Bisina Somto, PBA Journalism Mentee‘Brotherhood,’ Nigeria’s highest-grossing movie at the moment is definitely one for the books. When I saw the cast members in June, I immediately concluded that it was going to be a star-packed movie with a boring plot and terrible acting, as is the trend in the Nollywood Movie industry. However, after watching the thriller in August, all those thoughts vanished.
The two hours movie produced by Jade Osiberu and directed by Ugandan filmmaker, Loukman Ali was released on September 23, 2022.
Jade Osiberu, the Producer of Blockbuster movies like Ayinla, Isoken, Sugarrush, and many others, gave us a breath of fresh air with this amazing film. While, like any work of art, it had some flaws, Brotherhood has gone on to break records as it is currently the top-grossing movie with N302 million, giving it the number-one spot in the country.
The film is similar to the 2004 Nollywood classic drama thriller, ‘Dangerous Twins’, starring Ramsey Nouah. It tells the story of twin brothers, Wale and Akin, who find themselves on different sides of the law and morality.
The Cast includes Sam Dede, Ronke Oshodi, Zubby Michael, O.C. Ukeje, Folarin Falana (Falz the Bahd Guy), Tobi Bakre, Bright Okpocha (Basketmouth), Toni Tones, Omawunmi, Jidekene Achufusi, Debo Adedayo (Mr Macaroni), Boma Akpore, Diane Russet, Dorathy Bachor and Seyi Awolowo.
Plot Overview
‘Brotherhood’ primarily focuses on twin brothers Akin (Tobi Bakare) and Wale (Falz), who lost their parents while growing up. Wale grew up to be a responsible man, getting a job as a detective, while Akin became a criminal which landed him in prison several times.
After serving a Jail term, information reached Akin that his twin brother has gotten a job in the police force, with the anti-crime unit, SWAT. The brother, however, doesn’t get along. Their aunty (Ronke Oshodi) has countless times advised him to turn a new leaf.
Ignoring the chance and advice to turn a new leaf, Akin joins an armed robbery gang called the Ojuju Boys. With his intelligence and network, Akin helps step up their robbery game and falls in love with a team member, Goldie (Toni Tones). Meanwhile, an incident causes Wale to investigate the Ojuju boys’ identity.
Things were going well for both brothers until Akin showed up uninvited at Wale’s wedding party, flaunting his newly found wealth, making Wale suspicious of him.
Fast forward to the group’s final heist and both brothers find themselves in a shout out where only one of them survives.
Likes
The Cinematography, camera movements and lighting, was top notch, as each of these features heightened the intentions of each scene.
The setting of any film is very important, both the time and physical location. It’s safe to conclude that the director nailed it. From filming on the third mainland bridge, to the Ojuju boy’s hideout made many action sequences believable and a joy to watch.
It would be somewhat of a crime if I don’t give credit to the cast, as they all delivered outstanding performances. O.C. Ukeje did an excellent job switching from being a Nollywood heartthrob to a greedy bad boy called Izzie. Tobi Bakare made me take him seriously as an actor, and Falz showed that he is beyond playing characters with funny accents.
Lastly, big applause to the screenwriters, as this time, it was a big shift from the usual Nollywood cliché movies that always try to overcompensate with comedy. Brotherhood puts a new spin on how protagonists are seen. For example, somewhere in between the movie, I found myself rooting for Akin even though he killed his brother’s father-in-law and was, in a way, responsible for the crimes.
The point is Brotherhood, threw away the Nollywood cliché book and gave the audience not only a thrilling cold opening but also a bitter-sweet ending.
Dislikes
Although I gave applause to the screenwriters, the dialogue in the film was not top-notch as most of the conversations felt flat, and there were many “show, don’t tell” moments. The latter is that characters often rely on words to move the plot forward. An example would be Wale’s first day at work, where he immediately meets a detective who clearly stated that he doesn’t like him. I would have preferred something different, like having this detective cast glaring eyes at Wale before speaking to him.
Visual effects are another problem I have with this movie. While I sincerely appreciate the effort of the SFX (Special Effects) team, I have to point out that showing blood splashes on screen doesn’t make it any more realistic that a person has been shot. Sometimes less is more.
There were some questionable casting choices, as I felt some of the actors in the movie did not bring life to their characters and were there for promotions.
Wrapping it up is the question of who killed Akin and Wale’s parents. While I appreciate that the film’s plot wasn’t built around this event, it only feels right that it plays a role. During the film, it was rarely mentioned, and there weren’t any teasers to keep audiences intrigued.
Final Thoughts
The makers of Brotherhood need to begin shooting the squeal because I need some questions answered. I thoroughly enjoyed this film.
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