Elevator Baby

Elevator Baby is the story of a spoiled rich brat (Dare played by Timini Egbuson) who gets stuck in the elevator with a semi-literate pregnant woman (Abigail played by Toyin Abraham) who also happens to go into labor right at that exact moment. Our spoiled brat is forced to have a come-to-Jesus moment as he realizes that the life of the baby and the mother are squarely in his hands and there’s no one else to help.

The storyline of this is the simplest thing yet it’s the most captivating thing ever. The 84 minute runtime really winds up feeling like 10 minutes because the story doesn’t ever pause for a breather. Prior to this movie, I can’t remember the last time I was this agitated by a nollywood movie storyline. Agitation is an emotion, and emotions are that one thing that it seemed new nollywood had forgotten how to elicit.

Hats off to the writer behind this one because despite its simplicity, it manages to say everything that needs to be said plus a whole lot more. The film starts off by establishing the characters, our underlying conflicts are revealed, and the rising action begins. Then we hit the pivotal setting in the elevator and it is bang, bang, bang from then on. Yet somehow the writer still manages to slyly add in social commentary without ever feeling heavy handed. You notice the night life culture in Nigeria and how things change as soon as you no longer have money. There’s numerous mentions to how things are ‘supposed’ to work but never seem to work in our country. There’s notes to driving under the influence, the Nigerian youth unemployment crisis, and, if you really want to give the writer extra credit, then you can even claim that there’s an underlying subtext of the effects of PTSD and survivor’s guilt(as seen with Dare). But that might be a bit too deep.

Here the real gem are the scenes in the elevator. The collaboration between the writing, the directing, the set design, the music and the editing here is worth lauding. They have managed to make a movie that is primarily centered around one tiny box exciting enough to keep you at the edge of your seat. Woe betide you if you actually have a background in healthcare and/or have experienced child birth before then this movie becomes just that much more traumatizing for you. It is the manifestation of a nightmare you never knew you had.

Toyin Abraham as the pregnant Abigail is born for this role. She misses no beats and skips no steps. Before you know it you might find yourself taking deep breathes along with her during her contractions. Her rendition of Abigail is effortless but unfortunately we can’t say the same for her co-lead. Timini Egbuson as Dare is…. something. As my people say, “the boy he haff try” but unfortunately “ko click ra ra” (it doesn’t click). Timini is saying all the right things, moving in all the right ways, yet there’s no emotional connection to his character whatsoever. He checks off the boxes but they still feel empty afterwards.

However, Egbuson’s inadequacies are easy to overlook as he’s surrounding by more than capable supports. Shaffy Bello is the rich mother that you wish you were born to, and when she enunciates it sounds like Irish Cream would taste. Ijeoma Aniebo as Nana is fair enough, and Sambasa Nzeribe brings a fire that reminds you of the young Hanks Anuku from yester-years.

Elevator Baby delivers on the laughs, the emotions, and the looks. The shots here are pretty and adequate, the graphics though are a bit too unrealistic for anyone to overlook, and by the end the movie does devolve into numerous cliche tropes (such as the moment Nana runs in to the scene screaming “Dare, I am here for you!”. Ok o! But what are you here to do for him?). Soon enough, we have the obligatory Hollywood confession and resolution moments with the loud and intense motivational music to boot. Afterwards, everyone lives happily ever after.

I want to judge the corniness, but I can’t because it was fun to watch and quite charming too. And lest you forget “My naaammmmeee is Abigail!”