I usually do not sit down to watch Nigerian movies by myself. I actually do not have any issue or dislike them, I just simply lack the patience and interest to watch one alone. Every time I've watched a Nigerian movie, I'm either with a friend or relatives who is watching one. And the day I watched Thinline was one of those few times. My phone was charging, and my friend was watching Thinline on hers, so I decided to join her and that was how I got hooked.
The movie tells the story of Pastor Raymond. Who is a respectable and well know pastor with a beautiful wife, and an almost perfect life. Everything changes when he met Annie, a sex worker with a reputation for stealing from her customers. Annie wasn't just trouble for Raymond. Her presence immediately shakes Raymond's world, forcing him to confront temptation, guilt and moral conflict.
Annie, having fallen in love with pastor Raymond, targeted him, managed to drug him, go into his hotel room and take pictures of them being intimate. With these pictures, she was able to blackmail him into giving her ten million naira and having one more hot night with her.
The tension rises quickly. Annie dies under mysterious circumstances. Raymond, the customers she had stolen from, and also her colleague (a fellow sex worker) becomes the prime suspect. The police started investigating and all evidence pointed to Raymond, especially because Annie was pregnant for him. From there, the plot just kept me on edge, while trying to balance its suspence and moral dilemmas.
What intrigued me most about the movie was that it felt authentic rather than overblown. It wasn't like one of those movies that throws too much at me just to create drama. It was simple but intense.
I also really like how the movie made me feel. I was do invested in Raymond's struggle, I was worried and at some point, mad at him, and even conflicted about Annie's actions. Scene after scene, the suspense, twists, and moral questions kept me hooked. Watching the movie with a friend made it even fun, we kept reacting to Raymond's frantic decisions, the shocks and twists together.
Mercy Aigbe and Uzor Arukwe performance was good and believable, making every tense moment authentic. Especially Uzor who did a good job portraying all the emotions and struggles his character was going through. Annie's character was wild, her role was so well done. She made bad choices, but I could see her as more than just a villian. But Raymond's wife... I definitely did not see whatever went on with her coming. Her calm demure throughout the movie made the plot twist even more shocking.
I genuinely liked this movie. I wouldn't normally choose a Nigerian movie for myself if I am looking for a movie to watch, but Thinline broke that expectation. I was impressed. It is a well-made movie that is thought-provoking, uplifting and moving piece of engagement. After finishing the movie, I thought on how line is between right and wrong really is thin, and how one choice can change everything.
My Rating? Definitely a 4 out of 5 stars.