There are certain Nollywood films—particularly those coming out of the Yoruba sector—that don't just tell a story; they slap you across the face with social commentary. AFEFE (Wind), starring Mide Martins and Habeeb Alagbe, is precisely one of those films. Released by YORUBA IREDE TV, this movie quickly generated buzz not for its technical prowess, but for its raw, controversial, and deeply unsettling exploration of modern marriage, class exploitation, and the toxic depths of vanity.
This review dives deep into the narrative, dissects the shocking performances, and evaluates whether this dramatic outing truly succeeds as a cautionary tale or merely stumbles into melodrama.
1. The Inciting Incident: Vanity and Marital Deceit
The film establishes its central conflict within the first act, moving swiftly from romantic bliss to bitter confrontation. We are introduced to the seemingly happy, well-off couple, whose anniversary celebration quickly gives way to a shocking disclosure.
The husband (Habeeb Alagbe) directly confronts his wife (Mide Martins) about her consistent use of contraceptives, despite their seemingly happy and fertile marriage. This is the match that lights the narrative fuse. The tension here is palpable—not just a disagreement, but a fundamental breach of trust and a conflict of marital goals.
Theme: Vanity vs. Procreation
The wife’s eventual confession is what turns the film from a simple marital drama into potent social commentary. She admits that her sole reason for preventing pregnancy is a desperate fear of losing her figure and the need to spend exorbitant amounts of money and effort maintaining her "perfect" body.
“Do you know how much I spend on my body every week? I can’t do that [get pregnant] at all. You sort yourself, it’s fine, but me, I can’t do it.”
This dialogue instantly positions Mide Martins' character as the epitome of modern, superficial vanity—a direct critique of a segment of society prioritizing aesthetic perfection and social image over traditional marital fulfillment. The film doesn't handle this theme subtly; it places the blame squarely on the pursuit of body image, framing it as a destructive force within the marriage.
2. The Calculated Decision: Commercializing Childbirth
With the wife resolute in her refusal to carry a child, the couple turns to the cold, calculated world of commercial surrogacy.
Class Disparity and Exploitation
The transition to surrogacy is handled with chilling professionalism, highlighting the transactional nature of the arrangement. They consult a doctor who suggests two paths: an anonymous service or finding their own surrogate. The couple opts for the latter, explicitly stating they want to keep the process "in charge" and "in control of the whole thing" so they don't have problems later.
This leads them to Tracy (The Surrogate), a woman clearly from a disadvantaged background, desperate enough to rent her womb. Here, the film pivots to its primary critical theme: the ruthless exploitation of the poor by the wealthy.
The arrangement is purely commercial: a price is set, and Tracy's life is effectively managed, confined, and scrutinized by the rich couple. The surrogate's lack of "learning" or formal education is repeatedly weaponized against her by the wife, reinforcing the cruel power dynamic at play.
3. Deep Dive into Character Portrayals
The success of AFEFE rests almost entirely on the shoulders of its lead actors, whose performances amplify the film's uncomfortable truths.
Mide Martins as 'The Wife': The Vain Narcissist
Mide Martins delivers a memorable and deeply unsympathetic performance. Her character is a masterclass in controlled, aggressive manipulation. She is not just vain; she is a narcissist who views motherhood as a logistical inconvenience and the surrogate as a paid servant, not a human being.
Her motivation—prioritizing weekly beauty expenditures over her husband's desire for a family—is deliberately shocking and somewhat simplistic, but it serves the film's purpose: to be a clear, dramatic portrayal of moral bankruptcy driven by superficiality. Her emotional handling of the surrogacy is demanding and anxiety-ridden, but her anxiety is only for the outcome (the baby), never for the vessel (Tracy).
Habeeb Alagbe as 'The Husband': The Passive Enabler
Habeeb Alagbe plays the husband as a genuinely conflicted man, but ultimately, a passive enabler. He is the catalyst for the search for a child, yet he allows his wife's heinous treatment of Tracy to continue, often offering weak, half-hearted defenses of the surrogate.
His complexity emerges in the later acts. The implication of a prior connection with Tracy, revealed through her confrontation and his stunned reaction, suggests his initial motivation for surrogacy may have been rooted in unacknowledged guilt, or perhaps, a way to secretly compensate Tracy. This subtle layer of marital deceit on his part adds necessary weight to the drama, preventing him from being just a hapless victim.
Tracy as 'The Surrogate': The Moral Counterpoint
Tracy is the film’s emotional anchor and the true moral center. Her portrayal of quiet desperation slowly morphing into defiant resistance is compelling. Her physical suffering from the pregnancy is ignored by the wife, leading to a doctor’s diagnosis of stress.
Tracy's shift from subservient service provider to the agent of "payback time" is the narrative’s climax. She embodies the exploited class finally pushing back, using the very thing the wealthy couple desires—the child—as leverage. Her character is a powerful reminder of the human cost of purely transactional relationships.
4. Cruelty and Escalation: The Narrative Turning Points
The middle section of the film is dominated by the escalating cruelty directed at Tracy, which feels both agonizingly drawn out and crucial to justifying her final rebellion.
The Hospital Scene: Dismissing the Surrogate’s Pain
When Tracy is rushed to the hospital with distress, the doctor attributes her condition directly to "stress" caused by her environment. Instead of introspection, the wife doubles down on her hostility. She is infuriated, not concerned, dismissing Tracy’s pain as the consequence of her "illiterate" background, effectively dehumanizing her.
The wife's line: "We don't want [her]. Get us another person... it's because she's illiterate that's why she's behaving like that."
This scene is a dramatic high point, fully exposing the wife’s lack of empathy and cementing her role as the antagonist. It moves the conflict beyond the simple desire for a child and into the territory of moral accountability.
The Turn to Payback
The climax revolves around Tracy's calculated move for revenge. She stops submitting to the couple's whims and begins demanding her money, but with a new air of power. The husband’s shocking confrontation with Tracy, where she throws a message and accuses him while he denies knowing her, suggests the surrogacy might be far more complex—perhaps an affair, or a deep-seated deception—setting the stage for a messy, unresolved end. The ambiguity of the husband’s past actions becomes the ultimate wind (Afefe) that threatens to blow the marriage apart.
5. Technical Execution and Cultural Lens
As is often the case with contemporary Nigerian home videos, AFEFE (Wind) is an ambitious project with mixed technical results.
Production Quality and Pacing
The direction and cinematography are generally functional, though they suffer from the characteristic slow pacing of the genre. The film could benefit from tighter editing, as several scenes (particularly filler moments or prolonged dramatic stares) drag, preventing it from feeling truly viral or slick.
However, the interior settings are well-chosen, effectively conveying the wealthy lifestyle of the main couple, creating a necessary contrast with the humble background of the surrogate. The use of sound and music effectively underlines the melodrama, sometimes becoming intrusive, but generally succeeding in heightening the dramatic stakes.
Cultural Relevance: Surrogacy in Nigeria
The film's most powerful contribution is its examination of commercial surrogacy within a culturally conservative and economically polarized environment. By showing a wealthy woman outsourcing motherhood due to vanity and then exploiting the surrogate from a lower socioeconomic class, the movie holds a mirror up to a sensitive issue. It highlights the ethical grey areas and the potential for abuse when the deeply personal act of childbirth becomes a purely financial transaction. The film asks: at what point does a business contract infringe on human dignity?
6. Strengths, Weaknesses, and Final Verdict
Strengths
Weaknesses
Mide Martins’ Performance: Completely sells the monstrous vanity of the lead character.
Pacing and Length: Overly long, with significant dragging in the middle acts (a common Nollywood issue).
Potent Social Commentary: Directly tackles vanity, class exploitation, and modern marriage crises.
Overly Simplistic Motivation: The wife’s reasoning for avoiding pregnancy is dramatically effective but lacks complex psychological depth.
Climactic Tension: The dramatic turns involving the husband's past and the surrogate's revenge are genuinely shocking and engaging.
Uneven Technical Execution: The production quality is sufficient but occasionally inconsistent.
My Verdict:
AFEFE (Wind) is a robust, emotionally charged, and ultimately agonizing drama. It functions brilliantly as a cautionary tale against both superficiality and the exploitation of the vulnerable. While it struggles with the classic Nigerian home video issue of over-long scenes and occasionally heavy-handed dialogue, the core performances—especially Mide Martins’ chilling portrayal—and the powerful critique of class and vanity make it highly worthwhile. The shocking ending, with the husband's past catching up to him, leaves the viewer deeply invested in the moral consequences of the couple's actions.
Rating: 4.0 / 5 Stars. A gripping and morally resonant watch.
Call to Watch:
Have you ever wondered about the hidden costs of vanity? AFEFE (Wind) offers a compelling, if brutal, look. Go watch the full movie on YouTube now and decide for yourself who the true victim is in this disturbing drama! Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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