Òlòtūré (2019) User Reviews

Important topic but poorly executed

[soph_ia · 6/10 · 7 October 2020]

The topic of this movie is really important. However, just because it covers an important topic, that doesn't make it a good movie.

There were times when it almost felt comical. I don't know if it's just that people in Nigeria have a different way of speaking and carrying themselves. At times I felt that the actors were overacting.

Furthermore, they try to portray the journalist character as being this naive girl who is shocked by the way she is treated, which seemed silly to me. She was shocked whenever she had to do anything that involved being a prostitute. If you're going undercover as one, then you must expect to have to do some undesirable things. They could have shown how shocked and scarred she was by the experience in a subtler way.

It is a pity, because the bad acting and illogical characters made it more difficult for the movie to be taken seriously.

Decent attempt

[wtfiad · 6/10 · 6 October 2020]

Oloture examines the coercion of women into sex trafficking networks, claims victim could be literate or illiterate ,prostitute or not once they get caught in the web it could hold on to them prodded by an ineffective/indifferent "system".

Firstly,l think going undercover as a prostitute is ridiculous ,even worse, the character does not understand the implication of being undercover as a prostitute. She is willfully undercover as a prostitute but panics every time she has to actually prostitute, seemed illogical.

The orgy-like scene should have been cut out(if you can't do it right leave it out),the toilet rendezvous with the chief(where he gets beat up) was def unnecessary too, why does the guy have to be in love with the girl ? Clicheeeee

Wheres the rest?

[SaritaLW · 6/10 · 7 October 2020]

I absolutely hate movies that leave me stuck at the end. Especially when it was a good movie all the way until the end. I liked the story line, the actors, and even the plot. I liked that the main character, Oloture's roll in the movie as a Journalist. I kind of was hoping she WAS the police, but making her a journalist made her even that more vulnerable. I love the subject of trafficking because we just don't discuss it and the world needs to start showing everyone what happens, even if it's made up in a movie. One of the reviewers said that this movie made you see what goes on with people through their eyes and I agree. This is why movies like these are important, so we can stop and actually live in someones shoes for once. I wish that the ending was better, though. I wish that Oloture at least got out of it and I hope there is a part 2 with her struggle as she is now kidnapped. Overall I definitely liked it for what it's worth.

Women trafficking

[umorenedidiong-97556 · 18 December 2020]

It makes me sick that the movie "oluture" ended badly, thereby keeping me in suspense, Nollywood should note that am still waiting for the part two of that movie. Although the film is well intended and tries to go in depth on the issue of women trafficking, but sadly the filmmaking is so incompetent. Imagine the defaulters escaping safely with the victims. Seriously there was noting to learn. Only a piece of advice to the young girls yo be carefully and alart.

A story told like no other

[Chibuikeochili · 7/10 · 7 October 2020]

Sharon Ooja (Oloture) brings her expert acting skills into this one, alongside supporting actress Omowunmi Dada (Linda) who also did a great job. Even though it's not based on true life story, the movie centers around things that happen in our world and gets almost unspoken of daily. Here, the director Kenneth Gyang doesn't care about personal feelings, but goes straight to give us a raw and unblemished look into this brutal ordeal on human trafficking, while still leaving room for lots of emotions. Pure art and a good premise, as most movies should be. The summary is these things happen and even if it sucks, that's how life is, this film shows us just that! My ratings may seem harsh, because I found some terrible plot holes, which would be spoiling it if I discussed them, but I think by international standards, the rating is fine. It's a quality movie, watch it with an open mind.

Solid film

[gebre-egziabeher · 7/10 · 31 January 2023]

Nollywood has seen large improvements in recent years, particularly those that deal with serious issues & Oloture is definitely another step in the right direction. Human trafficking & forced prostitution is a big, widespread issue in Nigeria & the film has no qualms about depicting just how brutal & cruel that world can be. The overarching story I felt was good & contrary to what I've read in some reviews I actually thought the ending was great. The real-life stories of women who are subjected to this sadly very rarely have happy endings so why would a movie that strives to depict & bring awareness to this issue?

Nollywood has a long standing & firmly established tradition of overacting (those of us who remember Nigerian films from the 90s/early 2000s know this very well) & it is something that has not yet been completely rooted out. As a result some of the performances here are very inconsistent. As many have pointed out the protagonist acting shocked that she is expected to do what prostitutes do when she voluntarily went undercover is a bit strange, as is the fact that she is always so surprised by the horrors she witnesses. I mean she is a native Nigerian, not an American tourist, she must have had some clue about the awful things these ladies have to endure.

Overall I thought this was a good & moving film. Good production value & though inconsistent at times there are also some really good performances by certain actors here. If Nollywood continues to evolve in this direction there is great hope for the future of African cinema & I'm glad we are starting to see more of these movies that depict & tackle serious subjects come out. Well worth a watch if you ask me.

LACKED INDEPTH

[teamo-79726 · 4/10 · 8 October 2020]

LACKED INDEPTH 4/10: except this movie was based exactly on a true-life story, if no? here's my take: The movie is a typical cliche Nigerian movie. 'the characters/roles were projected with shallowness' Ehi, an undercover prostitute, seems to 'chicken out' when it's time to act her role but after the incident with sir Philips, she carried her two legs to go to Europe in a space of weeks. Really? When they just needed to burst the trafficker's activity. The movie is a kind that should give insight, spark discussions, give lessons on how to handle oneself in life/critical situations ;but just like many Nigerian movies...nothing really like that, for instance - after the situation with sir Philips and Ehi went to the hospital, they should have been able to get semen sample from ehi to indict/prosecute sir Philips ,they can even include that she lost the case or she went to women affairs and the case was taken up, but there was nothing like that , typical Nigerian movie(they don't teach people sense). The character building was poor, so no emotional attachment. This movie should be a sensitive one that should put people on edge for solid 120mins if they've put it together well enough but it's was just another 'Eeyah movie' (it's a pity) So there was not one single police dept/officer they (journalist) could work with? From the entire NPF in Lagos? In 2020? Really? So no other security agency - private/local/traditional in Lagos? Just the way nollywood won't consult with doctors while writing a script, its likely they didn't consult with the police/security Dept. Nigeria movie will show a Doctor tell a patient that their heart ,kidneys ,liver are failing and the person even need kidney transplant and that same patient/person would have the strength to jump up and be shouting 'Ewo' ,like really? Someone's systems are shutting down and the person still have so much strength. So as a journalist he couldn't even influence the NPF in 2020. That means the rest of the populace is DOOMED. So according to the movie Ehi was a novice, doesn't mean the person she was working with was too. So, her boss placed her in that type of situation without an emergency escape plan? it's like they don't even understand the in-depth of prostitution and human trafficking. Nollywood should stop feeding us breast milk instead of party jollof with moi-moi and nkwobi to step down. The rescue attempt was poor, the regular police coming at the last minute that Nollywood has been feeding us for ages, no gun battle . imagine a gun battle with the traffickers and still losing the girls or some of them. No attempt in communicating with the border in 2020? Really? I wasn't expecting a happy ending; ending was ok. 'So much to deliver yet they just blew the dust and a fair attempt to scratch the surface' . Movies should be able to balance, what is, what's not and what ought to be. Thanks.

0.5/10

[jshm-81215 · 1/10 · 4 October 2020]

This film is well intended and tries to go in depth on the issue, but sadly the filmmaking is so incompetent that it takes any emotional impact away.

Sorry, very poor in all aspects

[segsob-18-579415 · 1/10 · 12 October 2020]

Lots of people have been bigging up this Nigerian movie on social media so I decided to give it a go and watch it recently. What a terrible waste of almost 2hrs of my life. Where do I start the review from? Acting? Poor. Storyline? Probably passable. Sequence of events? Terrible. Script? Laughable. Ending? I don't know if that is Nollywood's idea of a cliffhanger ending, one without a story conclusion. Making us look forward to "Part 2"? God forbid. I thought quality of movies being churned out in Nollywood has gone up but this just confirms that there is a very long way to go.

Better than expected

[SophieeMarie · 8/10 · 8 January 2021]

I gave this movie a watch while stuck in quarantine. To be fair I am very fond of this genre and of foreign cinema. The movie does a good job of gradually upping the stakes for the main character and then passing the threshold of no return. The acting was very good and the ending was just that, an ending. The fact that it ends on bad note with no resolution IS the end. It is not a set up for a sequel. I feel like a lot of the gripes most people have with this film, is that it is not a conventional movie. There is no heroic rescue at the end. But thats the sad truth for most women who are sex trafficked. In the end it didn't matter that the lead wasn't just another prostitute, it didn't matter that she was a respected journalist, because that industry simple doesn't care.

Reductive movie with a subpar plot

[ashwin-mudigonda · 3/10 · 27 January 2021]

The movie was quite painful to watch and seemed to have been created mainly to shake the viewers with shock factors. The script is hollow and the acting over-the-top. The story loosely makes sense and attempts to tug at your heart strings. Oh! look how these girls are abused by pimps and politicians. They want to escape, but even then there is a price to pay. But the execution is so sloppy, you wish the movie was no longer than a trailer. The ending is downright comical and not worth waiting until.

Unsettling.

[jeanomwilliams · 3/10 · 7 October 2020]

Oloture, a journalist undercover as a prostitute, who is portrayed as a young lady of strong character and resilient spirit. She escaped through a window from a man who tried to have sex with her. I find it absurd that she was still the same lady who took drugs from a total stranger without hesitation.

Was going to rate it a 7 but....

[challe-edh · 1/10 · 11 October 2020]

With a abrubt ending it destroyed the whole movie. Maybe the money were used up, i don't know. Could have been so good but nooo!!

Wasn't supposed to end there.. unprofessional screenwriter

[olamideakinosun · 2/10 · 2 September 2021]

Playwriting is not for everyone, this movie wasn't supposed to end there are you trynna say.. perpetrators are gonna go away with crime? Poor storyline they were supposed to be apprehended.. 👎

Much needed story on human trafficking

[togunfiditimi · 10/10 · 3 October 2020]

Oloture is an excellent movie that provides a much needed view into human trafficking in Nigeria. Its graphic point of view shots really put you in the seat of women being trafficked.

I typed way more than I intended lol

[nadiaren · 4/10 · 16 October 2023]

I've read a lot of reviews I do agree with, the ones I don't agree with are the ones who were upset there wasn't a happy ending? Lol (guys there are no happy endings in human trafficking) I didn't hate the movie. I enjoyed the cinematography and the characters. What I can't get over,is the half baked story.. so our leading lady is a reporter(who isn't working with LE) to uncover the powerful people preying on the weak. She is posing as a prostitute but she panics anytime someone touches her. Honestly In the real world, her cover would have been blown way before she got to the Auntie.. She somehow manages to fake her way to the European ring, leaves without warning any of her superiors. Surely she has a plan? Nope, just a cell phone she smuggled in. Which she reluctantly lends to her only friend,without warning her that it has incriminating exchanges (like girl you forgot to delete the text log??! Come on!) Her friend is ofc busted with it, so they murder her. The traffickers make them all pack up and jump on the bus, just missing the calvary her lover/boss sends for her.

Italy bound, things look bleak, she decides to help her dead friends sister escape (supposed to be her redemption I guess? Although the perpetrators confirm they know where the sisters family lives, so I guess she is on borrowed time as well) anyway it ends with the main character knocked out and headed to Europe. In the end very little was accomplished (at least they got the politician maybe?)

A Major Step in taking back our narrative

[israelagyemanprempeh · 10/10 · 3 October 2020]

This movie, has really showed a deep side of the struggles of the people we often ignore. Easy to see a person to judge, but when stories like these are told you start to look at everyone with a different lens. The ending, though abrupt keeps you in a limbo and holds you in a powerful suspense pondering on what you just witnessed.

A win for Mo Abudu and Director, Gyang

Awesome!!! Terrific!!!

[elizabethbassey · 10/10 · 20 October 2020]

A true story of Human trafficking. This is told just as it is. Wow. Why is this movie rated 5? It's a 10/10. This is excellent. Oluture is just perfect.

BEAUTIFUL AFRICAN WOMEN

[nickeyblack35 · 8/10 · 17 October 2020]

PROTECT THE BLACK WOMEN: This movie really displays why that statement is necessary. To see so many beautiful Nigerian sistas trafficked, sexually exploited, and killed, is a disturbing sight. In my opinion, this movie reflects all Melanated women of the African diaspora:

"Human trafficking is modern day slavery in action. The industry is worth $150 billion globally. $99 billion alone is generated from sexual exploitation. The route between North, East, and West Africa generates $150 million dollars in annual profits."~Oloture

Brilliant !

[tolaOdunsi · 10/10 · 3 October 2020]

Oloture is raw and pure art ... excellent production excellent acting by the entire cast Sharon Ooja was simply amazing . Oloture is a must watch

Broke the mould

[aaahales · 8/10 · 6 October 2020]

I've watched a lot of Nigerian films. The quality can vary in terms of storyline, cinematography, actual acting, sound quality. This film broke the mould in all those respects. It's also a harsh intro to the forces which lead to human trafficking, modern slavery and all the horrors of modern W Africa and elsewhere that can't be ignored There is a caveat....there are some scenes which I had to skip through.But it's great to see 'Nollywood' at its best I retract that. This isn't 'Nollywood'. It's world cinema from W Africa and deserves recognition for being up there with some of the best films of the year worldwide from anywhere.

Hated the ending!!!!

[bettyjeangreen · 8/10 · 3 October 2020]

I am very disappointed at the end, I know all movies should not be predictable but I was angry that Oloture and the others were not saved or the traffickers brought to justice. We were just left in the balance as to where they ended up. Unless there will be a part 2. It was good until last 10 minutes in the movie.

Beautifully written!

[akannostacy · 9/10 · 10 October 2020]

There were no words minced and no truth, decorated falsely. This teaches a whole lot of message and exposure to the human trafficking world! Plus Sharon Ooja is such an exceptional actress.

Raising awareness on human trafficking

[dianabcristina · 10/10 · 10 October 2020]

I gave the movie a 10 because of the subject it approaches. It's not an easy film to watch, and it leaves a mark after it's done. And this is what i believe makes a good movie (or any other piece of art for that matter): the fact that it makes you ask yourself some questions afterwards, that you want to find out more about the subject. It is raw and well played, you can actually see the spark dissapearing from the character's eyes as the film progresses. Yes, there are some inconsistencies along the way, i didn't understand that Oloture had a romantic relationship with her partner, and i didn't understand she was undercover, or a journalist from the start. But the facts are facts and the depiction of the prostitutes lives, their motives, the pimps and the way in which they would treat their victims was moving and raw. I think this film is important as it raises awareness, not only for Nigerian victims, but for human trafficking victims around the world, and for this educational purpose i think it deserves the 10. Also, i don't understand how one can rate poorly such a great film, only because they didn't like the ending. Life is not about happy endings, even less in a movie about human trafficking.

5 scenes in.... Love it

[oshiyoyeolusegun-71607 · 10/10 · 8 October 2020]

Prostitution shouldn't be an option for our girls. The world can be better than this. Just my thoughts ! Everything about this flick is good. The plot 100% acting 99% overall 100%