- Release year: 2024
- Director: Daniel Oriahi.
- Producer: Uche Okocha.
- Screenplay by: Freddie O. Anyaegbunam Jr., Vanessa Kanu and Egbemawei Dimiyei.
- Cinematography by: Idhebor Kagho.
- Music by: Michael Truth Ogunlade.
Synopsis: a woman convinces her fiancé to let her meet his family. She’ll come to regret that decision.
Shotgun Commentary: if you like films like Ready or Not (2019) or Get Out (2017), this will 100% be your vibe.
Review
The Weekend is a pretty entertaining horror film with lots of ups and downs. It follows Nikiya (Uzoamaka Aniunoh) in her visit to her soon-to-be in-laws in a faraway village with its own rules.
The starting gun
The beginning of the film is really intense. Perfect to wake you up and keep you interested from the get-go. It does also set some unrealistic expectations as to how graphic and violent the feature will be, but the constant tension and looming feeling of doom makes up for the lack of offals. Additionally, the fact that that most gore happens outside of camera feeds into that tension, as well as being a very production-friendly decision. Still, do not be misled, there is some violence, just maybe not the one you are anticipating.
The story follows the predator-prey dynamics of so many other features, in which the guest is lured by whatever reason into a den of wolves from which they have to escape. Hansel and Gretel, Get Out, Ready or Not, and The Inheritance (2024) are only a few of many, MANY, movies that follow this structure. Yet, surprisingly, it never gets old.
In this case, the story is built on an unstable foundation of barely logical conversations. Contradictions every five minutes, replies that make no connections with the conversation that is taking place, ridiculous statements… It is all a little bit chaotic in the dialogue department. However, the character creation is really solid.
Multidimensional people
Contrary to most movies of the subgenre, the complexity of the character isn’t limited to the protagonist, or the final girl and her partner. Everyone has a background and distinct personality that is slowly unravelled as the film transpires. Until, that is, the ending, but let’s get into that later. Now, it’s character time.
The most memorable character of The Weekend is, by far, the “man of substance” (James Gardiner). The real name of the character is completely irrelevant and forgettable. He is the boyfriend of Nikiya’s fiancé’s sister. Go on, do your calculations, no rush. He is also a misogynist who preaches about what it is to be a man and how women should be treated like slaves while his partner, a woman who looks pretty strong and authoritative in every other context, remains silent and submissive. Everything about him screams, “kill me and make the world better”. Not gonna lie, he would probably be able to compete against the misogynists in the Friday the 13th saga.
The story is quite predictable because of how well the characters are built. Something that is usually detrimental, especially in horror, where the element of surprise tends to be key. Nevertheless, in this case, it speakers greatly of the writing talent. It is hard to believe that such fascinating, elaborate characters are the work of the same person as the nonsensical dialogues, or the absurd ending. Speaking of which, let’s talk about that ending.
Wait… what?
This will be as spoiler-free and vague as possible for you to be able to enjoy the movie for the first time, but still understand the point that is being made here. Firstly, why would outsiders be in or near the family house at a random time without being called? A nice surprise or plot twist is always fun, especially when it tears down certain stereotypes, but this doesn’t justify people appearing out of nowhere like cows in the middle of a steep mountain.
Secondly, are you seriously telling me that everything will be fine if the main character does what she’s been doing the whole weekend? If she’s been doing it anyway, why does she have to do it again? How does committing a 105th crime make you any less likely to report crimes to the police than your 104th crime? You might be thinking, “well, it’s different if you know versus if you don’t”, but what does that matter when both parties can just lie to the police? How do you tell which is willing and which is not? The whole ending just makes no sense, it is quite a disappointing turn in an otherwise pretty solid feature. Even that last scene is great. Sadly, the development of that last act just doesn’t work.
All in all, The Weekend is a fun horror film with some text issues that affect its quality slightly. The incongruences aren’t dramatic enough to worsen the watching experience, though. They actually add a layer of humour to the film that makes it more enjoyable, especially if you are a fan of cosy horror.
If you are in London and didn’t get the chance to see After the Long Rains at London Film Festival, you have another chance at Film Africa on October 28th at 20:45 and 31st at 20:30!
Advice to take from this movie:
- If your fiancé doesn’t want you to know their family, count your blessings and move on. If that’s a dealbreaker for you, then break the deal and move on.
- If a man needs to dress up like a cowboy to feel like a man, send him back to Barbieland, maybe he’ll learn a thing or two.
- If you force someone to do something, you don’t get to blame them when sh*t hits the fan.
What’s your take? Have you watched The Weekend? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀