King of Thieves is an Adebayo Tijani and Tope Adebayo Salami directed flick, acted almost entirely in Yoruba with the exception of the commentary of the recognisable voice of Nollywood veteran, Segun Arinze. It follows the story of Agesinkole, a marauding thief who terrorised the fictional town of Ajeromi after the coronation of a new king.
Agesinkole appears to be untouchable and unstoppable as he becomes a source of terror to the villagers of the prosperous and peaceful community. There’s an almost stage-drama quality to it as different men are sent after the thief. First, the king engages him in a spiritual battle and loses. Then a team of hunters are sent after him and they fail. Sango is next. Witches. Wizards. Priests and finally a hunter who was buried alive for seven days. All of who fail.
This isn’t your typical neo-Nollywood fare that is heavy on the glitzy glamour of fast Lagos living. This movie throws it back to the bygone era of Yoruba movies, filled with magic and mayhem wrapped up in a beautiful story and moral lesson. The plot is engaging, while it’s not novel, these articles of stories have taken a long enough hiatus from our screen that it feels like it is. The actors, Toyin Abraham, Femi Adebayo and Odunlade Adekola, among others, put on stellar believable performances.
The scenes were beautifully shot. The performances were captivating. There could have been more done to showcase the prosperity of the village. For instance, the palace was a mud hut and even with the fact that it was set in the distant past, more could have been done with the way the set was built but the costume did a stellar job.
Ultimately, King of Thieves is a fantastic watch. Watch it in the cinemas now.
Didi Dan-Asisah is an art enthusiast and critic. She lives in Lagos.
Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.
