I don’t want to sound too excited but believe me I’m geeking. It’s everything I wanted. At first I thought it was going to be a series when I saw the Prime Video ad on twitter but when I finally got around to renewing my prime video sub (yes, I renewed for Juju Stories) I realised it was a movie, albeit three part still. I’m not going to be detailed cause you don’t need the spoilers. See for yourself.
Juju Stories was released in January but I only just saw it, and it’s wild that I only just heard of it a few weeks ago. I know it’s for a niche audience but really is it?
Juju Stories as the name implies consists of three fictional short stories rooted in Nigerian magic, folklore and urban legends written and directed by the Nigerian cinema collective known as Surreal16. I think Nollywood shines in the paranormal space. It most certainly feels natural, not forced, unlike that one movie where Adesuwa Etomi Wellington had a katana.
This first installment of the anthology – because i hope there will be more, didn’t go down the Kanayo O. Kanayo route which is usually more occult. This was more everyday voodoo. People turning to yams, love potions and witches. I love the paranormal. Recently visited the “khiemi-khiemi” (Bini for where useful (juju) things are sold) at the market in my hood, to inquire about selling my kitten, I’m evil. So as soon as I started Juju Stories and there was a cat missing, my mind scuttled to “khiemi-khiemi”.
I can’t break down a movie telling you about the quality of the story telling but I will say it had my attention the whole time. I started it before work and I was finished before lunch time. I can tell you though about the OST. It was very pleasing and concise. There was Wurld in there somewhere and some really wonderful use of jazz and classical music. And the references within the movie to other media is tastefully done.
Three unconnected? stories told in three chapters .
Chapter One: Love Potion
Love Potion, written and directed by Michael Omonua offers perspective from both lovers ends; the user and the consumer of otumokpo.
What I love most about this Chapter is how detailed it is. We’ve all heard of love potions and charms, but do you know how to brew one? This episode is Voodoo 101. How to brew a love potion. Nollywood has depicted the use of love potions a lot but it’s always some salt or black pepper looking thing and has already been concocted by the native doctor in his shrine or Patience Ozokwor just straight up unties it out of her wrapper from no where and adds it to the food. So I am pleased to tell you that this time it’s different. Ngl(it means Not going to lie, for those of you not with the times), I’m very prepared to let the loml use a love portion on me. For research purposes.
The story is told beautifully the main casts Belinda A. Yanga and Paul Utomi delivered a solid performance. Pidgin English is also the dominant form of communication; felt some way about it for a second because it seemed foreign to me the way that they spoke it, like in those radio dramas but more mechanical. However, I’m totally fine with it and the conscious use of Nigerian English. The director shows us the potion’s process, shares the intimate thoughts and moments of the lovers and gives great attention to detail. So much so that the one thing that Michael Omonua does not give detail on left me puzzled. The cat. That is what makes Love Potion my favourite Chapter.
Chapter Two: Yam
This one was comedic from the jump. I was amused just thinking the lead, Don Ekwuazi was going to be yam soon. I love a good tease and the writer-director, Abba Makama, kept it going as long as he could. This chapter takes an urban legend and turns it to gold. It serves to preserve the legend through gritty documentation and of course to entertain. I loved the camera movements, the director uses focus, motion and angles to add to the whole experience. Although the story digs at the mischievous as the type to fall prey – intentions have consequences, it still feels more like something that could happen to anyone especially on a particular end of the class divide. The everyday man, the one you read about. I also loved the reference to Edvard Munch’s ‘The Scream’. Abba Makama highlights figuratively and somewhat literally, in Munch’s words “the infinite scream passing through nature” in this chapter as a way to further emphasize the anxiety of the human condition.
Chapter Three: Suffer the Witch
I really enjoyed Suffer the Witch. It felt a bit vintage but was clearly modern, maybe it’s the school setting. Suffer the Witch piqued my interest immediately with the first person narrator trope it had going. You know it’s about to be a good watch when there’s a narrator. Less is more in this chapter. CJ ‘Fiery’ Obasi, writer and director, balances the mundane with the mysterious, using eerie soundtracks and the misunderstood behaviour of Nengi Adoki the “witch” right along side familiar setting and sound. The potential for witches in Nigerian cinema is amazing. The one thing that had me lost was the title of this chapter which is also a quote from one of the cast in the film. He says “Thou shall not suffer a witch to live”. I need another body to discuss this with.
I was hoping for a little easter egg to draw a connection between all three chapters so I was very pleased that they had the idea. The omnipresence of Roseanne Adenuga across the three chapters maybe unrelated, was just enough.
I think Juju Stories is a Nigerian must watch so I’ll be endorsing. Here‘s the Prime Video link, enjoy.
