“Akudaaya” Dramatizes The Dilemma Of A Man Caught Between Worlds

“Akudaaya” takes us into the world of a mother driven by her unwavering devotion to her son which pushes her to unimaginable limits while her once-departed son grapples with an unfathomable dilemma: To be or not to be.

Thus, in a sense, the movie is a discourse that the audience has to determine its logic including its conclusion on a singular question: Is the mother’s attempt to dabble into the unknown regardless of the consequences an act of love or a selfish attempt to hold on to what is gone?

This movie touches on the themes of morality, the flame of love, and the mysteries that transcend mortal comprehension. It compels us to evaluate our understanding of life, death, and the realms of human possibility.

This task is handed over in “Akudaaya” through the dramatization of the desperation of a mother and the dilemma her son faces. Mama Morenikeji (Sola Sobowale) has lost her son Morenikeji (Olumide Oworu) to the cold hands of death, and she grieves like every human does. However, unlike most humans, she does not view death as a finality. She is determined to go to great lengths to summon Morenikeji from the dead before it is too late.

Morenikeji, on the other hand, has begun living life as a spirit in another state and has fallen in love! It looks like even spirits are held captive by this desire.

The film has a great cast whose performance draws you in regardless of your belief in the supernatural. Sobowale, who is always amazing to watch on screen, has you rooting for her character and wishing her son returns. Oworu delivers a perfect depiction of one pulled by two opposing forces. One moment he is here, the next, he is not, and another, he is neither here, nor there. But guess what? You find yourself rooting for him too and soon enough you also are faced with a dilemma: “Who should I be rooting for?”

Providing comic relief from the intensity of the supernatural are the priests in both worlds. Played by Yomi Fash-Lanso, the seemingly ruminant priest who keeps chewing something we hope is not his cud, and Owokoniran, the self-acclaimed Iron who cannot get his own vehicle to keep moving. The spiritual tug-of-war is one of the best performances in this movie. It keeps your heart in your mouth and chokes you with laughter. A killer!

Bukunmi Oluwasina also delivers a performance that makes you believe the story is real. From skepticism, to hope, concern, joy, and craze, she pulls every single emotion off perfectly.

Olamide Akinmolayon, the writer and director of the film, deserves the world for how he masterfully penned, planned, and executed this project in which Morenikeji stands on the precipice of an unimaginable choice: to return to the familiar or traverse the unknown?

Find out! “Akudaaya” is currently showing in cinemas nationwide.

Release Date: August 4, 2023

Runtime: 1 hour and 48 minutes

Streaming Service: None, Cinematic Release

 Director: Olamide Akinmolayon

Cast: Sola Sobowale, Olumide Oworu, Hafiz Oyetoro, Bukunmi Oluwasina, Razaq Owokoniran, and Yomi Fash-Lanso