Movie Review: Anikulapo

Even though it has been over two years that Anikulapo the popular netflix movie have been produced, it is still still a movie to reckon with. Been produced by the popular Nigeria Filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, I will say the movie have been able to take the Nigerian Movie industry by storm. As a Yoruba Guy I am and the one who loves my rich cultural heritage, I will say watching this particular movie have been a deep experience for me. During this year, if I can count, I should have watched this movie close to 4-5 times if I am not mistaken with my counting, I will say with all confidence that Anikulapo to me is beyond just a movie but a reminder of the tradition majorly for the Yoruba People and Nigerians generally.

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Briefly talking about the plot overview of the movie, Anikulapo was shot in Oyo as it revolves around a major cast called Saro(Kunle Remix) as been a young man who was moved by his ambitions but that leads to his downfalls. His unending ambition eventually led him to leave his village as he was seeking for greener plaster in Oyo the largest state in Nigeria. But that was not the main story of the movie, the main scene in the movie revolves around his extra marital affairs with the Alaafin Wife called Arolake(Bimbo Adeboye). In fact, that affair eventually led to his death at the end of the day.

Anikulapo in Yoruba language means someone who holds death in his or her pocket. Well that was Saro fate in that movie as even though he was killed because of his extra marital affairs with the king wife, he was brought back to life by a mysterious bird and that eventually gave Saro this divine power to be able to raise the dead. At first he was able to use the power with humility and clean heart but along the way, he was corrupted and began to use it for his own self gain.

Talking about the cultural Representation and the costuming of the movie, I will say that is also one of the things I love so much about the movie. Anikulapo was able to show the Yoruba Culture in detail and that involves the language, the costumes and even the scene of Oyo kingdom used. The Filmmaker Kunle Afolayan really did a great job in presenting the Youruba Culture to the world and as a Yoruba guy I am, seeing that our cultural heritage is being displayed on a large and grand scale than it was used to be before, this gives me so much of pride and Fulfilment.

I will also like to talk in details about the main story of the movie. Saro who acted as the main cast came from a humble origins and rises to fame after the resurrection after the mysterious bird gave him his divine power of been able to bring people back to life. But his greed along the way with the usage of the divine power and not been contended led to his downfall. I learnt the volume of what human greed can cause and not only that but the outcomes that exist in betrayal.

Watching the movie, I will say one of the most important lesson I learnt was the benefit of been loyal and humble. Arolake was a loving and loyal wife to Saro who even went as far as sacrificing her life just to be with Saro. But due to Saro greed that LEDs him to betray her. I also learnt that in this life, if you have ambition but without gratitude, it will leads to your end. Not only that, I leanrt a lesson that till today, I still hold it close to my heart and that is when power is misused, it can have severe consequences that one might not be able to escape from. This gives a perfect explanation to Saro Rise and fall in the movie.

As I conclude, I will say so much effort and energy was given to make Anikulapo a worthwatching movie and that was successfully accomplished at the end of the day. Kunle Afolayan Storytelling gaves a perfect illustration of the beauty of the Yoruba Tradition and not only that but the beauty in some morals we need to learn in our society. For me, it is beyond a movie, it is a movie filled with life lessons and I will recommend it to anyone any day to watch.

Official Trailer