‘Hey You’ movie trailer. Credit: YouTube
Ah Nollywood! The home of cringe-worthy sex scenes and weird kissing scenes. If you have lived long enough you certainly have a memory of a badly done Nollywood sex scene, whether it’s the off-camera scenes where clothes surreptitiously fall off the bed to imply something hot and heavy is going on, leaving viewers with the disconcerting question of how many clothes the actors are wearing. Or, a Kenneth Okonkwo or a Zack Orji engulfing half of their co-stars’ faces in a slobbering parody of kissing. Well, the audience has lived long enough to see a great change in Nollywood. We, the viewers, finally have sexy, well-made movie.
If you’re not a fan of the raunchy and red-hot, look away now because Hey You is bold, punchy, and sex-positive. Finally!
New to the big screens are the Victoria Akujobi and Niyi Akinmolayan-produced romantic film Hey You, starring Timini Egbuson (Abel) and Efe Irele (Bianca) as the lead roles. Written and directed by Uyoyou Ada, the storyline follows Bianca, a teacher during the day and an exotic stripper on Fans Alone, a video platform, at night, and Abel, a socially-awkward tech-bro who happen to be neighbours.
Abel has been a loyal customer of Bianca’s on Fan’s Alone, where she regularly strips for him while he jerks off. They eventually become friends, not knowing each other’s sides. Things take an interesting turn when Abel begins to fall in love with Bianca and she, in turn, reciprocates his love until her estranged lover returns to the country unannounced and she is forced to choose between the rich, loving, and seemingly perfect man and Abel, the timid tech bro.
This is one of those movies with more commendable attributes than bad ones. Kudos to the director for executing an admirable job, a lot of attention was paid to detail in this movie, which is not something you see often in Nollywood blockbusters.
The sex scenes in this movie are actually sexy! No, that fact needs processing. The chemistry between Abel and Bianca is off the charts. It feels genuine and effortless. The plot itself is what it is. It rarely gets derailed, the detailing involved is beautiful to watch, the mood is set perfectly, and the dialogue doesn’t waste the audience’s time.
The acting in this movie is applause-worthy. Timini Egbuson has grown so much as an actor and we love to see it. He continues to display his versatility and this movie presented him with another opportunity on which he delivers effortlessly. Honestly, he is fast becoming an on-screen favourite. Bianca’s role needed an actress who could be edgy and sultry on camera and Efe Irele more than delivered.
Stan Nze shows us through his role that he is a versatile actor; he serves as the comic relief, a direct opposite of the serious broody type character we are used to from him and he sells it. If we pick any individual character, all that would be written is praise. The acting in this film is seriously too notch.
Another lovable attribute is the film’s visuals, the camera angles, the costumes, hair, make-up, and set design, everything is satisfying to see. The soundtracks come in and out in symphony and at the right times, it’s worthy of note as not a lot of Nollywood films can pull this off.
But, it cannot all be good, there will always be flaws, one of which is the tad-bit too many clichés the movie has that make the script feel a little like lazy writing. Also, there are too many convenient coincidences, which are not very likely – it makes the movie seem a little unrealistic. The storyline feels a bit weak in the end and it is a bit of a downer not experiencing a satisfying ending. But the great far outweighs the meh.
Threading a new path of steamy romance, Hey You is a must-see if you are a sucker for raunchy rom-com. Check it out in cinemas near you.
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.
