User Reviews

Gangs of Lagos

Every year, Nollywood releases ambitious blockbuster movies but many of them fail to deliver and end up just being a stellar cast with poor plots and direction. Gangs of Lagos doesn't offer anything new, as its subject matter is one that has had several iterations, but the cinematography, acting and locations help it soar.

The biggest issue with Gangs of Lagos would be its plot, it starts off strong but by its second half it trickles and becomes threadbare. The three friends who form the main leads also don't have much chemistry, this isn't a fault of the actors though but of the little time we spend with them as a trio.

The fight scenes are done well and bear resemblance to how fights are staged in Isale Eko. The violence and gore portrayed is also convincing. The problem comes with how the scenes are shot; the moves aren't filmed fluidly and the sound effects aren't always in sync, the overreliance on slow motion is also irking (gives off vibes that they don't trust the audience can see what they're doing).

For all the flaws of Gangs of Lagos, casting isn't one of them. There's barely any form of lacklustreness, even from the amateur and new faces. Adesua Etomi Wellington finally gets a movie that stretches her from her comfort zone, and it's delightful seeing her as a devious tomboy. Chioma Akpotha delivers as a Nigerian mother with as much love as drama; her monologue in the church is one that audiences won't forget. Chike Osebuka as the part-time gangster part-time musician is endearing and believable, and Tobi Bakre also gives a performance worthy of his protagonist status. Other acts like Bimbo Ademoye, Zlatan, Pasuma, Iyabo Ojo, Tayo Faniran also gave impassioned performances.

Giving how the themes of corruption, ghetto life, political thuggery were portrayed, the performances of the cast, the cinematography and the locations, Gangs of Lagos is a step in the right direction for Nollywood.

6.5-7/10.

I don't watch much Nigerian media, but this is a quality show. Fast paced, even if the dialogue drags on sometimes. All in all, the show gives you a feet-on-the-ground feel for the no-tourists parts of Lagos.

The actors come across as authentic denizens of the streets. Refreshing to see from a Western perspective where Africa is otherized beyond recognition. I'd love to see more of these shows even if the gangland storylines can get a bit worn out. But it's set apart from Nollywood because it cuts out all the melodrama.

Cool soundtrack, fun actors and a real eye-opener for audiences overseas.

Gangs of Lagos reminded us of Jade's Brotherhood, having similar energies and location spots. The movie was more advanced in terms of quality; it wasn't bad at all, just could have benefited from a robust screenplay to make a bigger impact

DELICIOUS

-Jade Osiberu=quality and originality, and that's what we got. Gangs of Lagos, just like Brotherhood, are never-before-seen scripts in Nollywood, so bravo Jade for pushing the envelope!

Sound design, photography, sound engineering, and score were on the plus side. They radiated the Lagos vibe making us feel like we were navigating the rough streets with Oba and his friends.

-We can never get tired of Tobi Bakre, Adesua Wellington is a sweetheart, and first time seeing Chike Osebuka, he has great potential.

Tayo Faniran and Olarotimi Fakunle take home the awards; they were elegant and notorious at the same time. The kind of people you don't want to be stuck in a room with😅

How can we miss Chioma Akpotha's performance? She was the lovable and dramatic African mother who rejoiced, danced, and also got very emotional

-It was humbling to walk in the shoes of these three friends who were trapped in a life of violence and bloodshed yet aspired for a better life.

BLAND

-Oba, Ify, and Gift were childhood best friends, however, we didn't feel a strong chemistry between them.

There wasn't that inspiring camaraderie or strong attachment you'd expect from people who've gone through thick and thin together. They acted more like common friends

-The fighting sequences, though much improved, needed a further push, especially during the closing scene between Oba and his opponent

-Why did the camera operator capture a close shot of Ekun's fake beard?😖We were so impressed with the beard until the close-up shots revealed it was fake...

-Because Gangs of Lagos was a story we've seen before, it was easy to predict the end from the beginning.

It would have made a huge difference to add something new to the table, e.g. Design Teni in a more sophisticated way, have the three friends lock horns with each other, or end in a manner that signaled the battle wasn't over.

Something out of the ordinary would have elevated Gangs of Lagos to greater standards.

Nigerian films are getting better at cinematography, scenery and soundtrack. Gang of Lagos didn't fail in these aspects.

Though the storyline is a little bit boring at some point. The street fight is ridiculously unbelievable especially with Adesuwa going to a street fight with a shotgun and nobody is scared or noticed.

It is good to see Faniran playing a gangster role.

Bimbo Ademoye as always is a phenomenal actor. She didn't disappoint in the movie at all.

Zlatan and Pasuma are the surprises of the movie. Their performances are beyond expectation.

It's not a movie I would want to watch twice so I will give the movie a seven star rating.

I am reviewing this with a balanced view of Western & Nigerian enthusiasm - this is the best Nigerian movie I have watched in a decade. Follow me...

THE STORY I spent my early years in Lagos (born and bred) and could see the realities portrayed in this masterpiece. I often left the comfort of my safer part of Lagos to visit the parts of Lagos (Isale Eko, Mushin, Oshodi), where you can see the hustle and bustle of those that lived the lives portrayed by this movie - the story, the language, mannerism and style of fight is accurate. In my teenage, I had seen a couple of 'Ify's' collecting 'illegal' tax from market women while maintaining a level of 'law and order' the Nigerian Police could not keep in those localities.

THE ACTING This is a Nigerian movie that was as close to accurate as it gets in portraying how a Nigerian would walk, talk, think and fight. This is on point. Trying to overdo the choreography would have taken the originality away.

THE MESSAGE The message of how some people grow up in such tougher parts of Lagos and get to embrace that life without necessarily trying to escape the dangers is real. The political exploitation of those foot soldiers is as accurate as it gets as well - 'touts' and 'area boys' as we call them fighting for 'leaders' and 'political parties' they have been told to believe in. The influence cannot be overemphasised.

Well done to the cast. I have ensured no spoilers are in this review so that can go and watch it for yourself.

I watched this as a Westerner - imagine the experience might be different for those versed in Nollywood.

The first half of the film is solid - a brothers-from-the-streets tale of organised crime of the kind that you've seen a dozen times before, but the Lagos setting and solid performances (at least from the leads) help it stand out. The second half limps home though. As the action ramps up the plot becomes increasingly threadbare, as it seems does the budget. It's telling of this decline that - bizarrely - a large chunk of the final showdown is very obviously greenscreened, despite just having a generic rooftop background. Without the grounding in the Lagos streets that carries the opening, the latter stages just feel like a very low budget US action flick.

Let's talk about Gangs of Lagos, a new Nigerian movie that have got the whole country talking.

I've been a long standing critic of the Nigerian movie industry, noticeable, is the fact I still don't refer to the film industry as "Nollywood", that's a conversation for another day! But Greoh Studios though cliché in their story telling, have made a name for themselves in the Action Genre. What a man can do, a woman can only try, right?

Just two major movies down and the nation is already overwhelmed (Brotherhood and Gangs of Lagos).

The only thing I see lacking from this studio is attension to detail, little errors that could be avoided but if you ain't detailed yourself, you may not even notice those errors. Considering the budget for the movie, the production came out great, mark my words; only few Hollywood studios can make a movie this good with the same budget.

Gangs of Lagos tells a Nigerian story in a brilliant way, bringing a blend of western story style with Nigerian tradition. The originality, costume, less use of English, Action choreography(5.5/10 and this is the best I have seen a Nigerian movie do). The pictures and sound were great, the sound particularly for me...

What made the movie great also was even though I knew I was seeing regular gang movie clichés, I was still glued to my screen and I enjoyed every bit of the movie.

A recommended watch for every lover of good movie.

I came to this with pretty low expectations: while I enjoy some 'classic' West-African cinema, Nollywood tend to horrify me, often taking the worse of Western cinema and leaving the out the good bits.

It is far from perfect: a lot of the secondary and some of the primary characters are acted by amateurs. The fight scenes, while sometimes well choregraphed, are evidently mimed (the lack of sync between the moves and sound effects being partly to blame). The camera work is unobtrusive and we are served some inevitable clichés (i.e. Pink-and-blue-lighting in the club scenes), and the soundtrack is a bit homogenous for my taste But the scenario actually holds its own pretty well, offering a gritty and credible slice of Nigerian street-life and a classic 'rise of the foot-soldier' narrative. Most of the characters are morally ambiguous and while it remains fairly predictable, we are far from the simplistic Manicheism of Nollywood. While the dialogues could have been better, all of the main characters are credible, and the writing for the most part successfully walk the fine line between the grotesque and the spectacular, which most crime-stories have to tread.

What can I say. I seen this advertised as a must watch film. Advertised as English language so much to my surprise when it was barely 10% English but I thought ahhhh still looks good so I'll stick it out

For the best part it's a very strong storyline, the characters are believable. Some of the fight scenes are so bad they're good like they flip over and fall without any impact whatsoever which makes me think of old school Japanese movies.

A few plot holes and some characters not really developed enough to really understand the anger but overall a very enjoyable film.

Only gripe I have is some of the dialogue was a bit fast on the subtitles so I found myself pausing to read or rewinding to catch the full statement because it was being done at the same time as an action sequence that I also wanted to watch.

I really enjoyed this movie immensely!!!! Authentic acting , an engaging plot and definitely a great cinematography overall. If anyone is familiar with the beginning of the hype regarding Nollywood movies then you should know without a doubt this movie is a step up in comparison. I am SO relieved and happy that there were not a lot of "WESTERN" influences(iykyk). In general, Nollywood movies have become better in quality and plot. In this movie, expect an integration of culture, friendship, action etc among other things. I strongly recommend you to watch with an open mind but especially if you've ever enjoyed a Nollywood movie.

There's nothing to write home about when it comes to this 2hr long movie which should have been a mere 1hr movie but typical of Nigerian movies, they are just incapable of making a short movie.

I was really vouching for this movie since it's different and from one of ours but sorry to say the plot is sooo stupid it's embarrassing. As for the acting, the least said the better. The fight scenes was laughable and the score was so bad I had to mute my tv set whenever they started fighting. The only thing that worked for this movie was the cinematography.

The story was so disjointed. I could have written a better story. These gangs fought over absolutely stupid things, the writers tried to make them seem complex but they just sounded confused and utterly disorganized, the whole thing just didn't make any sense.

It's a total miss for me.

The Best thing out of Nigeria yet. Cinematography is awesome. Stunts very good. Narration is excellent and no one expects the twists. 10/10 for this one. We get an opportunity to enter into the core of Lagos Island through the eyes of some of the world's very best talents. From Oba, to Ify, to Ekun, to Gift, to Nino, to Kazeem... it was a good blend of energy, suspense, intrigue, drama and the truth about the goings on in Lagos Island. A deep delve into the pain of death and the sweat tk succeed what what humans will really do for power and relevance. Its a beautiful watch through and through.

Cinematography okay, each character pulled their wieigh.

It's high time Nollywood movie producers begin to tell our stories with the aim to inspire hope & improved brand image & representation. Paint a picture of what's it's possible, a dream, not the overwhelming reality we've known all our lives. For example most of us grew up watching western movies so much that we were lured into the "American dream" . Only to arrive there and realize that the street were not better than what we had back home. It's our movies that non Nigerians watch and form a perspective of us as a brand before we even open our mouth to speak .

Somebody once said - "you disrespect what you don't understand" . Reducing & representing the faith and culture of a person to a criminality, is disrespectful and I had too much respect for Jade to think she would do that . All through the movie I kept hoping that the writer will make a positive case for the EYO, & not leave the audience with the idea that EYO was synonymous to crime.

I know other faiths or culture might not see raise a frown now - because it's not their faith that has been dragged through the Mud.

However , it's not right, art or not. Jade is a Princess - I wonder if she could pull that stunts off with Remo traditional faiths or the Agemo cult. EYO is not a gang. Is a cultural identity, the movie is an Insult to the Yoruba culture. There are a thousand and one ways that movie could have been written but you chose this.

GOL displays the realities of "the streets" and in many ways i found it relatable and could almost point to similar characters in Lagos today.

The economic divergence, the hopes and dreams of every youth, the importance of mentorship (Nino to young Oba), the bond of family (the ones we choose and the ones we are given)

The value in reaching back to support the dreams of young dreamers who may not see a way out of the circumstance that was handed to them. I could go on...

Overall, I liked the depth of the main characters. The storyline was simple, logical and had no plot holes. As a big fan of organized crime movies, TV shows and documentaries, I highly recommend this movie.

Billed as a crime thriller, but so badly scripted, acted and filmed it compelled us to watch the whole thing for its comedic value. The slo-mo fight scenes (of which there are many) are particularly entertaining as there is no attempt whatsoever to make it seem that anyone connected before the recipient falls over with all the conviction of a premier league footballer.

The lead actor was reasonably taciturn with his one "strong, silent type" facial expression, and to be fair there were some other half decent actors. The casting of the Teni character was so misjudged it was laughable as she went from being a pretty, dark skinned young girl to what can only be described as a hippopotamus in drag!

In all honesty, avoid this like the plague unless you have a penchant for self harm.

I loved the movie from the beginning to the end. It really takes you into the mean streets of Lagos and the inner working of the gangs controlling the streets. The action scenes drew me in. And the plot and twists were refreshing. I loved it!.

The actors were great, and the movie did not drag. The street fights were amazing and I can see myself watching this movie again and recommending it to my friends. So proud of how far Nollywood has come. It captured a huge part of Lagos culture. The story felt authentic and well executed. Everyone played their role to perfection. Excellent lead actor, you could feel his struggle and felt like you're a part of the storyline. Also what a wild plot twist.

An amazing thriller. It depicts the struggles of lagosians and life Nigerians are sometimes forced to live. The dialogue was engaging Nigerian style of English. There were strong performances from Chioma Akpotha, the young Ebun amongst many others. The composition and vfx was decent as well.

While the story starts off well, has a good middle, the ending could have been written better even if they had to make the movie longer.

The fight scenes while not martial arts were a good representation of lagos street fights but the choreography and sound failed to hit its mark a number of times.

Overall a solid performance and what i can only say feels like a CTA to Nigerians once they read between the lines.

Drama, action, and even a little romance. A great movie does not just have one genre that it sticks to. I feel the director did a great job at sending us viewers through the ups and downs of the characters lives. The suspense is what did it for me. Just when you think you know who the villain is, the movie throws you for a loop.

I believe the director also left room for a sequence or a part 2 at the end. You're left wondering "is this person going to come back later for revenge?"

After watching the movie, I looked up some stats and facts. I really can't believe that some of the depictions about the streets of lagos, children, and gangs are actually true!

Finally watched Amazon's "Gangs of Lagos" and I was impressed with its authentic acting and engaging plot.

The sound design, photography, sound engineering, and score all added to the overall positive experience. They effectively conveyed the energy and atmosphere of Lagos,(a place I have never been before) - immersing us in the world of Oba (Tobi Bakre) and his companions as they traversed the gritty city streets.

The film's portrayal of Nigerian culture is truly captivating. It authentically showcases various aspects such as the cuisine, music, clothing, and fashion, which I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing.

Although the chemistry between the three main characters could have been improved, "Gangs of Lagos" successfully captures the essence of corruption, political violence, and the struggles of life in the ghetto. This film marks a significant milestone for Nollywood, and other African nations would benefit from watching and learning from its successes.

A brilliant, original, and somewhat unpredictable piece of writing (which is something that has been quite scarce in nollywood of recent) comprised of twists, tragedies, gory fight scenes, heart warming moments, as well as cultural symbols, all these elements being complemented by an absolutely excellent performance from the cast makes Gangs of lagos to be unregrettably worth the time that was put into watching and appreciating it.

The gang violence was a bit exaggerated, so movie may not appeal to all due to said exaggerated violence as it can be perceived as a bad representation of Lagos, but this is a work of fiction, and exaggerations are to be expected before viewing. It's a solid 9/10.

Gangs of Lagos is a Nigerian gangster crime thriller film that was released on April 7, 2023, as the first Amazon Original Movie from Africa1. It is directed by Jade Osiberu and stars Tobi Bakre, Adesua Etomi, Iyabo Ojo, and many others. The film is about a group of friends who grew up in the Isale Eko area of Lagos, Nigeria, and became involved in crime and violence. The film follows their lives as they face challenges, betrayals, and revenge. The film has received positive reviews from critics and audiences, who praised the film's authenticity, action, and performances23. The film also sparked some controversy over its portrayal of the Eyo masquerades, a cultural symbol of Lagos.