Nothing prepared me for what I was going to see at the cinema when I decided to see The Herd, a Nollywood movie directed by Daniel Etim Effiong. The movie’s poster, which I had come across, depicted a wedding setting, leaving me to believe the film would be about romance. Little did I know that I was in for something rough, rugged and raw. I liked it.
Synopsis: While privately dealing with his wife’s recurrent cancer scare, Gosi joins his friends – Derin and Fola – to celebrate their wedding, the happiest day of their lives. Things take a drastic turn when, on their way back to the hotel, they are ambushed and kidnapped by gunmen disguised as cattle herdsmen.
The Herd stars Daniel Etim Effiong, Deyemi Okanlawon, Genoveva Umeh, Kunle Remi, Mercy Aigbe, Tina Mba, Lateef Adedimeji and Nobert Young.
This movie pulled me straight into the world of bandits currently terrorising every nook and cranny of Nigeria. For about 30 minutes, I was in the shoes of kidnap victims being led into the thick forest by AK-47-wielding bandits.
I must praise the directors of this movie because they effectively showcased the Nigerian culture of WAZOBIA. It features the Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo languages, with English as the primary language. The movie highlights some negative aspects of the cultures portrayed, but that doesn’t mean that’s all the cultures are about. For instance, the bandits were Hausa guys. That doesn’t mean that the Hausa guy on my street is a bandit. Also, it highlights the caste system in Igbo land, where those identified as freeborn (Nwadiala) cannot marry anyone identified as Osu because they consider it a taboo. As for the Yorubas, the movie showed the barbarism of organ harvesting and the trade.
The Wow Factor
The Hausa actors of this movie came with their A-Game. They starred as bandits who kidnapped some travellers and held them ransom. Their acting was so impressive that if someone had told me that they were ex-bandits in real life, I wouldn’t have argued. I always enjoy a movie more when popular actors don’t play the characters. These Hausa actors, whom I had never seen before, made me fall in love with The Herd. The way they dialogued in the Hausa language and the rage behind their voice made me pray never to find myself kidnapped by bandits. Their scenes came with terror. They reminded me of tales I’ve heard about Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists, especially how the scenes depicted the rivalry between terrorist groups, a thing I’ve reported countless times as a journalist.. I need to see those guys in more movies.
One brilliant thing the directors did was in the scene where the bandits, who were deep in the forest, found out that the families of their victims were working with the police. For fear of unleashing spoilers, I won’t explain that. But note that it was carefully and well done.
The Costumes
The Herd is not the kind of movie that features flamboyant costumes. However, the costumes used align with the characters. Derinsola, who was kidnapped on her wedding day, wore a wedding dress. Her husband and his best man, Gosi, wore suits, as expected. What impressed me was the outfit worn by the bandits. For a glimpse, simply Google ‘Nigerian Bandits’. The outfit you see in the photos is exactly how the actors dressed in The Herd. That made their acting more believable.
The Herd has a steady progression with no dull moments. It hooks you from the opening scene, with tension that finally subsides after the kidnapped victims regain their freedom. I highly recommend this movie. It gets an 8/10.
