“KM 17”: A Stain On The White of Successful Nollywood Thrillers

Over the past year, Nollywood has carved a niche in the thriller genre with hits like “The Black Book,” “The Silent Intruder,” “Mami Wata,” and “Gangs of Lagos.” Together, they have piqued the interest of the Nigerian audience with their suspenseful narratives.

However, Trino Motion Pictures’ second attempt after “Sylvia,” which is “KM 17,” stains the white of its predecessors and serves more as a lesson in missed opportunities than a masterclass in suspense.

The plot of “KM 17” is anything but complex. A woman, Cheeka (Toni Tones) bent on finding her missing sister, Ada (Theresa Edem) crosses paths with a psychotic kidnapper in his taxi who knows more than a thing or two of her (sister’s) whereabouts. Such is its simplicity that only six characters appear with the bulk of the movie set within the windows of a blue 2005 model Toyota Camry—known as “Big Daddy” in these parts.

A series of female-specific abductions on the titular highway, “Kilometer 17,” located in the fictional city of Gidi – which can be safely assumed to be Abuja judging by the good and lonely road network and local accent – has made it a dangerous one to ply for young women. One man, Dorigho (Blossom Chukwujekwu) is to blame.

Toni Tones character, the big baddie with mummy issues and a weird obsession with red lipsticks, is this movie’s redeeming quality.

Although the depth of his motives might be questionable in the Nigerian context (No Nigerian is kidnapping dozens of women just to resurrect a loved one), Chukwujekwu’s portrayal makes it worth. His contrasting traits, intelligence mixed with dumbness (as you’ll get to find out later)and brutality with a touch of compassion, makes for a typical psychotic material and will have you believing that indeed, even such folks cherish their loved ones.

However, the formulaic script betrays him such that the moment he appears on the screen mere seconds into the movie, your sixth sense will fish him out with minimal effort—a major sin in thriller writing. Big and imposing, he ticks every box on the highway kidnapper checklist.

Theoretically, the stakes should be higher than portrayed. However the longer you wait to see if the movie makes good its promise of a compelling story at the beginning, the more you begin to question: “is this it?.”

Rather than building the necessary suspense, an invaluable quality of thrillers, the movie telegraphs its twists, leaving little to the imagination and reducing suspense to a mere afterthought.

Director Lyndsey Efejuku and cinematographer Ola Cardoso employ various thriller techniques – desaturated color-grading, tension-building score and some jump scares here and there. Unfortunately, all come to naught in the end goal of building the element of surprise. Efejuku, rooted in comedy and romance, seems an unlikely choice to helm so rich a story especially not on the weak script dished out by writers Julie Ako and Oluchi Afurobi.

Plausibility issues (and best believe there are many in this movie that’ll make you question the intelligence of the characters) zero attempts at character developments and an excuse for misdirection—a staple in thrillers—contributes to a climax that feels more obligatory than earned, defeating any pathos you might want to retain for the characters.

And so, “KM 17” the long-preached Nollywood creative problem: that it suffers not from a lack of stories but lack of proper execution. In other words, relying on sheer inertia to drive the plot will only take a movie so far.

While “KM 17” may have its moments, its reliance on an inertial plot and superficial suspense elements prevent it from leaving a lasting mark on its audience. And that’s what you get with mediocre writing.

Release Date: July 26, 2024

Runtime: 1 hour and 24 minutes

Streaming Service: Prime Video

Directed by: Lyndsey Efejuku

Cast: Toni Tones, Blossom Chukwujekwu, Theresa Edem, Kelechi Udegbe, Femi Odion, and Tonia Okojie