By Chukwudi Emeka, NollywoodTimes.com Senior Critic
January 4, 2026
Nollywood kicks off 2026 with Almost Rich, a fresh Stephen Odimgbe (Flashboy) production starring the ever-reliable Sandra Okunzuwa. Clocking in at nearly three hours, this YouTube drop blends juju romance, street hustle comedy, and maid-jealousy drama into a familiar yet entertaining package. A poor shoemaker gets a magical ring from a benevolent spirit to snag a rich wife—think Living in Bondage meets The Wedding Party, but on a shoestring budget. Does the spell hold up, or does it fizzle like a bad ritual? Let's dive deep.
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Overall Rating: 6.5/10 Stars
Who should watch? Hardcore Nollywood fans craving supernatural love stories, Pidgin banter, and underdog triumphs. Skip if polished visuals are your thing.
Cinematography: Street Grit Meets Mansion Gloss
In true Nollywood fashion, Almost Rich thrives on contrasting visuals to highlight class divides. Early street scenes—where the shoemaker fixes a kid's sandal—use shaky handheld cams and wide shots of Lagos bustle, capturing that raw, authentic hustle. It's TV-style grit: overexposed daylight floods the frame, mimicking phone-shot skits, but it works for immersion. Close-ups on the spirit's eerie ring handoff add tension, though focus pulls are inconsistent, pulling you out during emotional beats.
Indoors, things level up. Ella Okori's (Sandra Okunzuwa) mansion glows with warmer tones—golden hour filters on leather sofas and chandeliers scream "new money." Night shoots suffer from classic power flickers; shadows swallow faces in maid-shoemaker arguments, forcing squinting. No fancy drone work, but a standout tracking shot follows the shoemaker chasing the Lexus nails the chaotic pursuit. Overall, cinematography elevates the magic-vs-reality theme without hiding low-budget limits—solid B-grade Nollywood visuals.
Sound Design & Music: Pidgin Punch with Echoey Flaws
Audio is hit-or-miss, a Nollywood staple. Outdoor dialogues shine: crisp Pidgin rants like "You must be mad!" during the failed proposal pop with street noise—horns, hawkers—building energy. But mansion interiors? Echoey mics turn whispers into booms, unbalancing mixes. The maid's witchcraft accusations drown in reverb, muddling punchlines.
Music cues steal the show. Thumping Afrobeat intros hook you instantly ("It's another day to make a good poor man wealthy"), syncing perfectly with spirit visions. Highlife strings swell during the fainting proposal, amplifying melodrama. Silence hits hard in ritual scenes—pouring wine at gravesides feels ghostly. No big-name tracks, but original scores fit culturally: upbeat for triumphs, ominous gongs for sabotage. Minor gripes: overlapping music-dialogue in fights, but it rarely kills the vibe.
Costume, Makeup & Production Design: Class Tells All
Costumes nail social strata. The shoemaker's faded agbada and tool box scream "hustler"—dusty sneakers mid-proposal sell his underdog charm. Ella's flowing ankara gowns and gold jewelry ooze boss-lady wealth, evolving flashier post-spell (blingy weaves signal "trapped in love"). The maid Jen K rocks knockoff designer fits—tight jeans, fake lashes—mirroring her "aspiring rich" bitterness.
Makeup is basic but believable: sweat beads on the spirit's pale face for otherworldliness, continuity holds on slap bruises. Sets impress—a real Lagos street for opens, rented mansion with believable props (Lexus key fob, ritual jars). Graveside scene uses fog machine haze effectively, though plastic tombstones cheapen it. Production design communicates arcs perfectly: shoemaker's box as "life lifeline" evolves from rags to guarded treasure.
Narrative Structure: Hooks Fast, Drags in Rituals
The opening hooks like a skit: spirit fixes sandal, hands ring—bam, stakes set in five minutes. Pacing zips through failed proposals (hilarious maid slap-back), peaks at mansion chaos (faint, "first love" claim). Flashbacks? Minimal—one jail quip nods backstory—but spiritual visions (Azina the orphan ghost) add mystical layers without overkill.
Mid-film drags with repetitive sabotage: maid burns box, rituals counter-rituals. Emotional climax—shoemaker's gratitude pour—delivers payoff, but rushed ending ties spells too neatly. Nollywood pacing issue: subplots (security guard's comic asides) bloat runtime. Still, resolution satisfies with karmic twists, echoing folktale morals.
Plot Logic & Story Gaps: Juju Excuses the Crazy
Plot hinges on the ring: works only on "rich ladies," fails on broke Jen (under 500k Naira). Logical within Nollywood juju logic—class-jump magic critiques "money marries money." But gaps galore: Why secondary school "ex" delusion? Unexplained. Maid's instant hatred feels trope-y (jealous househelp 101). Sudden police threats fizzle without payoff.
Character choices ring true Nigerian: shoemaker's dignity-in-labor speech amid hustle, Ella's "kind madam" facade hiding loneliness. Tropes abound—instant love, ritual reversals, poor-boy-wins—but freshened by Pidgin wit ("You lost your period? Face like HIV"). Unresolved: spirit's full backstory teases sequels (Part 2 already dropped).
Characterization & Performances: Okunzuwa Shines, Odimgbe Hustles
Stephen Odimgbe as the shoemaker is pure energy—wide-eyed wonder post-ring, frantic box defenses. His Pidgin rants ("Which house? You no get 100k!") land laughs, though emotional depth wanes in monologues. Chemistry with Sandra? Electric under spell—awkward courtship turns passionate, believable via her wide-eyed swoons.
Sandra Okunzuwa owns it as Ella: haughty boss to lovestruck fool, nailing micro-expressions (faint recovery gasp). Maid Jen K steals scenes—vicious slaps, Bible-witch hunts—pure Nollywood villainy. Security guard's deadpan ("Pure love I see") adds levity. Language pops: code-switching Pidgin-English mirrors Lagos life, no dubbing awkwardness. Standouts: Okunzuwa's range elevates; supporting cast carries comedy.
Thematic & Cultural Relevance: Wealth Gap Wrapped in Juju
Core theme: class warfare via supernatural shortcut. "Benevolent spirit cracks the canon for poor orphans" indicts inequality—rich ride Lexus, poor fix sandals. Nigerian realities shine: hustle dignity, maid envy, juju as equalizer. Social commentary? Subtle—kindness to the poor pays (spirit warns), but greed (maid's rituals) backfires.
Faith clashes with fetish: Bible-thumping maid vs. ghost rituals nods religious syncretism. Aspirational for diaspora—poor boy wins mansion life. Local appeal: Pidgin humor, Lagos landmarks. Global? Magic romance hooks universal underdogs, but low-fi limits streaming polish.
Scene-by-Scene Breakdowns: Memorable Moments & Misses
Opening Hook: Kid cries over sandal—spirit intro sets tone. Visual: dusty streets pop; sound: music swells hope. Nailed engagement.
Failed Proposal Chaos: Shoemaker hits on Jen, epic slap-police chase. Comedy gold—Pidgin fury, shaky cam frenzy. Plot advances ring rules flawlessly.
Mansion Magic: Faint, "missing ex" reveal. Okunzuwa's over-the-top joy sells spell; tension builds with maid eavesdrop. Peak drama.
Ritual Wars: Box sabotage, incense cleansings. Drags but culturally rich—red candle spells mirror real babalawo tales. Fire effects cheap, vibes authentic.
Graveside Gratitude: Wine pour for Azina. Eerie silence, fog—best atmospheric scene. Ties orphan theme poetically.
My Verdict: Fun Fantasy with Familiar Flaws
Almost Rich is quintessential Flashboy: unpretentious, trope-loaded, heart-tugging Nollywood. Strengths—performances, cultural zingers, supernatural hook—outweigh drags and gaps.
At 6.5/10, it's no Lionheart, but crushes YouTube binge-watch vibes (179k views overnight proves it). Odimgbe's production punches above weight; Okunzuwa cements leading-lady status.
Call-to-Watch: Stream now on YouTube for laughs, chills, and "what if" dreams. Perfect rainy Lagos afternoon fodder. Pair with Part 2 for the full saga. What's your take—ring real or reel? Drop comments below!
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