– No Spoilers –
After the raving success of the first movie, titled Òlòtūré, Netflix has once again come up with a follow-up Limited Series to let us know where our protagonist is after the devastating events of the film.
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Director
Kenneth Gyang
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Cast
Sharon Ooja, Omoni Oboli, Beverly Osu, Ikechukwu Onunaku, Adebukola Oladipupo, Daniel Etim Effiong, Patrick
Doyle, Bucci Franklin, Stan Nze, Amarachukwu Onoh, Pearl Wats -
Episodes
3 (around 35 minutes)
After the events of the last film, journalist Oloture is on her way to Europe, still undercover, when she finds herself stranded in the middle of nowhere. Her newspaper has refused to take responsibility for her, she must find a way to get to safety and expose the human trafficking racket that has destroyed the lives of many women.
The reviews for the film were not wrong, Òlòtūré: The Journey, the Limited Series that takes the story of the movie forward, is another gripping and devastating watch that makes you question morality in every scene. Running from traffickers who now know that there is a mole amongst them, Oloture must do whatever it takes to get her story across. On the other hand, Beauty is on her way home, but she soon realises that home is not what she thought it was.
Òlòtūré: The Journey is a moving story of resilience and the seedy underbelly of human trafficking that showcases Oloture’s journey by throwing one bad thing after another her way. Her journey to Europe is fraught with friends and enemies and the storytelling is so fantastic that it’s difficult to stop watching for even a moment. Showcasing some of the most horrible things that people have to go through in order to survive and the bleak reality of people choosing a life that they know will be difficult due to a lack of choices is nothing short of heartbreaking.
However, what I find to be disappointing in the series is that it doesn’t end the story anywhere. All of the story points are left somewhere in the middle and the end comes suddenly, leaving all the threads disconnected and unfinished. Things move at a frightening pace as well nad although the runtime is quite short per episode, it doesn’t help to complete the story at all. There is a sense of something missing after the series ends that lingers after it’s over.
On top of that, I feel like some of the decisions that the characters make throughout the series are quite questionable. Considering the stuff that everyone has gone through, you’d expect them to not trust anyone. However, everyone makes some of the worst decisions and gets themselves in trouble over and over again. And sure, as a viewer, you understand that hope is a very difficult thing to let go of, but even then when people walk into a clear trap, it’s difficult to root for them after a while.
That being said, Òlòtūré: The Journey has some wonderful actors who do a splendid job of bringing their characters to light. Sharon Ooja as the titular protagonist will make your heart break as she struggles to do the right thing but has to stop herself every time in order to stay alive. Her resilience and fight for survival will make anyone root for her and Ooja embodies that role in every scene.
Òlòtūré: The Journey Review: Final Thoughts
A gripping storyline cannot take away the sheer confusion of being left on a cliffhanger at the end of three episodes at which point you have gotten the answer to none of the questions asked. The series doesn’t tell us whether or not Oloture and her gang reached their destination, what happened to Beauty and what came of the gang war that is just about to start. It’s clear that we should get ready for another set of episodes soon but that leaves this season totally bare and half-baked. That being said, the series is gripping in every scene and tells a powerful & impactful story, in spite of the confusing, half-baked ending.