Who is the kïller by the way? What’s the rationale for the incessant kïllings? You might want to watch for yourself as things unfold.
My thoughts
This is a captivating storyline, an intriguing plot, engaging sequencing, stellar performances from ALL THE ACTORS, believable narrative, powerful CGI elements, VFX on point and a clever cinematography.
My best acts:
Rosemary Zimu: As the lead actress, she delivered.
Chris Attoh: Guy can do no wrong in my eyes.
Kate Henshaw: Though she only appeared in about 2 or 3 scenes, yet her impact was felt. Her gym life paid off here as her taekwondo moves were smooth.
Now, while the progression held my interest, character development from the start was, however, dodgy until about 10 to 15 minutes into the film. So you may find yourself asking who is who until the roles are fully established.
Although the editing and use of captions for locations were cool, making it easy for viewers to follow the story, the lighting wasn’t as brilliant, and this somewhat affected the picture quality a little bit.
I find that the use of the African-American accents in telling a core African story, especially the scenes in Ghana, was confusing and distracting.
I was expecting to hear those beautiful Ghanaian names and a mix of the typical Ghanaian accent and language, but these ingredients were missing. The names of the characters, too, were mostly English. Why?
At the end of the movie, I was also asking myself what the essence of the American detective’s role was. He appeared to have played little to no part in bringing the kïller to justice. If it was to find closure, well maybe it worked or maybe it didn’t.
Furthermore, what is the connection between the opening scene, the child rescued, the Chicago kïlling and the rest of the movie? Those parts to me were not very relevant in the overall story.
Nevertheless, this was educational, interesting, suspenseful, somewhat unpredictable, entertaining, etc. The cliffhanger at the end probably suggests a sequel. Is this something the producer is looking to achieve? Well, let’s wait and see.
This comes recommended at the rating of 8/10.