Starring Kids' Choice nominee Fawaz Aina, alongside Ebiesuwa Oluwaseyi, Ruby Akubueze, Kayode Ojuolape Jnr, Yemi Sodimu, Yemi Solade and others, Ijogbon is a Nollywood film made in the Yoruba language. Its title translates to "Chaos" in English, and the apt name sums up the action and counteraction captured through the lens of director Kunle Afolayan.
Written by Tunde Babalola and Kunle Afolayan, the African teen drama film has a runtime of 115 minutes and premiered on Netflix on October 13, 2023. It is now also streaming with English subtitles and dubbed audio for international audiences.
Director: Kunle Afolayan
Writer: Tunde Babalola
Stars: Fawas Aina, Ebiesuwa Oluwaseyi, Ruby Akubueze
Four teenagers from a rural village in southwestern Nigeria stumble upon a bag full of uncut diamonds. It's not long before people come looking for them. However, the premise is not as simple as the official record of Ijogbon Netflix states. These four children are aware of the threshold they have reached in terms of progress in their small town, so thoughts of wanting to succeed in life surround them as much as they begin to believe in the distant dream of getting away from their terrible living conditions.
In addition to the current setting woven into the plot, the plot also initially presents us with an old folk story from times gone by narrated by the village elders to the little children to teach them the moral behind it. To be brief, this story presents an all-too-familiar vision of siblings pushed to the limit by their envious, selfish characters who are even willing to pull the trigger on their own siblings in exchange for materialistic gains.
Ijogbon weaves a circular plot that then returns to the same story predicted as a warning by the village elders. In this way, the film follows a rhythmic narrative that is ultimately clouded by the delirious sense of happiness that the four children in question can obtain, using their newfound treasure.
Throughout the harsh course, images of the hardened lives of each of these characters are supported by the barren, barren hiding places to which they cling. The topography of their village is equally scorched, which helps us sympathize with the children's desire to free themselves from it. However, not much time is spent developing this plot as the film turns its attention to the dramatic, fast-paced crossfires, misunderstandings and betrayals that get in the way, all due to the sudden appearance of these diamonds in the village. .
Movies like this are often constructed as comedies, so when all the parties come together violently at the end in order to obtain the desired benefit, it all boils down to a comically chaotic situation that leads to an even bigger disaster before everything ends. can be resolved forever. . However, no such comedy finds action, instead a more serious drama unfolds that really worries us about the children involved.
By linking historical truths embedded in our sociocultural fabric of life, the film reminds us of the universality of human nature and how most of us would respond to a sudden change like this in our lives. Ultimately, the coming-of-age film addresses quite a few issues by also bringing the young people's families into the chaotic journey, and probably the best lesson it leaves behind is that our actions have consequences. And sometimes these consequences can become deadly for us when it is too late.
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