Deception, "Ghosting," and the Grave: A Review of 'LOVE SPELL'
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Rating: ......... (3.5/5 Stars)
The Nollywood landscape in 2026 is increasingly shifting toward "high-concept" dramas that attempt to blend the glitz of New Nollywood with the gritty, relatable trauma of modern Nigerian dating. LOVE SPELL, directed with a keen eye for emotional tension, is a prime example of this evolution. Starring industry heavyweights Timini Egbuson and Bimbo Ademoye, the film tackles a phenomenon many Nigerian women know too well: the "Premium Ghosting." But it adds a dark, psychological twist that keeps you questioning whether you’re watching a romance, a horror, or a cautionary tale.
The Hook: When Love Becomes a Magic Trick
The film opens with a vibe that feels like a standard romantic comedy—vibrant colors, snappy dialogue, and the undeniable chemistry of Bimbo Ademoye (Amoya) and Timini Egbuson (Alex/Fred). Amoya is the woman who has finally "found her person." She’s glowing, she’s talking about marriage, and she’s shielding her joy from her skeptical best friend, Fakia (Uche Montana).
However, the "hook" isn't just their love; it’s the shadow lurking behind it. From the first ten minutes, we see Alex’s refusal to let Amoya into his physical world. He won’t show her his house; he won’t introduce her to family. In Nigerian parlance, he is a "moving target." When Amoya pushes for a seat at the table of his life, Alex performs the ultimate vanishing act. This isn't just a breakup; it’s a total erasure of existence.
Cinematography: Cinematic Gloss vs. Narrative Grit
Visually, LOVE SPELL is a treat, though it occasionally falls into the trap of "TV-style" framing. The lighting in the interior scenes—particularly Amoya’s apartment—is warm and inviting, contrasting sharply with the cold, blue-toned night shots where Alex is "kissing in the dark".
The director makes excellent use of close-ups during the intense dialogue exchanges. When Alex tells Amoya, "I'm not going anywhere", the camera lingers on his face just long enough for the audience to spot the flicker of a lie. However, the transition to the village scenes (the eastern excursion) felt slightly rushed in terms of visual consistency. The "dusty village" trope was present, but the color grading leaned a bit too heavily into the sepia tones, making it feel more like a music video than a grounded cinematic location.
Performance Analysis: The Timini and Bimbo Masterclass
Bimbo Ademoye continues to prove why she is the "Meryl Streep of Nollywood." Her transition from the giddy, lovesick girl to the hollowed-out, traumatized victim is visceral. There is a scene where she discovers her man has literally disappeared from her phone—pictures gone, number "not assigned"—and the way she handles the ensuing panic attack is a masterclass in emotional depth. She doesn't just scream; she wilts.
Timini Egbuson, on the other hand, plays the "Sweet Boy" villain with terrifying precision. Timini has mastered the art of the charming manipulator. In this film, he isn't a mustache-twirling villain; he is empathetic. He makes you believe his trauma about his father, which makes the eventual reveal of his multiple families and stolen identities even more jarring.
Uche Montana (Fakia) provides the necessary grounding. She represents the "voice of the audience"—the friend who sees the red flags but has to balance being supportive with being truthful. Her energy helps keep the pacing alive when the middle act begins to drag.
Sound Design & The Cultural Score
Sound is often where Nollywood films stumble, but LOVE SPELL manages a clean mix. The dialogue is audible even in the outdoor scenes, suggesting high-quality lapel mic usage. What stood out was the use of silence. When Amoya stands before the grave of the "real" Alex Madu, the lack of music—save for the distant sound of village birds—amplifies the shock.
The music cues are culturally appropriate, leaning into soft Afrobeats for the romantic peaks and transitioning into more discordant, atmospheric tones during the "spiritual cleansing" scenes.
Narrative Structure: The Spiritual Red Herring
One of the most intriguing aspects of the film is the "Love Spell" itself. For a significant portion of the second act, the film leads us to believe this might be a supernatural story. Amoya’s "magical diary" and her subsequent visit to a spiritualist suggest that Alex might be a ghost or a demonic entity.
This is a clever use of the "Nollywood Spiritualism" trope. As Nigerians, our first instinct for the inexplicable is often "juju" or "destiny." By leaning into this, the writer sets us up for a much more grounded and horrifying reality: Human Deception. The reveal that Alex is just a man named Fred who uses the identities of dead friends to facilitate his "away matches" is a punch to the gut. It turns a "ghost story" into a documentary on the dangers of the digital age.
Plot Logic and Gaps: The "Identity Theft" Question
While the story is gripping, there are minor plot holes. How does Fred manage to delete photos remotely from Amoya's phone? While the film hints at him being tech-savvy, a clearer explanation of how he "erased" himself from her device would have added to the realism.
Furthermore, the "village search" felt a bit too convenient. In a country of 200 million people, finding a specific family in a remote village based on a surname and a vague description is like finding a needle in a haystack. However, for the sake of narrative pacing, the audience usually grants Nollywood this "logic pass."
Thematic Depth: Masculinity and the "Father" Wound
Beneath the drama, LOVE SPELL offers a sharp social commentary on the cycle of broken fatherhood. Fred (as Alex) claims he doesn't want children because his father wasn't there for him. He uses his own trauma as a weapon to garner sympathy from women.
The film asks: Is the son destined to become the father? Fred justifies his abandonment of Amoya and his secret families by citing his own background, showing how trauma, if left unhealed, becomes a tool for victimization.
The Verdict: To Watch or Not to Watch?
LOVE SPELL is a must-watch for anyone who enjoys a character-driven drama that isn't afraid to get messy. It moves beyond the "he cheated, she cried" formula and dives into the psychological horror of being "gaslit" by someone you gave your soul to.
Who should watch this?
Single ladies navigating the Lagos/Abuja dating scene (as a survival guide).
Fans of Bimbo Ademoye’s range.
Aspiring screenwriters looking for how to flip a common trope.
The ending is the film's strongest point. Amoya doesn't just "forgive and forget," nor does she kill him. She chooses the most painful punishment for a man who lives on attention: Erasure. By telling him he is dead to her and his daughter, she reclaims the narrative he stole from her.
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