“The Betrayed” Fails to Deliver on Its Promise of Thrills and Mystery

What happens when a night of celebration turns into a nightmare? That’s the question at the heart of “The Betrayed,” the latest offering from Inkblot Productions. Unfortunately, the film’s answer is far less compelling than its setup suggests.

Zulu Oyibo’s directorial debut follows tech mogul Bala (Gabriel Afolayan) as he finds himself at the center of a murder mystery. After a night of revelry with his business partner Batista (Ibrahim Suleiman), Bala wakes up next to a dead escort in his hotel room. What follows should be a taut thriller exploring the fallout of this shocking discovery. Instead, we’re treated to a meandering narrative that can’t seem to decide what kind of story it wants to tell.

The film’s opening act shows promise, focusing on the impact of Bala’s arrest on his family, particularly his wife Amarachi (Uche Montana). This approach initially feels refreshing, hinting at a more realistic exploration of how a single event can shatter lives. However, this potentially intriguing angle is quickly abandoned in favor of a half-hearted mystery plot that never quite comes together.

One of the most glaring issues with “The Betrayed” is its pacing. The first half of the film moves at a glacial pace, filled with drawn-out scenes that add little to the narrative. We’re left waiting for something, anything, to happen as the story plods along. When the action finally does pick up in the second half, it feels rushed and poorly thought out, as if the filmmakers suddenly realized they were running out of time to wrap up the plot.

The characters in “The Betrayed” are frustratingly underdeveloped. Amarachi’s transformation from shocked wife to amateur detective feels abrupt and unearned. Her decision to launch her own investigation, rather than going to the authorities with new information, strains credibility. Similarly, secondary characters like the hacker Kunle (Vine Olugu) and club owner Mama Vee (Adunni Ade) feel shoehorned into the plot, their motivations unclear and their actions often nonsensical.

The performances from the cast are similarly uneven. While Gabriel Afolayan does his best with the material he’s given, the rest of the ensemble seems adrift, delivering lines that often feel out of sync with the tone of the scenes. This disconnect further undermines any tension or suspense the film attempts to build.

Technically, “The Betrayed” is a mixed bag. While some scenes are competently shot, others feel amateurish. The sound design is particularly problematic, with Adunni Ade’s dialogue sounding noticeably dubbed, pulling the viewer out of the story. Even small details, like characters obeying traffic lights in the middle of the night during a tense scene, betray a lack of attention to realism.

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of “The Betrayed” is its predictability. The film’s title and opening paragraph about unexpected betrayal essentially give away the game before it’s even begun. Any seasoned viewer of mystery thrillers will likely guess the culprit long before the “big reveal,” robbing the story of what little suspense it manages to generate.

It’s clear that “The Betrayed” had aspirations of being a sophisticated thriller in the vein of recent Nollywood successes. However, it falls short in nearly every aspect. The plot holes are numerous and glaring – how does a supposedly wealthy tech mogul have no savings for his family to fall back on? Why can’t he secure bail with his money and influence? These questions are never satisfactorily addressed, leaving the viewer frustrated and disengaged.

In the end, “The Betrayed” feels like two different films awkwardly stitched together. The tonal shift from family drama to thriller is jarring and poorly executed. What could have been an intriguing exploration of the ripple effects of a crime instead becomes a muddled mess of half-formed ideas and missed opportunities.

While it’s commendable that Inkblot Productions is giving new directors a chance to showcase their talents, “The Betrayed” demonstrates the importance of a clear vision and tight script. Oyibo shows some promise as a filmmaker, but this debut stumbles more often than it soars.

For viewers hoping for a gripping mystery or a nuanced family drama, “The Betrayed” is likely to disappoint on both fronts. It’s a film that betrays its own potential, leaving audiences with little more than a sense of what might have been.

“The Betrayed” is still showing in the Cinemas.

Release Date: August 2, 2024

Runtime: Approximately 2 hours

Streaming service: None, Cinematic Release

Director: Zulu Oyibo

Cast: Uche Montana, Gabriel Afolayan, Adunni Ade, Ibrahim Suleiman, Vine Olugu, and Jemima  Osunde

TNR Scorecard: 2/5