Adesegun Ade-Martins
As streaming platforms like Showmax and Netflix make waves with their exclusive debuts, older cinematic releases find a new lease of life on the streaming platforms as well. Adire is such a film, initially released on November 3, 2023, less than three months ago, and almost immediately added to Netflix in January.
I don’t remember the marketing run for it. Actually, I can’t recall most Nollywood cinematic runs covered in the press. It feels like many are not sustained enough.
Except, of course, seminal hits that capture the imagination of the country: Mo Abudu, Jade Osiberu, Funke Akindele, Kemi Adetiba and Chinaza Onuzo, among others. These names have been the producers, writers, or directors behind most of Nollywood’s hits in the last 15 years.
Therefore, a film like Adire can attract a new spotlight on them that they have missed in their theatrical run. At the time of writing, it is number 4 on the Top Movies in Nigeria Today list on Netflix. Earlier in the year, it was closer to number 1.
Adire follows the exploits of a freshly retired ‘lady of the evening’ in Oyo town while the nosy churchgoers are wildly attracted to her and her new fashion business, positively and negatively.
Adire stars Kehinde Bankole in the titular role; other key cast members are Yvonne Jegede, Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi, Femi Branch, Kelechi Udegbe, and Ibrahim Chatta, among others. Layi Wasabi has a notable cameo as a bar man.
The film is directed by Adeoluwa Owu and produced by Mimidoo (Achineku) Bartels and Barbara Babarinsa-Hassan in association with FilmOne Entertainment, the latter’s first production after years of cinema distribution.
Adire has all the ingredients for a successful film, and that mostly contributes to its watchability.
However, that is about the only major factor that I can recommend. The story elements of Adire seem rather chaotic. At key moments, I kept asking myself what the story was about. Even after watching it to the end, I’m still trying to figure out what the fill was truly about.
‘About’ means the story’s underlying subtext, its key theme, the one element that the audience can take away from the film.
It appears the film suffers from ‘theme stuffing’. A redemption story for a prostitute, the consequences of premarital sex, church worship that needs to be administered with love and warmth, illicit activities that will lead to ruin, and many more.
Individually, the themes are interesting, but when they are placed on the same podium, they compete for attention.
This is where Adire’s story structure starts to falter. It feels like the filmmakers had ‘cast in concrete’ story outcomes and made the characters fit into the story.
What this does is make it difficult for the director and actors to create a cohesive story. I will refrain from discussing all the elements of the film I see issues with.
Instead, I hope to allow people to enjoy the film for what it is. And later this year, analyse it in full detail to highlight areas for improvement for the film.
Meanwhile, you can enjoy Adire on Netflix.
