Between Us: A Masterclass in Emotional Nuance or Another Tale of Infidelity?
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Overall Rating: ............. 3.5 / 5 Stars
By NollywoodTimes Critic - January 1, 2026
Nollywood kicked off 2026 with a bang—or should I say, a frustrated sigh—in Between Us, the latest from Uche Nancy Update Tv. Starring the ever-radiant Faith Duke, heartthrob Bryan Okwara, and the sultry Miwa Olorunfemi, this 2-hour-1-minute flick dives headfirst into the messy, unspoken truths of marital intimacy. Released on December 30, 2025, it's already buzzing on YouTube for its raw humor and relatable chaos. If you've ever wondered why some couples sleep in separate rooms, this film's got the tea—served with plenty of laughter and a side of side-eye.
As a Nollywood veteran who's seen everything from ritual-heavy epics to glossy streaming hits, 'Between Us' feels like a breath of fresh air in the romance genre. It's not perfect, but its cheeky take on sex aversion, temptation, and fidelity hits harder than most. Faith Duke, in particular, delivers a masterclass in comedic desperation. Grab the popcorn (or your wrapper for cover) and let's break it down.
The Silent Scream in Modern Marriage
There is a specific kind of silence that haunts Nigerian middle-class living rooms. It’s not the silence of peace, but the heavy, suffocating quiet of things unsaid. Director and writer Uche Alexmoore captures this tension with surgical precision in the 2025 drama 'Between Us'.
In an industry often criticized for "shouting" its plots through over-the-top melodrama, Between Us takes a different route. It explores the fragile architecture of a sexless marriage, the trauma that builds the walls, and the external forces that eventually tear them down. As a veteran of this industry, I’ve seen countless "cheating husband" tropes, but rarely do we see them handled with this much psychological curiosity.
Narrative Structure: The Slow Burn of Domestic Frustration
The film opens not with a bang, but with a cold bed. We meet Sarah (Faith Duke) and Nelson (Bryan Okwara), a couple that looks "Instagram perfect" but is functionally broken. The hook is immediate for any adult viewer: Why is this beautiful, clearly loving woman recoiling from her husband’s touch?
The pacing of the first act is deliberate. It mirrors the agonizing crawl of a three-year dry spell. While some viewers might find the early scenes repetitive—Sarah constantly making excuses, Nelson’s growing desperation—it is a necessary narrative choice. It establishes the "why" behind Nelson’s eventual fall from grace.
The introduction of the "other woman," Angel (Miwa Olorunfemi), is where the film shifts gears from a domestic study to a complex web of irony. The plot twist—where the mistress becomes the wife's confidante—is a classic Nollywood "ghen-ghen" moment, but it’s executed here with more sophistication than the typical catfight-driven scripts of the early 2000s.
Performance Analysis: Subtle Grace vs. Standard Charm
Faith Duke (Sarah)
Faith Duke delivers a hauntingly internal performance. Playing a character with sexual aversion (rooted in childhood trauma) requires a delicate balance; if you play it too cold, the audience loses empathy. Duke manages to show us the terror behind her eyes whenever Nelson gets too close. Her performance in the therapy scenes in Ghana is the film's emotional anchor.
Bryan Okwara (Nelson)
Bryan Okwara brings his signature "fine boy" energy, but there’s a layer of exhaustion here that feels new. He portrays the "suffering" husband without making him a total villain, which is a difficult tightrope to walk in a Nigerian cultural context where male infidelity is often either excused or demonized. You feel his loneliness, even if you judge his choices.
Miwa Olorunfemi (Angel/Chi)
The standout, however, is Miwa Olorunfemi. She avoids the "jezebel" caricature. Her Angel is empathetic, conflicted, and ironically, the catalyst for Sarah’s healing. The chemistry between Duke and Olorunfemi is, in many ways, more compelling than the chemistry between the leads—a testament to the "sisterhood in unlikely places" theme the movie explores.
Cinematography: Beyond the "TV-Style" Aesthetic
One of the most significant improvements in "New Nollywood" is the visual language, and Between Us benefits from a polished, cinematic look.
Framing: The use of wide shots in the living room emphasizes the distance between Sarah and Nelson. They are often placed at opposite ends of the frame, separated by negative space that represents their lack of intimacy.
Lighting: The interior scenes avoid the flat, overly bright lighting typical of lower-budget productions. There is a moodiness to their bedroom—shadows that hide Sarah’s secrets and Nelson’s resentment.
Visual Mood: When the setting shifts to Ghana for Sarah’s healing journey, the color palette warms up, signaling a transition from the "cold" home in Nigeria to a place of hope and recovery.
Sound Design & The Score: The Unsung Hero
Nollywood has a history of "audio trauma"—bad lapel mics and overpowering soundtracks. Thankfully, Between Us treats sound with respect.
The dialogue is crisp, capturing the whispers and shaky breaths that define Sarah’s anxiety. The score is used sparingly. Instead of telling us how to feel with a loud piano every five seconds, the director allows silence to sit. The ambient sounds of the Nigerian environment are present but don't bleed into the dialogue, showing a high level of post-production discipline.
Costume, Makeup, and Production Design
The production design screams "Lagos Upper-Middle Class." The house is a character in itself—cold, pristine, and curated.
Costuming: Sarah’s wardrobe is particularly telling. Her choice of bulky, high-neck nightwear and conservative house clothes serves as her "armor." It’s a subtle but effective use of costume to communicate a character’s psychological state.
Makeup: The makeup remains realistic. When Sarah is distraught, she looks it. There’s a refreshing lack of "sleeping with a full face of glam," which grounds the film in reality.
Plot Logic & Cultural Context: The "Nollywood" Factor
Where the film slightly falters is in its resolution. The trope of the "Other Woman" being the one to actually help the wife is a bit of a stretch in a realistic Nigerian setting. While it makes for great cinema, one wonders if a woman in Angel's position would truly go to such lengths to save the marriage of the man she loves.
Additionally, the "childhood trauma" reveal, while powerful, feels a bit rushed in the final act. We spent a lot of time on the tension and relatively little on the actual psychological unraveling of the trauma. However, within the context of Nigerian societal norms—where therapy is still often stigmatized—the film’s advocacy for professional counseling is a bold and welcome move.
Themes: Faith, Trauma, and the "Good Man" Complex
Between Us tackles the heavy lifting of social commentary without being preachy. It asks:
Is a man still "good" if he provides but cheats because of sexual neglect?
How does the Nigerian church/society fail women who carry silent traumas?
Can a marriage truly survive a confession of infidelity, even after healing?
The ending is perhaps the most "human" part of the script. It doesn't give us a neat bow. It leaves us with the heavy truth that healing one part of a marriage doesn't automatically erase the scars of betrayal.
The Verdict: A Mirror for the Modern Nigerian Couple
Between Us is a sophisticated addition to the 2024 Nollywood slate. It moves away from the "Village vs. City" or "Ritualist" themes of old and dives deep into the complexities of modern companionship. It’s a film about the layers of secrets we keep—between us and our partners, between us and our pasts, and between us and our God.
While it has its moments of typical Nollywood convenience, the performances and the technical execution elevate it. It is a must-watch for anyone who appreciates character-driven drama that isn't afraid to ask uncomfortable questions.
Who should watch this?
Couples looking for a conversation starter (be warned: it’s a heavy one).
Fans of "New Nollywood" who appreciate high production values and subtle acting.
Anyone who believes that a movie should be more than just entertainment, but a reflection of our collective reality.
My Thoughts
Nigerian cinema is evolving. We are learning that we don't need a cast of fifty to tell a grand story. Sometimes, all you need is a house, three talented actors, and the courage to talk about the things we usually hide behind closed doors.
Would you forgive Nelson? Or is Sarah’s trauma an excuse he shouldn’t have exploited? Let’s talk in the comments.
Watch Between Us on YouTube now.
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