Written by Olayinka Olaoye, Wumi Olabimtan, and Dele Gbadebo, the film revisits a period story centred on the small town of Imeto, ruled by the corrupt King Oba Adejuwon (Lewis). His reign, assisted by the conniving B’obajiro (Baba Wande), leads to unrest within the kingdom and inevitably brings consequences to his household. The king’s family is in disarray, marked by the struggles of his autistic son, Prince Adeyeye (Adedimeji), and further destabilised when he takes a new wife, Olateju (Olabimtan), who happens to be a close friend of Princess Desiree and the object of affection of Crown Prince Tade. Olateju’s entry into the palace sets off a chain of conspiracies, culminating in a deadly plot against the Oba.
Despite its compelling premise, the film’s execution is riddled with flaws. At over two hours, the screenplay exposes major lapses in both storytelling and audiovisual design. The costumes and 1970s backdrop fail to convincingly enhance the narration, while poor camera work and unrefined shot selections weaken the visual narrative. The unnecessary and confusing voice-over narration further detracts from the experience.
What saves Iwo is its strong ensemble cast, which also includes Alh. Kareem Adepoju (Baba Wande), Ayo Mogaji, Omowunmi Dada, Taiwo Ibikunle and Odunlade Adekola, amongst others, whose performances bring significant gravitas to an otherwise uneven film.
More broadly, Iwo reflects a growing concern in Nollywood. The tendency of star actors to take on directing roles without adequate technical preparation. While such ambition speaks to the passion and versatility of these actors with massive followings, it can also stretch focus too thin and compromise quality. To truly elevate the industry, they need to collaborate with experienced, professionally trained directors and crew. That balance of star power with technical expertise is essential to producing stronger films and sustaining Nollywood’s global rise.
I’m not sure your job should be that of a critic because a critic is often a neutral figure who does not have any stakes whatsoever whether in a film or the platform where the film is streaming. This is unsurprising giving your affiliation. Your condescending and unprofessional observations on the movie seem more like a marketing strategy to talk up films from your affiliated streaming platform and talk down those who are not streaming on your platform. It seems to me that in your bid to cherrypick, you magnify frivolities while being myopic to where you should actually pay attention to. I will advise you find time to engage the film this time without any pay cheque or any token of encouragement. Your campaign of calumny will be more useful directed to the Nigerian government who are the source of this economic hostage in which you find yourself and have to take this kind of job. Ti won ba ran ni ise eru, a ma fi tomo je.
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