Movie Review: A Tribe Called Judah

What a way to kick off the new year!

I've been wondering how to talk about this movie without spoiling it, but I have to warn you that it'll be super difficult to not spoil it for you.

Fingers crossed!

PS. This is going to be long!

Quick Recap
Jedidah Judah is a single mother battling the stress and hardship of catering to her five boys from five fathers across five tribes. Things take a turn for the worse when she falls sick and the boys hack a seemingly genius plan to save her life.

I tried varying formats for the quick recap but this will have to do. Before you come for the five boys, five fathers part, take a breather. I also was quick to assume a lot until I heard her side of the story and just had to let it go.

The Story

Nobody wants a movie they can predict, unless it’s some cheesy romcom which everyone already knows how it goes. A Tribe Called Judah delivered on not being cheesy. It had heart. It was moving. I started with laughter, especially with the first scene where we got to see her boys, and that laughter soon turned to concern, then worry, then sadness, then more sadness, and then relief.

The script made me want to root for evil, but again, that's the power of storytelling. You find yourself going from, "Thou shall not steal" to "Maybe he deserves to be robbed."

Anyhoo, storyline was a solid for me. Captivating. Entertaining. Emotional.

Cast

A movie may have a good script, but the wrong cast could sink the entire thing. The casting of the brothers was unexpectedly good. From Emeka, to Adamu, Shina, Pere and even Ejiro. The extra effort in trying to get actors from that region— apart from Ejiro— to take up the role added a sense of authenticity to the movie. Every single cast, minor and major, brought a sense of completeness to the movie.

Chairman

The most heartbreaking scene, actually, I had more than one heartbreaking scene, but that scene where Emeka went for a loan had me furious at his boss. And that was good. Uzor channeled his character all too well that it made it easy to hate him. It’s one thing to portray a lovable character and another to bring out a character people will hate. I know we preach against expectations and all, but come on already, a loan of 200k would not have dented his pockets. His portrayal was just too entertaining to ignore. He walked the line between being mean and annoying, making you root for the brothers even more. Also, his introduction to us when he called out Emeka for not wearing "loll on" had be "loling."😂🤣

Emeka

As a first child, I just found it easy to identify with him. I loved Jidekene in Living in Bondage, and I’m so glad he’s been getting more roles that allow him demonstrate his acting prowess. The emotions he portrayed was by far the deepest amongst all the brothers. That pressure to step up and do what’s right even when it’s wrong and the emotional turmoil and inner battle against saving their mother illicitly or moving on hope and faith. It’s a tough decision for anyone and Jidekene embodied that first son stance all too well. His fate, despite being the most heartbreaking in the movie, was still monumental in bringing his family together and perhaps providing them with a better lifestyle for the rest of their lives. As Emeka, Jidekene was the model first son and an interesting act.

Ejiro

Being the last born in any family comes with some perks as we could see in the life of Ejiro, played by Olumide. From having the luxury to paint, to being protected from harms way, he was an atypical last born. This same guy played Atlas, a very obnoxious student in Far From Home, then he won our hearts again in The Black Book. What am I saying? Olumide was a good Ejiro. The mannerisms, behaviour, teasing, carriage, everything spoke of the last born traits and brought that fun, playful side to the movie.

Jedidah

Funke Akindele is a great actress and business woman. As a young child I remember coming home from school to watch I Need To Know. A TV show that tackled all things female sexual health. Since the days of that show she has gone on to become a big name in the movie industry. Her acting is always top tier and as usual she delivered with her role as Jedidah as both an actress and a director. She was feisty when she needed to be, tough when the need arose and vulnerable when it called for it.

Honourable Mentions

Timini as Pere, Uzee as Adamu and Tobi as Shina.

Pere

Timini has done his best to show that he can be more than a lover boy. His pickpocketing antics and loyalty to family was a step away from his usual Big Love ways. As a sibling and son, he was definitely unbearable but being honest with them about his antics may have been the only honourable thing about him.

Shina

As disappointing as his occupation, if I dare call it that, is, Shina was a funny character and brother. His idea to involve his gang would have solved a lot of issues, but then, that would have meant a very predictable movie. His funniest scene has to be the prayer session and his facial expression when Ejiro was explaining his tactics and fighting skills that would make him eligible for the operation.

Adamu

I like how we got to see an issue that is common with single mother parenting: roots. The uncomfortable questions about roots when a single mother is involved is a problem Adamu faced in his quest to settle down. Was the mother wrong for keeping the information away from him? Well, it’s easier to judge when you’re not the one who went through hell. Plus, his father was already bethroted. Taking a beating for the family and being smart enough to hide what he hid was a A+ move. What I don’t know is whether he threw his phone away intentionally or it fell off. Also, if he grew up on Aba, how did he get to learn Hausa and get the accent? I haven’t seen another movie from the actor, but I look forward to what he does next.

Testimony

Testimony is a case! I laughed a lot at her dedication to staying with her man. I mean it. It felt odd, but then was questionably sweet. She did save their lives by refusing to listen, but this sort of relationship will be fun to watch in the future. Imagine if she ever decides to snitch on the family. Nah. I doubt she’ll do that. She’s also an accomplice, so, she’ll just have to ride it out with them forever. As for the acting, Genoveva Umeh has shown that she can act. From Blood Sisters to Far From Home and now this. She is good and understands what is needed for each character she plays.

The Experience

My family and I had a wonderful experience with this movie. The introduction to the movie as we hear her father, a pastor, scold and disown her gave enough backstory to her past. There wasn’t any need for some odd black and white memory cut as we just followed with her present life and filled in the gaps for ourselves.

Every scene was important. It was either lending credence to another scene, building up anticipation or shedding light. The cast were excellent. The story was moving and the run time was good. I wouldn't have minded if it had gone on even longer, but I guess 2 hours is enough to send the message across.

If you're yet to see it, please do.

For those who have, what were your favourite scene and favourite characters?

Told you this would be long.

TLDR

Summarily, A Tribe Called Judah is an excellent watch. Its run time is okay, the storyline is interesting. You’ll find moments of insane laughter, deep sadness, satisfaction and relief. It’s not cliche or cheesy but gives you premium entertainment. With over 1 Billion naira at the Box Office, you have to agree that it did something right. Apart from having the right ingredients the marketing was top notch. Every single soul involved put their hearts in the movie and you’ll be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t watch it.

Till the next movie, be cool.
Also, Happy New Year!