A coming-of-age tale revolving around a group of friends who have to walk different paths while growing up on the mean streets and neighbourhood of Isale Eko, Lagos.
Filmmaker Jade Osiberu is audacious with her interpretation of an engrossing story told from the perspective of a man caught in a world of crime, betrayal, and power.
Tobi Bakre stars as Obalola, a promising lad whose big dreams of leaving the crime-laden streets of Isale Eko, Lagos are dashed when his foster father is brutally murdered.
Growing up alongside his best buddies Gift (Adesua Etomi-Wellington) and Ify (Chike), Obalola soon learns that turning his back on the only life he has known is not as easy as he thought.
Gangs of Lagos is a gripping tale that sucks you right in from the very first scene; the cinematography is perfect and every shot and camera movement adds flavour to the plot, giving you a look into the slums of Lagos and those who run it as you've probably never seen before.
The characters are relatable, their motives and motivations make them well-rounded, and the actors all bring their A-games to sell their various roles.
I only have two issues with this film; one is that the action at certain points was disappointing (this has continued to plague Nollywood).
Secondly, I feel the character of Gift was left in the shadows a bit. Oba and Ify's backstories were explored so I expected to see the same with hers.
There isn't much to say about the film other than this; Osiberu is really shaking things up in the Nigerian film industry and I look forward to seeing more from her in the future.
