‘Family Gbese‘, directed by Michelle Bello and produced by Inkblot Productions, was first released in cinemas before recently arriving on Prime Video in 2024.
While the film explores relatable themes of family, loyalty, sacrifice, and moral dilemma, I’m honestly relieved I didn’t watch it in the cinema. It lacks the kind of suspense, thrill, and tension that make a big-screen experience truly worth it.
SYNOPSIS
Mazi’s life is perfect—he’s engaged to his dream girl and thriving at his high-powered investment firm. But a shocking request from his mentor threatens it all. Will he risk everything for the man who built his career, or protect his perfect life?
THE STRONG POINTS OF THE FILM
The highlight of ‘Family Gbese’ lies in its simplicity and relatability. The story is written and told in a clear, straightforward manner without confusion or unnecessary scenes. It captures the realities of family life: the moral dilemmas, sacrifices, love between siblings, and unspoken tension that binds relatives together. Every viewer can find a piece of their own family reflected in one character or situation. Its honesty and strong message about family loyalty give the film a warmth that’s hard to miss.
The cast gave their all to the performance, bringing life and emotion to each role. Every actor seemed deeply connected to their character, which made the family dynamics believable and engaging. Uzor Arukwe, who plays the lead, carried the story effortlessly with a natural and heartfelt delivery. You could feel his pain and worry as a breadwinner torn between choosing his family and chasing his dreams.
Mike Ezuruonye also delivered an impressive performance as the insensitive elder brother, balancing his role with a touch of humour that brought some comic relief to the story. The rest of the cast did well in their supporting roles.
Another strong point of ‘Family Gbese’ is its cinematography and soundtrack. The visuals were clean and easy on the eyes, with scenes shot in a way that felt natural and fitting for the story. The soundtrack was also well-chosen, perfectly matching the mood of each scene.
The language authenticity is also worth noting. The mix of English, Pidgin, Igbo, and Yoruba made the film feel deeply rooted in Nigerian culture. It added a natural flow to the conversations and helped each character feel more real and relatable, especially in family scenes where such language blending naturally occurs.
THE WEAK POINTS OF THE FILM
I think the film’s major flaw is its mix of comedy and drama. It somehow didn’t work well, and I feel it robbed some scenes of the tension, emotional depth, and thrill they should have had. At some points, the humour felt forced and out of place, especially in moments that were meant to be serious or emotional. This imbalance made it hard to stay fully immersed in the story, as the film seemed unsure whether it wanted to make viewers laugh or reflect.
There was also a scene where the lighting didn’t seem well thought out. For instance, the part where Yetunde was being chased by Nnamdi was clearly meant to take place at night, but it looked more like it was shot in the afternoon. The poor lighting made it hard to connect with the moment and broke the sense of realism the scene was supposed to create.
FINAL VERDICT
‘Family Gbese’ gets a 6/10.
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