Behind the Mask: Why ‘Together As One’ is a Bold, Though Flawed, Tale of Nigerian Friendship and Forgiveness
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Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
Nollywood has long been obsessed with the concept of the "frenemy"—that smiling face in your living room plotting your spectacular downfall. In Together As One, director and producer Ebube Nwagbo dives deep into this trope, attempting to bridge the gap between the classic "home video" melodrama and the more polished aesthetic of modern African cinema. What results is a film that is as emotionally taxing as it is culturally resonant, providing a stark look at the transactional nature of some modern friendships and the heavy burden of survival guilt.
The Hook: A Romance Built on Failed Dates
The film opens with a refreshing, almost “Rom-Com” energy. Susan (Ebube Nwagbo) and Lucas (Chike Daniels) meet at a restaurant, both victims of the dreaded Nigerian "no-show" blind date. This opening hook is effective because it taps into a universal Lagos/Abuja experience—the unpredictability of modern dating.
The chemistry between Nwagbo and Daniels is immediate and surprisingly soft. Unlike many Nollywood romances that rely on over-the-top "toasting" or aggressive pursuit, their connection feels organic. However, as the veteran viewer knows, in a movie titled Together As One, peace is usually the prelude to a storm. The narrative quickly shifts from a blossoming romance to a psychological thriller as we realize Susan isn’t just falling in love; she’s being circled by sharks.
Cinematography: Elevating the Visual Narrative
Visually, the film leans into the high-glamour aesthetic that has become the hallmark of "New Nollywood." The framing of Susan’s home and office uses a lot of medium-wide shots to establish her status as a woman of means.
There is a noticeable effort in the lighting consistency. Often, Nollywood films struggle with "flat" lighting in interior scenes, but here, the shadows are used effectively to mirror the duplicity of characters like Dian and Tai. The color grading leans toward warm tones during Susan and Lucas’s dates, contrasting sharply with the colder, more clinical feel of the scenes where the betrayal is plotted. However, the film occasionally slips into a "TV-style" look during long dialogue sequences, where the camera stays static for too long, losing the cinematic momentum.
The Sound of Betrayal: Audio and Music Design
One of the most critical aspects of this production is its sound design. Dialogue audibility—a historical pain point for the industry—is generally crisp. The sound mixing finds a decent balance, though there are moments where the ambient noise of the Nigerian environment (the distant hum of a generator or traffic) peeks through.
The musical score is heavy on emotive piano and strings, used to signal the "mystery" of Lucas’s frequent disappearances. While effective, the score occasionally tells the audience how to feel rather than letting the performances do the work. Culturally, the use of contemporary Nigerian sounds helps ground the film in 2024, making the characters feel like people you’d meet at a lounge in Lekki or an office in Victoria Island.
Costume and Production Design: Wealth as a Weapon
The costume department deserves praise for its attention to social class. Susan’s wardrobe—sophisticated, structured, and expensive—perfectly communicates her position as a self-made woman. In contrast, Tai’s wardrobe reflects his instability; he wears the clothes of a man trying to look like he belongs in Susan’s world but failing due to the "rough edges" of his addiction and debt.
The set design of Susan’s house isn't just a backdrop; it’s the prize that Dian and Tai are fighting for. The environmental believability is high, avoiding the "vacant mansion" look that plagued older productions. Every prop, from the luxury cars to the office stationery, serves to reinforce the stakes of the scam.
The Narrative Structure: Pacing and the "Nollywood Drag"
Together As One follows a linear structure but utilizes a slow-burn reveal for Lucas’s backstory. The pacing is a bit of a mixed bag. The first hour spends a significant amount of time establishing the romance, which is necessary for the emotional payoff, but some subplots involving the secondary characters feel like they could have been tightened.
The film truly finds its stride in the third act. The transition from a romance to a story of betrayal is handled with a sense of mounting dread. However, like many Nollywood films, the ending feels slightly rushed. The resolution of Dian and Tai’s plot happens in a flurry of confrontation that could have benefited from five more minutes of "cat and mouse" tension.
Character Analysis: Ebube Nwagbo and Chike Daniels
Susan (Ebube Nwagbo): Nwagbo delivers a restrained, mature performance. She avoids the "screaming victim" trope, instead playing Susan as a woman who is deeply hurt but remains intellectually sharp. Her transition from love-struck to suspicious is subtle and believable.
Lucas (Chike Daniels): Daniels has the difficult task of playing a character who is essentially lying to the protagonist for "good" reasons. He carries the weight of "survival guilt" in his eyes. His chemistry with Nwagbo is the anchor of the film; without it, the audience wouldn't care enough to see them through the conflict.
Dian (The Villain): The portrayal of Dian is a chilling reminder of the "close enemy." Her performance is a highlight because she doesn't play "evil" from the start. She plays the "supportive best friend" so well that when the mask slips, it feels like a genuine gut punch to the audience.
Plot Logic and Cultural Nuance
The film tackles the "scam" trope with a modern twist. The idea of a friend using a relative (Tai) to infiltrate a wealthy woman’s life is a story that feels ripped from Nigerian "True Confession" blogs. The motivations are grounded in the harsh economic realities of contemporary Nigeria—debt, the lure of easy wealth, and the resentment that can brew in the shadow of a friend’s success.
A minor plot hole exists in the ease with which Tai is able to pressure Susan into business discussions. A woman of Susan’s intelligence would likely have seen through Tai’s desperation earlier, but the film justifies this by showing how Dian uses Susan’s emotional vulnerability to cloud her judgment. This is a very "Nigerian" psychological play—using the guilt of being "blessed" to manipulate a wealthy friend into helping a "struggling" relative.
Thematic Depth: Guilt, Faith, and Forgiveness
The core of Together As One isn't actually the scam; it’s the concept of survival guilt. Lucas’s secret—his responsibility for the accident that paralyzed Francis—is the most poignant part of the film. It explores a theme often ignored in Nollywood: how trauma defines our future relationships.
The film also offers a social commentary on the "black tax" and the pressure successful Nigerians face to carry their less fortunate relatives and friends, often at their own peril. Susan’s willingness to forgive Lucas, but her firm stance against Dian, sets a healthy boundary that we don't often see in films that usually preach "forgive everyone regardless of the damage."
The Verdict: A Mirror to Our Social Circles
Together As One is a significant entry in Ebube Nwagbo’s filmography. It’s a film that respects the audience’s intelligence while delivering the emotional high notes that Nollywood fans crave. It isn't perfect—the pacing in the middle could be snappier, and some of the dialogue is a bit on the nose—but it is deeply human.
It captures the essence of the Nigerian struggle for trust in an environment where everyone seems to have an agenda. It’s a story about the family we choose and the realization that sometimes, the "one" we are together with is the only person who truly sees our scars.
Who should watch this? If you enjoy psychological dramas like The Set Up or classic betrayal tales like Games Women Play, but want something with more emotional depth and a modern aesthetic, this is for you. It’s perfect for a weekend watch with friends (just make sure you trust them!).
The Summary
The Bottom Line: A well-acted, visually pleasing drama that explores the dark side of friendship and the heavy price of past mistakes.
Call to Action: Go watch Together As One now and let us know in the comments—have you ever had a "Dian" in your life?
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