Anikulapo Review: Kunle Afolayan's Nigerian period drama is an engaging watch despite its few shortcomings

3/5

Story:  After an affair with the Queen's wife, Saro, a traveller is beaten to death by the King's Men. But the arrival of a mystical bird gives him a second shot at life. But does the traveller value the second chance or gets ensnared by lust and power?

Review: In the opening shot of Anikulapo, we see a mystical black-coloured bird with smoke all around it, asking a young man the reason for his death. The bird is said to be Akalo, which is said to have the power to give or take one's life. Soon, we are taken to the 17th century Oyo kingdom. The young man, who has been resurrected from death, is introduced as a skilled aso ofi weaver, Saro (Kunle Remi), who has travelled all the way from Gbogan to Oyo. He soon makes himself home there as the villagers are kind to him. He ends up having an affair with an already-married Awarun, who has no interest in promising a future with Saro. When Saro feels betrayed, she offers him a business deal in return at the king's palace.

When Saro reaches the palace, the youngest queen of the King, Araloke (Bimbo Ademoye) catches his attention. Little does Saro know that the queen, too, has her eye on him. They soon begin to have a secret relationship, until one day princess Omowunmi, who also finds Saro to be an interesting and handsome man, finds out about their affair. The lovebirds decide to run away. But, Saro is caught and beaten to death by the King's men, while Araloke escapes their wrath by hiding in the forest. It is at this juncture that the mystical bird arrives and gives him another lease of life. A petrified Araloke tries to shoo away the bird and while doing so, she finds a black-coloured gourd on the ground. 

Saro and Araloke walk through dense forests and find refuge in a faraway village. As soon as they arrive, they witness the villagers mourning the death of a child. Araloke hands over the gourd to Saro and asks him to bring it back to life. As soon as the child springs back to life, Saro is given the title Anikulapo (one who has death in his control). Soon, Saro's popularity spreads everywhere. But as years go by, Saro is not the same man anymore, but greed and pride overpowers him creating rift between the couple. Saro takes on more wives, but his life turns topsy-turvy when the Prince of the land passes away.

Director Kunle Afolayan showcases the beautiful Yoruba culture and the film is culturally rich. However, in terms of filmmaking, the film falters in several places. For instance, we never really get to know anything else about the mystical bird other than the fact it can give or take a life. Though Saro and Araloke are like a house on fire, we are now shown how they developed feelings for each other until the third time they get intimate and open up about their respective traumatic pasts, where slave trade was rampant, girl children who were barely in their teens were married off to much older men, men had multiple wives and so on. Kunle is brilliant as Saro and his transition from a naive traveller who was looking for a better future, to a greedy anti-hero has been portrayed to perfection. Bimbo, too, is excellent as the strong Araloke, who at first, is a woman yearning for love to become a supportive partner, to a woman who is cheated upon by her husband. 

The cinematography is excellent and the film boasts some excellent frames. So, is the background score that gives a peek into folk culture. But, at 2 hours and 22 minutes, the film seems exceedingly long and could have worked better with some crisp editing. The Nigerian period, however, definitely deserves a watch.

Verdict: The glimpse into the Nigerian folklore and fantasy makes for an interesting watch