A Night in 2005 tells the story of Ife, who is traumatized by an event that happened years ago. The event, a Prom after party in 2005, threatens her future and mental well-being as she tries to overcome the dark chapter of her life. Her relationship with her fiance is not spared from the trauma which comes in addition to family pressures. To find peace, Ife escapes to her uncle’s farm in a rural area, where she comes across one of those linked to the trauma she suffers.
The portrayal of Ife by actress Ini Dima-Okojie is impressive but almost outshined by the performances delivered by Uzoamaka Aniunoh as Kelechi, Opeyemi’s wife, and Efa Iwara as Opeyemi.
Directed by Temidayo Makanjuola, the movie has a good build-up of tension, and it had me looking forward to seeing how Ife overcame her trauma and the justice served to those behind it. However, its hasty conclusion left me with questions that could lead me to make this review full of spoilers. Ife’s situation could have been better explored. One good thing about the movie is that it attracted some emotion, especially observing the stress Ife went through in the quest to find lasting peace and justice. I also got angry while observing the attempts at covering up the event of 2005 so as not to hinder a political agenda.
The costume in A Night in 2005 is good but I felt the directors ought to have explored dress code reminiscent of 2005 in the scenes of the 2005 event that led to Ife’s trauma. The dress code I saw looked very modern. As for the modern scenes, the costume department did well, especially the native attires worn by the politicians.
The locations used in the movie are good. However, I would have preferred to see an exploration of city landscapes as transition effects for the modern times of the movie. The soundtrack is not bad but fails mostly in getting an emotional response from viewers, as I observed at the cinema. I thought the movie should have been for streaming platforms and not for the cinema due to the incessant pacing that is capable of getting one to snooze. I would have recommended it for YouTube alone if not for the good production. Despite having a story capable of helping ladies traumatized by past sexual experiences, I still won’t recommend this movie as something worth heading to the cinema for. The story itself is generic and played out by Hollywood. Most Nigerian films I see these days always remind me of Hollywood movies of the early 2000s, and this movie is no exception.
Despite the drawbacks of A Night in 2005, I must still commend the producers for exploring a theme different from the regular drama and comedy that Nollywood is now saturated with. A Night in 2005 gets a 5/10.
