Movie Title: The Order of Things
Release Date: May 5, 2023
Cast: Obi Maduegbuna, Timini Egbuson, Binta Ayo Mogaji, Sandra Okunzuwa, Lateef Adedimeji, Demola Adedoyin, Charles Inojie, Hadiza D’ija Blell-Olo, Tope Olowoniyan and Lilian Afegbai.
Duration: 1 hour, 44 minutes
Director: Sidney Esiri (Dr. Sid)
The idea of producing a film, especially in Nigeria, is to show original content that viewers find relatable. However, for a film like The Order of Things, the writer and producers chose to abandon a localized route and rely primarily on Western elements in the execution of the concept.
In his directorial debut, Dr. Sid tells the story of a brother who is prevented from marrying his fiancée due to his older brother’s apathetic nature in settling down.
The very idea of exploring a concept through a camera lens that highlights the dynamic between siblings, providing an ultimatum for one of them, is brilliant.
Timini Egbuson in The Order of Things
The iconic nature of the idea is watered down to a bare minimum, as the script offered next to zero value, the performances were average, and many scenes offered cringe-worthy moments that make viewers secretly wish the end credits would roll soon.
the plot
Using flashbacks, we are introduced to two brothers, Demi (Obi Maduegbuna) and Tunde (Timini Egbuson). While Tunde is the ambitious one who has his life planned out, Demi is pretty nonchalant about the direction his life is taking. The views of both brothers place them on opposite sides of the financial spectrum, with Tunde being successful and Demi an aspiring video game creator who still lives with her mother (Binta Ayo Mogaji).
During a dinner, Tunde proposes to his girlfriend, Sophia (Tope Olowoniyan). His mother warns him not to go through with the wedding as she must wait for his older brother to get married. This launches Tunde into a series of actions, including a visit to a matchmaker (Lateef Adedimeji) to connect his brother with a potential wife.
The attempts prove futile, as Demi’s mannerisms put off most of the women she meets. Fortunately, a beautiful girl named Maria (Lilian Afegbai) comes into her life. Before meeting Maria, Demi had established a romantic connection with Tope (Sandra Okunzuwa), a lady who possessed the same characteristics as him.
Dorathy Bachor in a scene
Demi’s connection with Tope is halted when she shows up at his house and sees Maria there, announcing that she is Demi’s fiancée. We later find out that Sophia paid Marria to be with Demi, which shocks the whole family.
The days went back and Demi finally found out Tayo’s location and connected with Tunde. In a turn of events, she meets her mother and Sophie with Tope, who is about to make a decision that will change her life.
The good
To some extent, The Order of Things portrays sibling relationships while pushing viewers to go on a dramatic journey with Demi and Tunde.
ALSO READ FILM REVIEW: The Wildflower: Same Old Story Enhanced With Appealing Cinematic Elements
The portrayal of a geeky character is also a reasonable effort, despite its minor stereotypical hiccups. Although Demi is a geek, she still has a bit of confidence, in contrast to how the media makes us perceive geeks.
When talking about the cinematography, one could sum it up as nice because the transition scenes were smooth and each scene told a story in the context of the type of camera shot that was applied.
The bad
The script lacked a clear sense of direction and had poor dialogue. It seemed like the writer had an end goal in mind but got distracted, so a lot of scenes felt really clunky. For example, there doesn’t seem to be a solid logical reason for Demi and Tunde to continue to butt heads with the matchmaker.
The poster
The acting performances felt a bit forced. Many tried to emulate an American version of what they thought their characters looked like. The exceptions are Timini Egbuson and Dija, who brought nuance to their roles.
In the film there were many moments of spectacle that do not count. It even got to the point where every time one character performed an action, another character would narrate that action, making it exhausting.
Finally, the product placement of a certain orange drink felt like an advertisement that was displayed on viewers’ faces every time a scene featuring Demi appeared.
final verdict
4/10. The order of things is below average, but that doesn’t detract from its healthy family comedy and drama content.
The order of things is now shown in Netflix.
