Movie Review: House of Ga’a

The character development in House of Ga’a was impressive, and I loved the way Ga’a switched seamlessly between doting father, lover, fighter, and tyrant.

If you can overlook the inaccurate historical representations of the characters, the lack of tribal marks, the inaccurate Oyo Yoruba spoken by 90% of the characters, and the misdirected fight scenes (did warriors of Old Oyo fight karate and wear crop tops to fight?), you’ll find House of Ga’a quite an interesting watch.

The goof is on the production team, not the cast.

Synopsis

Set in the Old Oyo Empire, House of Ga’a is a historical epic about the rise and fall of Bashorun Ga’a, played by Femi Branch (I’m still surprised that he portrayed the role so well).

After leading the warriors of Oyo, including his sons, to victory, Ga’a is rewarded with the coveted position of Bashorun, a key position in the Oyo Mesi, the privy council responsible for checking the excesses of despotic Alaafins.

Drunk with victory, Ga’a becomes overly ambitious and intoxicated by absolute power, making and unmaking Alaafins at will.

What I Liked

The character development in House of Ga’a was impressive, and I loved the way Ga’a switched seamlessly between doting father, lover, fighter, and tyrant.

His sons are another case in point- the merciless Olaotan, the brave Onisigun, the powerful Ojo, and the lover, Oyemekun. 

I loved Oyemekun’s character most of all in this movie, and the fact that it was acted by Mike Afolarin of the Ishaya Bello fame made him more endearing to me. I hate that his and Agbonyin’s love was not meant to be, but I loved how the other wives stood on business and collectively decided not to like the Nupe witch. I most especially enjoyed the scene between Funke Akindele, Toyo Baby, and Bambam.

SPOILER ALERT

Why did Gabriel Afolayan’s back sing so much when he was being flogged? They should have toned down with the blood! For a Babalawo as powerful as Sasa, his death was cheap- at the hands of a scorned lover, at that. A small boy, for that matter! 

And, no matter what Ga’a did, wiping out his entire lineage, even the youngsters, was downright cold! 

What I Didn’t Like

I later got to learn that the movie was underwhelming in its depiction of the Bashorun, as the real Ga’a was even more ruthless than what was depicted in the movie, so…

One thing I believe the director did well was cast good actors, even the minor ones. But I still can’t help but feel that something was missing- the services of historians. 

While the big Nollywood producers might have the funds to float this kind of movie, their limited historical and cultural insight continues to hinder their capacity to tell these stories in their authentic form. 

Final Thoughts on House of Ga’a

Despite these inadequacies, the actors acted their hearts and souls in this movie. The VFX was great, and the gory scenes were quite realistic (one scene that stands out is Mike Afolarin spilling Ibrahim Chatta’s guts with a carving knife). 

Still, the costumes needed a lot of work (again, the crop top), and the props weren’t what they were supposed to be,

Cast

House of Ga’a stars Femi Branch, Yemi Blaq, Funke Akindele, Femi Adebayo, Mike Afolarin, Ibrahim Chatta, Lateef Adedimeji, Toyin Abraham, Niyi Johnson, Jide Oyegbile, Seun Akindele, Tope ‘Teddy A’ Adenibuyan, William Benson, Dele Odule, Kunle Coker, Muyiwa Ademola, Bimbo Manuel, Peju Omobolanle, Gbenga Titiloye, Juliana Olayode, Bamike ‘Bambam’ Adenibuyan, Stan Nze, Ali Nuhu, Kelvin Atobiloye, Gabriel Afolayan, Tosin Adeyemi, and Bridget Nkem as the beautifully unfortunate Princess Agbonyin.