There's a particular kind of Nollywood drama that gives you all the butterflies and blushes, the kind where you catch yourself smiling at the screen even when you know exactly where the story is headed. Call Of My Life is that film. It's unabashedly romantic, visually committed to joy, and grounded in Igbo culture in ways that feel natural rather than forced.
Dammy Twitch makes his feature directorial debut here, working from a script by Uzoamaka Power, who also stars as Soluchi, a woman who loves with her whole chest. The film opens with her shopping for her boyfriend's birthday, already establishing that she's someone who marks every occasion, celebrates every milestone, and gives everything she has to the people she cares about.
Her boyfriend Kalu doesn't match that energy. Zubby Michael plays him as a practical businessman who shows affection through money rather than presence. He's not cruel, just operating on a different frequency. When he finally tells Soluchi she's "too much," it lands hard because Michael makes you understand Kalu genuinely doesn't know how else to say it. The breakup scene works because neither person is wrong exactly, they're just incompatible.
Power's performance as Soluchi carries the film. She's expressive without being cartoonish, emotional without tipping into melodrama. You believe her joy, you believe her heartbreak, and you believe she'd absolutely celebrate a seven-month anniversary with genuine excitement. It's a tricky balance to pull off without becoming annoying, but Power finds it.
Then we are introduced to Eli, the calmer alternative played by Andrew Yaw Bunting. He's a Ghanaian newscaster who calls Soluchi's work line and becomes interested in more than just fixing his network issues. Bunting and Power have easy chemistry that makes their scenes together feel warm even when the dialogue doesn't quite land. The film wants their conversations to sound poetic and quotable, which sometimes makes them feel written rather than spoken, but the actors sell it enough that you stay invested.
The supporting cast rounds things out well. Beverly Osu plays Soluchi's best friend with grounded energy that balances Power's brightness. Patience Ozokwo and Nkem Owoh appear as Soluchi's parents, speaking Igbo with the kind of pride that gives the film cultural weight. Their scenes together show where Soluchi learned to love the way she does, which adds depth the main romance occasionally lacks.
The film looks gorgeous. Everything is bright and colorful in ways that match Soluchi's personality. She dresses in bold patterns and colorful tights, outfits that announce she has no interest in shrinking herself. The production design creates spaces that feel designed for romance without becoming fake. It's aspirational without losing touch with reality.
But the script has issues. Power's writing aims for big emotional moments but sometimes overreaches. The conflict about whether Soluchi is "too much" circles for longer than necessary without adding new dimensions. Eli as a character doesn't get enough development beyond being the better romantic option. We learn almost nothing about his life, his adjustment to Nigeria, or what drives him outside of his interest in Soluchi. Bunting does what he can to fill in the gaps, but the material doesn't give him much foundation to build on.
There's also a pattern emerging in Power's work that's hard to ignore. In her short film My Body, God's Temple, her character had extended conversations with God about her desires. Here, Soluchi does the same thing, kneeling in church with her rosary and asking for a very specific sign about which man to choose. It's bold the way she writes characters who essentially negotiate with heaven, putting their wants directly on the table and expecting divine response. It works because Power writes it sincerely, but you start noticing she really has a thing for characters threatening or bargaining with God about their romantic situations.
The film hits every romcom beat you expect: the breakup, the meet-cute, the new romance, the ex returning with a grand gesture, the climactic choice. There's no subversion here, no attempt to surprise you. Call Of My Life knows what audiences want from the genre and delivers it straightforwardly. That's not necessarily a weakness if you're watching for comfort rather than innovation, but it does mean the story never challenges itself or takes risks.
The romance between Soluchi and Eli builds nicely despite the thin characterization. Their phone conversations have a sweetness that translates when they meet in person. The film creates moments designed to make you swoon, and enough of them succeed that the ones that fall flat don't derail everything.
Nollywood struggles with romantic comedies more than it should. Too often they're either too broad or too shallow, missing the tone that makes romance work on screen. Call Of My Life gets closer than most recent attempts. It understands that romcoms need warmth, chemistry, and stakes that feel real even when the story is predictable. The cultural specificity helps tremendously. This isn't a generic love story dropped into Lagos, it's an Igbo romance that uses language, family dynamics, and cultural expectations as foundation rather than decoration.
The film's biggest strength is how it treats Soluchi's personality not as a flaw to be fixed but as something that deserves to be matched. Kalu wasn't wrong for being practical, but he was wrong for her. The film's message isn't about changing yourself, it's about finding someone who speaks your language. That's a healthier romcom lesson than the usual "tone yourself down to be loved" narrative.
Twitch's direction stays out of the way in the best sense. He lets the performances breathe, frames the romance without overcomplicating it, and keeps the pacing steady. For a debut feature, it shows confidence in the material and trust in his cast. The film looks polished without feeling sterile, colorful without being garish.
Call Of My Life won't change how Nollywood approaches romance, but it proves the industry can deliver this genre competently when it commits. The writing needs tightening, the characters need more depth, and the conflict could use sharper edges. But the heart is there, the chemistry works, and the film understands what makes romcoms satisfying. Sometimes that's enough.
Release Date: May 15, 2026
Runtime: 1 hour 50 minutes
Streaming Service: Theatrical release
Directed by: Dammy Twitch
Cast: Uzoamaka Power, Andrew Yaw Bunting, Zubby Michael, Beverly Osu, Patience Ozokwo, Nkem Owoh