Onye Ozi Film Difficulty Ranking: 2
This Nigerian film won awards at Nollywood for its celebration of the Igbo Language. Although I thought it was a bit too much like a cheesy telenovela, it has inspired me to search for Nigeria’s best films.
From: Nigeria, Africa
Watch: Trailer, IMDb
Next: Akasha, October 1, I Am Not A Witch
Why Watch Onye Ozi?
- You want to see some Nigerian humor!
- You love cheesy comedies.
- See London from a Nigerian director’s perspective.
- See some white people speaking Igbo!
The Breakdown
Onye Ozi opens with a white guy being chased by two motorcyclists. He stops the car and starts running on foot, leading him into bustling a house party. The chasing motorcyclists enter and shoot the man in the back. Our protagonist, witnessing all this at the house party stands up and confronts the motorcyclists, for which he receives a death threat.
“London is worse than Nigeria.”
The film then introduces us to Metamuribe (A.K.A. one of Nigeria’s most popular comedians Okey Bakassi) as he finds himself with a visa and at Heathrow airport. Bakassi drives the film through his comedic presence. One of my favorite one-liners was when a white guy starts talking to him in Igbo and he quickly exclaims: “What!? You speak Igbo.” Ahaa! Top banter!
Unfortunately, the plot ventures in all kinds of directions in attempts to cover a wider range of genres that do not particularly mix well (psychological thriller, comedy, drama). The cinematography could also be improved (it looks like a overly lighted Mexican telenovela at best) and the sound quality could be better. It often sounds like the characters are speaking through a speakerphone.
What to Watch Next
If you want to watch more comedy from Africa, check out Akasha from Sudan, and Africa United which follows some kids on a journey to the 2010 World Cup.
Or for more Nigerian film, check out October 1, a dramatic murder mystery taking place on the brink of Nigerian independence.
Or if you want to see more films with black magic and witchery, check out the more serious, art-house I Am Not A Witch.
','' ); } ?>