Teni’s Big Day

Teni’s Big Day is the story of Teni (Nancy Isime) and her fiance (Kachi Nnochiri) who jet off to a resort for their wedding ceremony. They are supposed to be surrounded by just their closest friends and family but circumstances lead to the unexpected presence of their respective ex-partners. Strangely enough, both former lovers appear determined to sabotage the upcoming union. As the wedding day approaches, a series of dramatic events unfurls, adding a new layer of tension at every twist and turn.

The way The Avengers assemble in Marvel superhero movies seems to be the way that all our favorite “Instagram baddies” assemble in this latest installment of Chinneylove Eze’s continuation to the Hire A Man series of movies, Teni’s Big Day.

If only the individuals involved in this assembly were genuinely striving to deliver us high-quality content, this gathering would be commendable. However, to our surprise, this is far from the case. Throughout every aspect of production, Teni’s Big Day manages to be disappointingly lackluster. It seems as if the creators purposely aimed well below the average mark, and astonishingly, they succeeded at each and every point. The movie truly becomes a comedy due to various elements, ranging from the caricature-like music that annoyingly peaks in scenes attempting to convey the slightest hint of drama, to the childlike dialogues written for the characters. Additionally, the film’s directing style reminiscent of the early 2000s, coupled with the subpar video quality and aesthetics that make every female character’s face appear as if it is actively melting, further contribute to its comedic nature. Just not in the way that the writers (if any) hoped for. All this accumulate to making Teni’s Big Day feel like a glorified Made-For-YouTube type film. The problem, however, is that even those movies have more direction.

A few scenes into the movie, Nancy Isime’s character (Teni) introduces Zynell’s character (Teni’s sister) to a man and identifies her as the one that ‘hired a man.’ Her sister’s shock at this disclosure prompts Teni to soothe her by mentioning that the man also ‘hired a woman.’ It is at this moment that the casual viewer realizes that this film is part of Chinneylove Eze’s ‘Hire-ing‘ universe. Ironically, the concept of interconnected films within this ‘universe’ loses its significance, as none of the aforementioned movies (including the current one) were memorable enough for anyone to recall their plots and establish meaningful connections to this film. A plight that more than likely awaits this movie too.

Teni’s Big Day presents a vacuous plot that relies on a few formulaic elements, seemingly believing that they alone will make the film successful. The actors, even those capable of more, appear disinterested in bringing any level of skill to their performances, which is understandable considering the simplistic lines they are tasked with delivering. The conflicts within the storyline are not only lackluster but also insulting to the audience. The music adopts a childish tone, and the overall lighting of the actors is in dire need of improvement.