Movie Review: A Tribe Called Judah
While the two titans of Afrobeats were having a brawl on Twitter like high school kids, I finally took the time to watch “A Tribe Called Judah.”
(I still suspect Wiz and David are playing us because how do you go from planning a tour to giving gbas gbos on Twitter? I’m suing them both if they end up announcing a joint album.)
Let’s dive into the review of “A Tribe Called Judah” because that movie is beautiful.
First off, kudos to Funke Akindele for her work; she truly deserves all the credit. She’s an inspiration to many ladies. We see the work she puts out, we see her dedication and relentless work ethic, and we’re all proud of her achievements with this film.
“The first Nollywood movie to hit 1 billion naira at the box office.” It’s pretty insane if you ask me.
The storyline of A Tribe Called Judah isn’t groundbreaking, but what sets it apart is its simplicity, diverse characters, absence of unnecessary romance plots, lack of plot holes, standard comedic scenes, and superb acting.
Funke Akindele is undoubtedly versatile, she knows how to deliver any role, but the standout character for me was Pere Judah.
Pere Judah, played by Timini Egbuson. Timini is popularly known for his playboy/romantic roles in movies and series, so it was a delight seeing him bring life to his character. A chronic pickpocket who does nothing but steal at any given chance but is also devoted to his mom.
Ejiro Judah, portrayed by Olumide Owuro, was also a delight to watch — a natural-born actor. His chemistry with Testimony, played by Genoveva Umeh, was hilariously weird. Their relationship was written so well, nothing too much just two trenches lovers fighting against all odds to be together.
And can I add that Genoveva is an amazing actress.
Shina Judah, played by Tobi Makinde, was my second favorite. The dynamics between his character on the outside and his inner softness towards his mom were a joy to watch. The constant bickering between him and Pere but sudden bromance when it is time to commit illegal activities is humourous, to say the least.
Emeka Judah played by Jide Kene Achufusi, was written as the morally-righteous and responsible son amongst the other crackheads. Choosing to return the bundles of dollars as someone wallowing in poverty, instead of pocketing them and deciding to go along with his brothers to steal cash for his mum from his boss even though he was initially against it, shows the beauty of his character. His death came as no surprise to me because as a writer, of course, I’m going to kill off the only good character in the drama to spew up some emotional rage among my viewers.
And finally, Adamu Judah played by Uzee Usman, was also well-crafted — a semi-righteous son, teetering between good and bad. Leaning to any side as long as it benefits their mum. As the second child, it’s no doubt that his character was written that way because just like every second born in the real world, their purpose in the family is either to be the black sheep or hold the family together.
Overall, this movie gets a solid 10/10 from me. Watching a well-written, neatly produced Nollywood drama with excellent actors gives me goosebumps. For someone who watches a lot of movies from literally every country that makes good movies, I have to say that we have so much potential in Nollywood, and it’s great to see films like this showcasing our diversity.
The first scene alone is enough to hook you, showing the beauty of family despite how dysfunctional everyone might be. It also highlights Nigeria’s cultural diversity, having five sons from five different fathers from five different tribes is quite wild but it’s great to point out how irrespective of the tribe, they are united under one mother’s love.
I recommend it to fellow late watchers like me, though I’m sure almost everyone has seen it by now.
Nollywood is rising and I’m glad it’s been led by a woman — because why tf not?
Ignore the fact that I just spoiled the entire drama and go watch it. It’s worth it, I promise.
Thanks for reading!
By the way, I stumbled upon “El Chapo” on Netflix and got hooked by his story. I’ve got a lot of things to say but I won’t.
Druglords are wild, bruh.
If you’ve seen A Tribe Called Judah, what do you think about it and how would you rate it?
