Ekene Aka
Director: Damola Ademola
Cast: Daniel Etim-Effiong, Neo Akpofure (Big Brother shine shine!), Elozonam Ogbolu, Erica Nweledim, Ini-Dima Okojie, Stan Nze (Nollywood veterans for years!), Uche Montana, Akin Lewis (American pepper pepper join body)
Release Date: 22nd September, 2023
Runtime: 2 hours (Better bring plenty popcorn and agidi, e go long small)
Where to watch: Prime Video (If you no get, borrow your neighbour wey get DSTV!)
So, I was chilling on Prime Video, catching up on Naija movies when I stumbled on “A Weekend to Forget.” Now, with a title like that, I was expecting a snoozefest. But trust me, this movie na banger!
This movie brought a whole new vibe to Nollywood murder mysteries. We talking about Chief Ajasca’s daughter, Lisa, going on a weekend getaway with her boo thang Bem. But things go south faster than NEPA light when Lisa ends up dead. Talk about a haunted vacation!
The plot itself is like Suya spice, well-seasoned and keeps you hooked. Okay, maybe it started a bit slow, like Eba wey no get hot water. And yeah, I did guess who the gbedu was at the beginning, but for Nollywood murder mysteries, that’s not so bad. Still, e get some small sand-sand for the pepper, like scenes that felt disconnected and could have been tighter.
Midway through, I was searching for the mind games and psychological twists like I was looking for my phone charger. Maybe I set the bar too high with my expectations. But that’s okay, we learn sha.
Shoutout to Neo Akpofure as Bem! This guy killed it! The whole cast, from veterans to reality show stars, did their thing. It’s refreshing seeing these ex-Big Brother people showing their acting chops.
The movie no dwell too much on consequences, but at least they showed some small small wahala wey follow. They handled the mystery well enough to keep me glued, even though I already knew the killer.
Overall, I give it an 8/10. It’s not perfect, but it’s a spicy Naija twist on the murder mystery genre. So, if you’re looking for a movie that will keep you guessing (even if you’re a Nollywood detective) and give you some laughs along the way, “A Weekend to Forget” is worth your time. This is Naija pepper, not Hollywood suya!
