I didn’t have high hopes while heading out to see Blackout, a new Nollywood drama. However, I must commend the producers and directors of the movie for the suspense and intrigue it packs.
This movie will keep you invested, leaving you on the edge of your seat as you look forward to the coming scenes. The drama is not pushed but befitting the kind of storytelling the movie delivered. At no point did I think anything was overdone. Perhaps, if I get to see the movie again, I might be able to point out a few shortcomings.
Imagine waking up to realize you have a husband and two children but can’t remember anything about them. That’s what Blackout is about; taking viewers into the struggle of a wife as she tries to recollect her memory only to realize that her husband is holding her captive and would do anything to ensure that the spell he cast on her to make her his wife remains active.
One star stood out in the movie and that’s Padita Agu, who commanded a presence with the way she delivered her role. Blackout is my first time of seeing her face in Nollywood, but her performance in the movie is expected to earn her more casting.
Gideon Okeke is beginning to declare himself as the best for movies about anxiousness, because his face easily depicts such. He delivers same brilliance in this movie as he did in Tokunbo and also The Presidency.
As for Blossom Chukwujekwu, I’ll say his acting in this movie is average just like in the other movies I’ve seen him star in e g Japa. I think the role that fits him more is the role of the idiot that spoils it all for everybody.
Okechukwu Oku directed Blackout, which also stars Amazon Austin, Dame Rita Mbah, Martins Nebo, Mike Uchegbu, Nelson Iwu, and Shirley Igwe, amongst others.
The movie showcases English, Hausa and Igbo languages. It’s really the kind of movie every Nigerian can watch and feel the Nigerianness oozing from it. Unlike recent Nollywood movies imitating Hollywood with stories like plane hijacking, hostage taking, and presidential politics. Blackout stands out in that a market woman will enjoy watching it, as will a technocrat.
Blackout explores culture, spiritism and love. It is one movie that deserves hype but it is not getting such as a result of the weak promotion. I can state it that I enjoyed watching the movie better than whatever I felt watching the well-hyped Everybody Loves Jenifa and also Alakada: Bad and Boujee.
I’m still trying to find out the camera brand used for this movie because of how effective it was in the night scenes. Those scenes were kept very dark but viewers could still tell what was going on. The darkness added some kind of mystery to the spookiness of those scenes. I must also commend the camera used because the outdoor scenes were beautiful and calm, unlike the harshness I usually see in the outdoor scenes of other Nollywood movies. The colorist also did an amazing job in making the movie visually appealing.
Is Blackout recommendable? Yes, and it gets a 7/10.
