Longe Demais

Far from home managed to garner a lot of attention even before it was released on Netflix, so it's no shocker that the young adult series blitzed its way to the top of Netflix's viewership charts, but, is it worth all the hype?

Far from home tries to thrive on the novelty of being Netflix's first Nigerian young adult series, and in doing so, poorly borrows from all the tropes that the genre is known for. The first episode opens deftly, trying to display the background of the protagonist and how he manoeuvres his way into Wilmer Academy (a school for the one-percenters), but everything goes downhill from here. Far from home is unabashedly centred on its protagonist, and seeing the sprawling number of supporting characters, removes the individuality of the supporting characters and doesn't propel character development.

The themes approached by the series are half-baked at best. The plot is messy, convoluted and filled with plotholes, and most egregiously, it builds up to a climax that's rushed.

The redeeming quality Far from home has is in its cast, locations and cinematography. The cast is a good blend of upcoming actors and a-list actors; Far from home also handles its cast carefully, making sure that the renowned actors (which it has a lot of, throwing them into cameos and smaller roles) don't overshadow the newbies. The cast can also be praised for bringing the best out of the poorly fleshed story they had to work with.

In all, Far from home is binge-able and enjoyable but its innumerable flaws would leave a bad taste, especially given how much better it could have been.

I think the casting really boosted the series. Great acting skills, they killed their roles and that made the film a great watch for me. Ishaya embodied his role, it was fantastic. The cinematography was great too. I think the storyline was rushed and not so realistic enough. Since it was going to be a series, they would have developed the storyline better, don't see the need to rush everything in one season. We could have had more realistic feel of what living in the slum area of Isale Eko is for a young adult. It was a nice and it's one of those films I'll see again a few more times when I'm bored.

For a show meant to appeal to Nigerians, this show whitewashed the culture down to the mere pronunciation of the protagonist's name; Ishaya.

There are lots more things that make the show extremely unbearable to watch such as the lack of proper context of what exactly Wilmer is, the cringeworthy dialogues, as well as the forced accents and the mediocre acting from a vast majority of the cast excluding the portrayers of the Antagonists. Surely there are much more talented actors in Nigeria; the most populated country in Africa yet the ones that make it to the big screen always represent the Nigerian movie industry quite poorly.

The show has flaws that outweigh the good parts, however i honestly couldn't stop until i got the last episode. The show had so much potential and could do better with a lot more brains put into the writing. It's worth a watch nonetheless.

The emergence of the first young adult series from Nigeria to debut on Netflix marks a significant milestone in the country's entertainment industry. However, despite this achievement, certain aspects of the show might raise concerns among viewers, particularly regarding the apparent overuse of adapted concepts from other sources.

One of the noticeable criticisms is the utilization of themes and elements that seem borrowed or reminiscent of existing concepts. For instance, the incorporation of cheerleading, certain hairstyles, and even the uniform aesthetics that resemble those seen in the South African series "Blood and Water" may trigger a sense of déjà vu among audiences. This replication of ideas might detract from the show's originality and leave viewers questioning the creativity and uniqueness of the series.

On a positive note, the series boasts a stunning cast and impressive cinematography, which contribute significantly to its appeal. The visual presentation, combined with the charismatic performances of the actors, adds a layer of allure to the show. Additionally, the plot, while not exceptional, manages to maintain an "okay" level of intrigue, providing enough substance to keep viewers engaged.

I actually have stopped halfway watching to really express how this show is soo good! Am kenyan.... Our film industry has yet to reach to such heights... This is honestly a 10/10 for me.. Very impressed!.. I cant actually really express how impressed I am.. The African film industry is growing... South Africa was the first... With blood and water.. Zulu and the bones films... Now Nigeria is here.... This is a perfect master piece... Am happy for Africa.... I just hope us Kenyans can effectively contribute to the African film industry... To the director and the cast.... Good work... Kudos!... Well done!