By Naomi Salami
Movie Title: Dark October
Release Date: 3, February, 2023
Runtime: 1hr, 49mins.
Director: Toka McBaror
Producer: Linda Ikeji
Background
Dark October is a true-life story of the lynching of four undergraduates of University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State. It primarily centres around how the sun set for four aspirational students whose dreams were cut short by the monstrous jungle justice meted out by the indigenes of the Aluu community.
Written by the famous blogger and entrepreneur, Linda Ikeji, the movie starts with a tumultuous scenario somewhere in Aluu Community, Port Harcourt where we saw a young boy who was maimed and was losing blood from sustained injuries. Spellbound, the victim helplessly looked on as he awaited his destiny in the hands of a band of outlaws. At that point, there was a feeling of déjà vu as he seemed to be looking at what appears to be his body and three of his friends.
Credit: Nollywood Recap
The Casts
Leonard (Munachii Okpara) and Uchenna (Chuks Joseph) who were part of the unfortunate group, are budding rappers, who turned out to be students of the University of Port Harcourt and were aspirational with big dreams of how they would make their mark in the world before they even graduated. Unfortunately, their decision to outsmart a debtor called Wisdom, who happened to be owing Uchenna for the goods sold to him turned out to be a sorrowful decision.
The Plot
The Toka McBaror-directed movie had all the nostalgic feelings and did a good job of staying true to the timeline of 2012. The usage of blackberry phones made the movie seem more realistic, as well as the fashion sense during that time was all accounted for. Their attention to detail made it easy for the audience, especially those who were familiar with the actual events of the story to feel connected to the plot. Although the cast of the movie was full of unfamiliar faces, they managed to pull off satisfactory acting skills which we hope will get better with time and the number of projects they embark on.
The boys’ severe torture and abuse with a variety of equipment to kill them was the most devastating sequence in the film. The right visual angles were used in that particular scenario, and it was well-shot and edited, which was successful in evoking emotional feelings. However, considering the size of the project, the cinematography fell short of our expectations.
Drawbacks
Although the film did a fantastic job of creating a terrific docudrama, none of the characters were given enough time to grow. It seemed to leave out the other characters and be a little bit more concentrated on Uchenna (Chuks Joseph). The audience found it challenging to empathise with the other characters because of this.
The movie also had some plot holes. It seemed Linda Ikeji didn’t make adequate findings to know more about each of the boys before embarking on this project. It felt like the writer decided to work with what she got from newspapers and online magazines and decided she knew enough to tell her story. When making a movie out of true events, proper research and on-site interviews need to be carried out to record the true events.
Opinion
Despite its drawbacks, Dark October delivered its message excellently well. It also reminded us of the dangers of jungle justice and how the lives of 4 (four) bright young men (Ugonna Obuzor, Lloyd Toku, Chiadika Biringa, and Tekena Elkanah) were snuffed out before they even began. It lit a candle in the hearts of many and it will continue to serve as a reminder to Nigerians. Also, the Aluu 4 lynching leaves a lasting mark on the nation’s judicial system and demonstrates why the concept of “jungle justice” needs to be seriously addressed and eliminated from our society.
Dark October is currently streaming on Netflix, it is an interesting watch.
