Rating: ...... 4.0 / 5 Stars
"Bury Him" is not just another tale of spiritual warfare; it’s a palpable, three-act anxiety attack filtered through the lens of Nigerian spiritual syncretism. Starring the genre’s current reigning antagonist, Yul Edochie, and the increasingly compelling Lizzy Gold Onuwaje, the film operates on the fundamental dread that underpins countless African horror narratives: the belief that one’s destiny can be cannibalized by another’s wicked ambition. For a genre often criticized for narrative predictability, this film manages to pull off a spectacular narrative save, delivering social commentary sharper than a broken bottle. It’s a compelling, high-stakes drama that asks: what happens when your only hope lies in the very traditions you’ve tried to abandon?
The Villainy: Yul Edochie’s Agui—The Immortality Zealot
In a career defined by playing the ‘wicked uncle’ or the ‘ritualist,’ Yul Edochie’s turn as Agui manages to feel both familiar and freshly terrifying. Agui is not merely a man who covets wealth; he is an immortality zealot, a character driven by a chilling philosophical ambition: to live forever by consuming the life force of the "Red Stone" maiden.
Edochie’s performance here is characterized by his intense, commanding vocal cadence. Every line delivered, from the opening threats ("Your entire existence belongs to me") to his frustrated final retreats, carries the weight of ancient, unchallenged power. He doesn't need exaggerated gestures; his menace is purely in his certainty. Where many villains rely on jump scares, Agui uses relentless, psychological torment—appearing in dreams, stalking the compound, and eliminating all witnesses. This is not mere typecasting; it's a veteran actor perfecting his craft. He has streamlined the ‘ritualist’ trope, removing the fat of melodrama and leaving only cold, hard spiritual entitlement. The fear he evokes is palpable, making the audience genuinely root for his destruction.
The Victim Turned Victor: Lizzy Gold’s Spiritual Defiance
Lizzy Gold Onuwaje, as the protagonist cursed by the "Red Stone" prophecy, delivers a complex performance that anchors the film’s emotional narrative. Her journey is a slow, agonizing evolution from profound victimhood to defiant spiritual warrior.
Initially, her portrayal is defined by crippling fear and maternal protectiveness. The sheer weight of the prophecy—that she will not live beyond 35—is etched onto her face, particularly in the haunting flashback sequence where her mother recounts the strange, inescapable stone. However, the turning point is beautifully executed: it is not a priest or an elder who finally galvanizes her, but the brutal, senseless murder of her friend and the betrayal of Pastor Jeremiah. These events transform her terror into righteous fury.
The shift in her character, marked by a final, resolute declaration—"I will be the only woman that will hit the last nail on your coffin"—is where Gold shines brightest. She embodies the spirit of a woman who, having lost everything, finds a reservoir of internal, ancestral strength. Her defiance in the face of Agui’s overpowering presence, particularly during the climax, provides the necessary emotional crescendo for the entire film, proving she is capable of carrying the dramatic heft required of a lead.
Thematic Deep Dive: Blending Cosmology and Critique
"Bury Him" cleverly utilizes its genre trappings to deliver a searing critique of contemporary Nigerian spiritual life, focusing on two major thematic currents.
1. The Hypocrisy of the Pulpit: The Pastor Jeremiah Twist
The reveal of Pastor Jeremiah as Agui’s disciple is arguably the film's most potent piece of social commentary. It strikes at the heart of the "fake pastor" scourge—the notion of religious leaders who preach salvation by day and serve dark forces for wealth and power by night.
The conversation between Agui and Jeremiah, where the pastor expresses gratitude for the "wealth" and "miracles" supplied by the dark deity in exchange for his "monthly tithe" (souls), is a raw moment of narrative honesty. The scene successfully illustrates the concept of syncretism gone horrifically wrong, where the line between Christianity and occultism is not just blurred, but actively weaponized against the vulnerable. The protagonist’s move to a ‘powerful man of God’ only to find him a wolf in sheep’s clothing underscores a deep societal mistrust and highlights the pervasive commodification of spirituality.
2. Traditionalism and the Ancestral Gap
The film also subtly champions an understanding of traditional (or "African Science") forces, contrasting them with the blind faith of the Christian community. The character who consistently urges the protagonist to connect with her ancestors to survive is repeatedly dismissed by the main family. This creates a powerful thematic tension: The Christian approach, as represented by the deceptive Pastor Jeremiah, nearly leads to her demise. It is only the wisdom of tradition—embodied by the old man at the forest gate and the spirit of her father—that ultimately saves her. This thematic choice suggests that perhaps protection requires acknowledging and reconciling all aspects of one's cultural and spiritual heritage, rather than relying solely on a singular, potentially corrupted, belief system.
Narrative Critique: The ‘Holy Period’ Plot Twist
The sequence where Agui takes the woman to the Forest of Ani, only to be stopped by the gatekeeper because she is on her menstrual cycle (her "holy period"), is the most daring and potentially divisive plot device in the entire film.
In a purely Western cinematic context, this would be branded a crass Deus Ex Machina—a convenient and lazy plot resolution. However, within the context of African traditional lore, the twist gains a powerful, albeit heavy-handed, cultural resonance. The menstrual cycle, often treated as a taboo or a period of ritual separation in various African cosmologies, is here inverted and weaponized as a spiritual shield. It is the protagonist’s female essence, her natural, biological state, that acts as an insurmountable obstacle to the male ritualist’s dark power.
This move attempts to be empowering, using a biological function that is often marginalized to become the ultimate plot armor—it stops the immortal man dead in his tracks. But while the intent is clear (to place female power above male occult ambition), the execution feels rushed. It buys the heroine time, but it’s a temporary reprieve granted by biology, not by her own agency, slightly undercutting her transition from victim to victor. Nonetheless, it’s a brilliant piece of narrative ingenuity that sparks debate and sets the film apart from its peers.
Cinematography, Pacing, and Visual Execution
The film’s pacing maintains a high level of palpable tension. The director wisely uses quick cuts and unsettling sound design in the dream sequences and stalking scenes to establish Agui’s omnipresence. The visual execution of the forest—the smoky, hazy setting of the shrines and the stark, deep-green landscape of the Forest of Ani—adds an essential layer of dread, making the setting itself feel like a character in the spiritual warfare.
While the action sequences adhere to Nollywood’s often frantic editing style, the film excels in its quieter moments: the mother's whispered confession, the protagonist's desperate prayers, and the chilling, slow-motion reveal of the fake pastor’s true allegiance. These moments allow the thematic weight to settle, elevating the film above its pure-horror classification.
My Verdict: A Modern Classic of Spiritual Warfare
"Bury Him" is a powerful and essential entry into the modern Nollywood canon. It excels on the strength of its lead performances and its willingness to engage in sharp social commentary regarding religious corruption. Yul Edochie is perfectly cast, embodying evil with chilling conviction, while Lizzy Gold delivers a performance defined by resilience and fire. Though the "holy period" twist may be debated in film circles, its narrative boldness is undeniable. It is a film that successfully marries high-octane spiritual confrontation with a grounding in cultural reality.
Verdict: A Must Watch. This film deserves to be seen, discussed, and debated, solidifying its place as a genre standard-bearer for years to come.
If this review sparked your interest, don't just read about it—experience the spiritual warfare firsthand. Find out if the Red Stone maiden can truly bury the man who wills himself immortal.
#NollywoodTimes
#BuryHim
#SpiritualWarfare
#NollywoodThriller
No comments:
Post a Comment