In the middle of all this drama about streaming platforms pulling out of Nigeria like they’re evacuating from a war zone, Netflix quietly dropped The Party on May 30. And like a good Nigerian film lover, I gave it a shot. But the moment I realized it was another whodunnit, my excitement dropped faster than Bobo’s body into that swimming pool. Nollywood and the murder mystery genre have never really been best friends. We’ve had A Weekend to Forget, Katangari Goes to Town, and a long list of mid efforts that never really hit the spot.
So, I entered The Party with my heart half-closed. And guess what? It was… okay. Just okay. Not terrible. Not great. And that’s the real tragedy.
A Pool, A Party, A Corpse
The movie kicks off at a birthday party in Bobo’s (Kunle Remi) mansion. Balloons, vibes, music, and then — boom — the celebrant himself drops dead into the pool. Enter Chief Balogun, Bobo’s powerful father, who calls the police like a proper Big Man would. Next thing, investigators show up. Habiba (Eva Ibiam) and Etim Caleb (Kelechi Udegbe), under the command of the very limp Moshood (Yomi Fash-Lanso), arrive on the scene.
From here, the usual questioning begins. Every suspect has something to hide, and everyone seems to agree that Bobo’s wife (Kehinde Bankole) is the likely killer. Apparently, ever since Bobo married her, he stopped talking to his friends and ignored his family. That alone is motive enough for Nollywood. But as the film progresses, more suspects and secrets creep in, trying to thicken the plot.
Detectives or Decoration? Because We Can’t Tell
Let’s start with Habiba. Whoever wrote her role must have been in a rush because she has no real depth. She’s supposed to be the lead investigator, but all we get is a bland character with a sad domestic violence backstory that adds zero weight to the case. They say she’s experienced, but we don’t see it. No standout intelligence, no powerful hunches, no cool detective moments.
Mashood, her superior, is even worse. He’s more interested in pleasing the Balogun family than in solving the case. If corruption had a face, it would wear his limp and fake concern. Honestly, the way the investigation played out was almost insulting. It felt more like guesswork and gossip than any proper police work.
Whodunnit? Anyone Paying Attention Already Knows
The biggest problem with The Party is how painfully predictable it is. Anybody who knows the rule of character economy (a fancy way of saying “if you see a character and they’re not important yet, they probably are”) will figure out the killer before the movie is halfway done. There’s no real twist. The story doesn’t play with your mind. It just runs in circles, drops random secrets, and throws in a killer at the end with zero motive and says, “Surprise!” Like, excuse me?
CCTV Everywhere But Nowhere
There were CCTV cameras shown all over the building, but were they ever used? No. Not once. Not even fake footage to deceive us. They just showed the cameras for decoration. Like, what’s the point? Can’t we just pretend in film that Nigerian police are sometimes very competent? Must we carry real-life unprofessionalism into movies too?
Evidence is thrown in randomly. One moment a suspect is being accused, the next minute someone finds something conveniently placed and the attention shifts. Yet none of this actually helps solve the case. If you removed the entire police department from this movie, nothing would change. That’s how irrelevant their investigation was.
The Real Star? Shaffy Bello, Take A Bow
Now, if we’re talking performances, let’s give flowers to who deserves them. Shaffy Bello was phenomenal as Bobo’s grieving mother. Every emotion she served was top tier. No exaggeration — she carried the weight of a mourning mother with class, pain, and depth. She deserves a standing ovation.
Femi Branch as Quadri? Solid. Reliable. He delivered with ease. Tope Olowoniyan as Queen/Mrs. Ibe added a layer of sensual tension that honestly made the interrogations watchable. The way she toyed with Caleb and Mashood’s focus? Hilarious and slightly disturbing, but she did it well.
Final Verdict: 6.5/10 — It Tried, But Try Harder
The Party isn’t a bad movie. It just doesn’t live up to what a whodunnit should be. It lacks suspense, has no real twist and ends with a killer reveal that’s more annoying than satisfying. But at least it’s watchable. The acting makes it bearable, and the production quality isn’t poor.
Now streaming on Netflix – — if you’re not expecting too much, you’ll probably enjoy it.
