Nimbe

The movie, Nimbe, might have just as well been called “the degeneration of the Nigerian Youth”, as it’s mostly an expose on the process therein.

Nimbe follows the story of its titular character (Chimezie Imo), a shy secondary school student struggling at school and at home. At home, his father (Odunlade Adekola) seems resolute to torment both his son and his mother (Toyin Abraham); meanwhile, in school Nimbe is the constant target of the resident bully. Eventually he meets Ralph who introduces him to the dark side of drugs, alcohol and gangs. And as such begins the downfall of Nimbe.

In all sincerity, it’s not a story that is novel in any way, shape, or form. It’s these kind of moralistic stories that old Nollywood was known for. But there’s something about the Nimbe rendition that makes it stand out. From the first scene, the story jumps at you hot and heavy. It engages you in a world that you’ve seen and felt before but in a way that feels completely different. The shots chosen by the cinematographer, the performances of the actors, the directing of the scenes, the way the music moves the movie, all these factors tie together to give Nimbe a raw yet enticing feel that you can’t quite escape.

It is supported by impressive performances especially from our lead actor – Chimezie Imo. Chimezie does a good job of embodying the naivete of the age as well as the frustrations of the character. Kelechi Udegbe as AK shines in this villainous role. Especially in his monologue about how the creation of mothers. That was a scene that was well acted, well directed, and well edited without question. Toyin Abraham as Uduak is effortless as Nimbe’s mother, and Odunlade even manages to tone down his usual antics a little for this role.

Despite all this though, one could still argue that these two characters and their antics got a little more screen time than was necessary. And this probably played a role in the lull that occurs midway through the film. The themes become repetitive in the middle, the end is obvious, and the initial zest is almost entirely lost. At the end of this film, it’s just the movie you expect it to be. The moral lesson is loud and clear – don’t do drugs, kids.

But dare I say, that despite all the preachy undertones, the writing just might be oversimplifying a more intricate concept.