“Say Who Die!” is Buried by its Own Confusion

It’s another day to write about another Nollywood misfire, and nothing beats a Jet 2 holiday quite like Say Who Die!, a dark comedy directed by Paul Utomi and starring mostly new acts in the industry (which is great, by the way). While the film was initially well-prepared with direction, it got lost in a tangled mess of plot inconsistencies, head-scratching moments, and “cut-and-join” scenes that leave one wondering: why?

The film’s plot (and this is putting it very plainly, because a lot was going on for no apparent reason) begins with the “good daughter”, Omon Ighalo (Meyi Abu), breaking the news to her boyfriend that she’s leaving the country on a scholarship to study in Liverpool. He’s excited, but she breaks it off because long-distance relationships aren’t her thing. Feeling cheated, he turns to his father, who convinces him to slip a love potion into her drink so their destinies remain tied.

Meanwhile, Omon’s troublesome twin sister Odion Ighalo (Oiza Abu) is knee-deep in trouble with local vagabond and drug dealer Jaja (Baaj Adebule), who threatens to kill her if she doesn’t return his ₦1.2 million. To escape, she stirs chaos in the marketplace—a decision that eventually costs her sister her life. Add to that the drama of the Ighalo parents, Innocent (Odakunle Fawole) and Martha (Evaezi Ogoro), whose marriage is collapsing because of the former’s infidelity. Innocent thinks his wife is in the dark, but she knows everything and decides to poison his mistress.

All the chaos comes to a head at Omon’s going-away party. Her boyfriend slips the love potion into a bottle of wine, her mother slips in the poison, and Jaja shows up threatening violence. Omon drinks from the open bottle and dies in Jaja’s hands. That moment should have anchored the film as a gripping murder mystery: who really killed Omon? Instead, the story takes an unnecessary detour into drugs, human desecration, and illegal dealings.

The plot deserves serious reconsideration. Not only did it lack direction, it was often incomprehensible. Omon, who had been portrayed as the good daughter and family pride, suddenly becomes entangled in drug trafficking, with no buildup to explain how she could possibly be sponsoring her trip to Liverpool by working for Abdul (Mike Afolarin). The revelation is less a twist than a contradiction, collapsing under its own weight. The same Abdul somehow transforms into both an ambassador for drug eradication and an artist by the film’s end, despite there being no foundation for such a turn. The confusion doesn’t stop there—Omon’s body is cut open twice to retrieve the same stash of drugs, once by her sister and again by Abdul’s men who should have known the drugs were already gone. And to top it all off, Jaja is released from prison simply because Odion claims he isn’t guilty, a scenario laughably detached from how the law actually works.

Still, Say Who Die! is not entirely without merit. Its cinematography is stunning—clean, crisp, and proof that Nollywood is making major strides technically. The soundtrack is another highlight, every note and beat landing at the right time to elevate the shaky plot. The acting is commendable too. Meyi and Oiza Abu, real-life twins, did remarkably well for their debuts. Oiza especially poured herself into Odion, carrying much of the narrative despite a few stumbles with forced delivery. Evaezi Ogoro also shone as Martha, her raw grief grounding the film with moments of genuine emotion.

Thematically, the film engages with issues audiences recognize: infidelity, death, and the painful reality of child favoritism in African homes. Martha openly declared Omon her favorite, leaving Odion painfully aware that she was the “problem child.” That honesty gave the story some authenticity, even when the plotting strayed into chaos.

But ultimately, Say Who Die! is a cautionary tale of Nollywood ambition undone by poor storytelling. A film with all the right ingredients—family drama, mystery, and social commentary—ended up buried under its own confusion. If anything, it reminds us that Nollywood doesn’t just need better cameras and soundtracks; it needs sharper scripts that respect both the characters and the audience.

Say Who Die! is still streaming on Prime Video.

Release Date: August 29, 2025

Runtime: 1 hour and 26 minutes

Streaming Service: Prime Video

Director: Paul Utomi

Cast: Oiza Abu, Meyi Abu, Baaj Adebule, Mike Afolarin, Toni Tetuila, Evaezi, Eve Bankong, Eva Ibiam, Folaremi Agunbiade, and Olakunle Fawole.