Movie Review: Japa (2024)

The movie “Japa” has been generating a lot of buzz, but is it worth the hype? Here’s my take.

In a time when a lot of Nigerians’ goal is to travel (japa) out of the country in the quest for a better life, exploring this as a movie is a very good one.

The movie tells the story of a young man who was on the verge of travelling out of the country but fell into a time loop with  his colleague. To get out of this time loop, they had to perform good deeds, chief of which included tracking down and robbing their town’s oppressor.

The overall quality of this movie is excellent, with great attention to detail. The casting choices were interesting and excellent; from Jidekene Achufusi, Adesua Etomi-Wellington, and Blossom Chukwujekwu to Layi Wasabi, Seun Ajayi, and Mofe Duncan, they all gave it their best shot.

The infusion of the Igbo language, even though I don’t personally understand it, added a layer of authenticity, culture, and uniqueness to the film.

However, I wasn’t entirely sold on the use of a time-loop storyline to tell the story. While I understand it’s fiction, the time-loop concept itself felt a little out of place when the movie is about real-life issues. I think using a more realistic storyline could have helped the development of the story.

Layi’s character also didn’t quite resonate with me the way it seemed to with others. I believe that, compared to the persona I see him portray on social media, his character in the film felt underdeveloped.

Overall, while the time-loop element might not be for me, a lot of people enjoyed it, and the movie’s strengths in other areas make it worth a watch.

I’ll rate it a 6.5/10

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