Movie review: Seven Doors is intriguing; it rivals Anikulapo in story-telling

Seven Doors surprised me because I never expected the level of storytelling I encountered while watching the series. Each episode is laced with intrigue, and they all end with a cliffhanger that leaves you peeping to see what the next episode has to offer.

The film was produced by Femi Adebayo, who played the lead character alongside Chioma Akpotha, Adebayo Salami, Ronke Oshodi, Muyiwa Ademola, Jide Kosoko, Aisha Lawal, Yinka Quadri, and Gabriel Afolayan, among others.

Seven Doors tells the story of a newly coronated monarch, the Onilara of Ilara, who means well for his kingdom and hopes to ensure justice regardless of who’s involved. However, shortly after reluctantly mounting the throne, the crisis in mysterious forms starts afflicting him.

This series is on point in terms of special effects and Computer Generated Imagery (CGI), which shows that the Yoruba section of Nollywood is not relenting when it comes to telling traditional stories using modern technology. It’s a step in the right direction just like Lisabi: The Uprising, Anikulapo, and Jagun Jagun.

I was impressed in the first episode when a huge statue of a cock was animated to accept a dead chicken from a traditional priest. As if that was not enough, statues of past rulers of Ilara were animated to transform into real humans. The statues looked exactly like the humans they transformed into.

The sound effect in this movie is impressive and adds to the suspense. I like how the editor separated dialogues from soundtracks, unlike what was obtainable in old Nollywood, where some awful soundtrack overshadows dialogue.

Seven Doors is a fictional movie about Yoruba tradition but features some Igbo culture, mostly displayed by Chioma Akpotha, who starred as Queen Amaka. This makes the series a bit diverse. It is subtitled in English. I just wonder why it was given an English title. Is Ilekun Meje not good enough?

I must say that some scenes felt too dramatic and unnecessary, especially the chiefs’ high-handedness. The acting was stage-like. I almost gave up on the series because the first few minutes were about the chiefs and their comical acting, which I disliked. I don’t know whether their acting was intended to be funny or they were just being goofy.

The colour grading of Seven Doors is not bad, but I will give much credit to the set designer because the brownish pallet seen in most scenes was achieved on set. The colourist must have added contrast with hue swings to maintain harmony.

I like that the DP decided to shoot in the cool morning or evening, whether for most of the outdoor scenes. This made the pictures look calm and relaxing. The indoor scene I enjoyed the most was the room where the king-to-be was taken for rituals. The lighting is superb, coupled with the set design and lamps that serve as practical lights. I think using drone footage as transition clips was good but overused.

The location is a village setting with ancient houses and old school cars to depict a vintage time. The costume is awesome, and it displays rich Yoruba culture.

Seven Doors is a series families can watch, and I believe it will do well. It has the potential to make other movie directors sit tight and get their acts right. Nigerians no longer have time for mediocrity. Give them a solid story, superb cinematography, and special effects, then watch them promote your show for you.

Seven Doors gets 8/10, and I place it in the same calibre as Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre in terms of storytelling but not in acting.