‘The Waiter‘, the comedy thriller produced by AY Makun, finally made its debut on Netflix and Circuits on September 12 , nearly a year after its cinema release.
The film explores themes of corruption and poverty, which remain timely and relevant. However, what could have been an opportunity for AY to stretch beyond comedy fell short, with a plot that felt scattered, little attention to detail, and an overload of cameos that added nothing meaningful to the story.
SYNOPSIS
When the political event where he’s working becomes a hostage situation, a waiter must use his street smarts to stay alive in this action comedy caper.
THE STRONG POINTS OF THE FILM
The strongest part of the film for me lies in its themes: corruption, poverty, and classism. These are issues that remain deeply rooted in society. They are not just relevant, but also relatable, as almost everyone can connect to the realities of inequality and survival that the film tries to mirror.
Its cinematography was also not bad at all. The tight framing and dynamic angles added some visual appeal and helped to keep certain scenes engaging. It gave the film a polished look at different points, showing that some thought was put into the visuals. However, the fight scenes didn’t carry the same consistency. The camera often came off shaky, making those moments feel less convincing and harder to follow.
The acting in the film was a mixed bag. Some performances stood out while others felt exaggerated or unnecessary. Bucci Franklin delivered a solid performance as the determined terrorist seeking justice, carrying both the weight of his actions and words with conviction. Kunle Remi also did well as one of the comedic reliefs, bringing energy to his scenes. On the other hand, AY reprised his familiar role as Akpos with constant shouts of ‘Warri!’; his performance felt overdone and far from natural. Regina Daniels, meanwhile, was underutilised; her character was reduced to being a potential love interest for Akpos, a subplot that wasn’t explored convincingly. Overall, the performances had moments of strength but also left much to be desired.
THE WEAK POINTS OF THE FILM
The major weakness of The Waiter lies in its disjointed narrative. The film runs on two storylines that never truly intersect, making them feel like separate movies happening at the same time. Ideally, these plots should have connected to create a tighter and more engaging story, but here they simply ran parallel. This made some details feel irrelevant or abandoned. For example, the minister mentions that an account could only be accessed with two signatories, including the CBN governor, yet this detail was never revisited or tied into the resolution.
Some scenes also felt exaggerated and unnecessary, like the opening sequence where a car explodes simply because it runs into a roadblock. Moments like these weakened the overall coherence of the film.
Another weak point in The Waiter is the lack of proper character development. For instance, nothing explained how an ordinary waiter like Akpos suddenly possessed such impressive fighting skills. Later, during the siege, Tonye tries to check his biography, and it reveals that he is a ‘serial entrepreneur who has travelled the world.’ This directly contradicts what we were shown earlier, where Akpos struggled to even send money for his sick mother’s treatment. The inconsistency made his backstory confusing and poorly handled.
Similarly, Nwando’s character was underdeveloped. Her background was not properly fleshed out, and her connection with Tonye felt vague. Several plot points also raised unanswered questions — why was Tonye trying to transfer millions into another account? What became of his and Nwando’s plans to travel abroad? Why did Tonye abandon her in the hotel, only for her to be apprehended? These loose ends made the story feel incomplete and left the viewer with more questions than answers.
Another flaw in the film was the use of unnecessary cameos. The appearances of Dino Melaye, Obi Cubana, Nasboi, and Brainjotter added little to nothing to the storyline. Rather than enhancing the plot, they felt forced and out of place, almost like distractions inserted for star power. Their presence did not drive the narrative forward and only contributed to the already cluttered feel of the movie.
FINAL VERDICT
‘The Waiter’ gets 4.5/10
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