As a Nigerian filmmaker, Niyi Akinmolayan has seen it all. From the critically acclaimed Wedding Party 2 (2017) to the scorned Chief Daddy 2: Going For Broke (2023), his career has gone through different phases. But in the midst of different receptions to his projects, the filmmaker has stayed true to testing his ideas. Under the umbrella of his production team Anthill Studios, the filmmaker continues to dare the odds (e.g. Elevator Baby, Prophetess), and push boundaries in the industry.
His latest work, The House of Secrets, sees the director flesh out another idea that is unique in visuals and style. The House of Secrets seeks new cinematographic standards in New Nollywood, following in the footsteps of similarly experimental productions like C. J. Obasi’s Mami Wata (2023) and Babatunde Apalowo’s All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White (2023). You cannot help but admire the use of black-and-white monochrome which, according to Akinmolayan, is “the most basic form in which the brain stores images”. This stylistic decision is purposeful, as it shows how the psychologically embattled protagonist Sarah (Najite Dede) tries to keep in touch with her past.
The film is set in two fictional periods: 1999 and a relatively modern time. An aging, traumatized woman, Sarah, is kept in a house by an unknown group of people who initially pretend to be her family members. Their intention is to make her regain her mental health, remember her past, and give up a certain document believed to be in her possession.
With efforts from the visiting Dr. Badmus (Femi Jacobs), Sarah becomes more conscious and realizes that the group, an NGO, is actually working in the interest of their candidate Mrs. Durosimi Williams (Moyinoluwa Olutayo) against General Sanni Sofa (Keppy Ekpenyong) in the forthcoming presidential elections. The NGO called Justice For the Masses, is headed by Mrs. Lawal (Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi) who has recruited Esther (Anee Icha), Dr Badmus, Daniel (Emeka Nwagbaraocha), and others into her team. They intend to recover a certain document from Sarah with which they can incriminate the General and foil his presidential ambitions.
As Sarah remembers her past in bits, more secrets unfold. Her late husband was a military officer, Panam. General Sanni used to be Panam’s boss. Panam was loyal until his boss started to plan a coup to disrupt the democratic handover that was about to take place. In his attempt to expose the General, Panam kept with his then-pregnant wife a document containing the General’s secrets (evidence of ammunition deals, offshore accounts, and liaison with Russians) which Sarah in turn gave to her older friend and colleague Mrs Eket (Kate Henshaw) for safekeeping at the post office. Coincidentally, on the fateful day Panam was attacked and killed on a train, Sarah had her baby. With the baby taken away from her and put in an orphanage, Sarah was arrested and thrown in detention where she was diagnosed with amnesia before being transferred to a medical health facility.
As time shifts to the present, Mrs. Lawal’s deceit and the underlying scheme is exposed. Out of desperation to get hold of the document, the General orders the murder of Mrs Lawal and his men find and intimidate Esther. One thing is clear about people like General Sanni: they are manipulative and driven by deep-seated narcissism. Thankfully, power-drunk characters of this nature are nothing new in New Nollywood. King of Boys (2018 & 2021) had Aare Akinwande, a political godfather who tries to control the ambitious female protagonist Eniola. Shanty Town (2023) had Chief Fernandez, an underground crime lord and gubernatorial aspirant, who treats his henchman Scar with contempt while he creates a pretentious public life for himself. But the problem with such Nollywood political kingpins is how easily they are taken down or humbled, which makes one doubt how powerful they were said to be at first. A similar fate befalls General Sanni in The House of Secrets, and that waters down the resolution of the film.
The House of Secrets delivers picture quality and sound effects, but the same momentum is not maintained for the narrative itself. Any attempt to avoid predictability is downplayed with Esther’s suspicious nuances during her conversation with Sarah early on in the film. Also, the blood bond between Daniel and Sarah is predictable given that both of them are already brought too close to each other before the revelation. Yet, the risk Akinmolayan’s Anthill has taken with this psychological thriller is worth it. Seeing Nollywood filmmakers embrace unusual aesthetic initiatives is notable.