Swallow

This movie is really good and makes you think, and be encaptured into the story. Never mind the ending, people in the other reviews don't know what they're talking about. I can name so many movies made by white people who have mediocre endings yet still get high ratings. You'll see for yourself, when you start watching you won't want to stop. The characters are also very likeable, especially the main female character.

Though I didn't really understand the yoruba parts but I really enjoyed the part I did understand, as a guy who belongs to the new generation this movie gives an enlightenment on what it looks like during the 80's, a period we never met, our parents described it for us but this movie showed it to us, the acting was also so engaging, I felt like I was a part of the movie, thank you so much and I wish for more of these movies.

Sometimes I wonder what the aim of making movies like this is. Like, what are you supposed to get out of the movie? What is it supposed to deliver?? A film cannot satisfy an audience on cinematography alone. This movie lacked so much despite having so much potential, as narcotics is an area rarely traversed by Nollywood.

The premise of the film only presents itself 30 minutes before the film ends, and at over 2 hours long, it just highlights how much irrelevance there is in the story line. 80% of it was just pointless, unnecessary waffle. I lots all interest towards the end as I felt robbed of my 2+ hours that I invested in this movie.

I'm so disappointed in my guy Deyemi as I tend to gravitate towards his films because man is a dope actor. But I am beginning to realise he often takes on roles that do not stretch his artistic capabilities & skill in delivering roles with a depth that only he is capable of. Deyemi if the film does not allow you to showcase your talent to its full a la Kola- my friend, just don't accept the role.

Ijeoma Grace Agu's performance in the final act of the movie is worth all the awards, she carried the tension, the subtle timing and conflicting emotion's and it came naturally. Lots of attention to detail and the large cast is nothing short of exceptional. The story however felt drawn out and sometimes it felt a bit boring. Niyola is truly a revelation in this role and the dialogue shifting from Yoruba to English doesn't feel forced at all. I think the Church scene for instance was unnecessary and there were other major scenes that didn't push the story forward in an effective way. The movie ended up lengthy and a bit boring, to be honest I almost gave up watching it, an hour into the movie, it was however worth it.

Swallow is a period piece that takes place in the 1980s and the movie ensures you know this. It addresses a lot of issues like misogyny, the Nigerian patriarchy, gangs and of course drugs. However, there were a plethora of issues with this film. For example, scenes dragged on for too long with zero impact that completely takes you out of the experience. Set pieces were non-existent, making the film seem like an exaggerated stage play. The acting was decent unfortunately the story didn't give much to work with. The biggest problem for swallow is that it tries to address all these societal issues without taking any of it to heart, which ultimately leads to a boring finale that does not stick with you much after the movie's ending. Not Kunle Afolayan's best. 3/10.