By Naomi Salami
The Netflix series has been a hot item on the internet and has been dubbed one of the best projects of Nollywood in 2023, even with the year just starting. Shanty town happens to be one of the top Nollywood-Netflix series aside from ‘Far from home, Blood sisters, King of boys 1 and 2, among several others.
The Dimeji Ajibola-directed movie starts with mayhem in Shangisha community in 2004. The spotlight was on a mother and a set of teenage twin girls who were victims of the attack as well as many other villagers in the setting. This scene opens the viewers to the world of Shanty town, a prostitution ring that was used to carry out a plethora of illegal dealings and was run by the infamous Scar, played by Chidi Mokeme.
It was later revealed that every sex worker that worked in this infamous ring was indebted incredulously to Scar and this made them his property. Some girls were able to pay for their freedom after years of saving whatever they could get from their proceeds, but that didn’t mean total freedom.
The plot took an unexpected turn when the actual leader of this villainous business showed up in episode two and turned out to be a public figure, who portrayed himself to be a ‘philanthropist’ and was currently running for a government office. An office he never got to step foot into because of his unlikely love for being an abuser and predator.
In an interview with Arise 360, Chidi Mokeme (Scar) was commended for his ability to totally immerse himself in his character and showcase his bilingual skills. When asked what other languages he could speak, he said: “I’m going to unveil them bit by bit.” It is safe to say that his status as a polyglot assisted in stretching out his creative tentacles in the entertainment industry.
Credit: AfricaonNetflix
Big ups to Ese (played by Ini Edo), who graced the big screen once again with her stellar and breathtaking performance. She played the role of an undercover agent, who had a familial link to one of the late girls at Shanty town. And let’s not forget about the rich representation of the Ibibio language spoken by her and Nse Ekpe-Itim. A welcome change from the dominance of Yoruba and Igbo languages in Nollywood.
When it came to stars, this show wasn’t short of them as we saw the thrilling performances of Mokeme, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Sola Sobowale, Nancy Isime, Peter Okoye, Ali Nuhu, Uche Jombo and many other ace actors. It’s noteworthy that Dimeji Ajibola, known for projects like his futuristic movie, Ratnik and Passport, came out well on the big screen, did his homework by strategically picking out perfect locations and remarkable casting to make this a success. In addition to the great cast and acting, the lighting and visuals of this series were undeniably astounding. It only goes to show that Nollywood is upping its game, making movies that can be consumed by an international audience.
But like most Nollywood projects, it had some holes in the storytelling. For example, the writer left out the back story between the notorious Chief Fernandez and the state governor, played by Shaffy Bello. What led to their bloody rivalry? Lets’ not forget the excessive fighting scenes that were found in unnecessary scenarios were also one of the letdowns of the series as they made the plot a little longer than necessary.
Despite these letdowns, Shanty Town is a delightful showpiece and it is going to be on Netflix’s top charts for quite a while. We also have a feeling this won’t be the last of Shanty Town, as the final episode gave us a suspense-filled and thrilling end.
Check out Shanty Town on Netflix today.
Naomi Salami is a Content Manager with Meiza Nigeria
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.
