Christmas in Lagos- Movie Review

It’s Detty December in Lagos, and we follow Fiyin, her friends, and her mother as they juggle love, heartbreak, and fun in Lagos.

Christmas in Lagos is another attempt at a Christmas film by Nollywood, and personally, I thought it missed the mark.

What worked? 

Christmas in Lagos was a visual pleasure. The setting was really nice, the set pieces were great, and the outfits were exquisite. The cinematography was good, you could see that each shot was thoughtfully composed to capture the ….and I think it succeeded brilliantly.

This film was screaming money, screaming luxury, screaming class and style. It was obvious that a lot of money was spent.

I loved the soundtrack; every song was a hit. I especially loved the rendition of D’banj’s Fall in Love during the wedding scene, it sounded so good.

I appreciated the effort that went into creating some scenes in this movie, such as the concert scenes—the people, the setup, the vibe—it was a job well done. The wedding and even the proposal scene looked really good. There was that scene where Shaffy Bello walked down the stairs wearing a red dress, it was stunning.

The acting and casting weren’t terrible, but generally, I was very thankful for RMD, Shaffy Bello, and Wale Ojo. Without their presence, ehn… (I’ll come back to this later).

To describe this movie, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Christmas in Lagos gave so much sizzle, so much style, and opulence—vibrant colors, beautiful people, beautiful outfits, amazing music choices, beautiful props, and set pieces. It was a feast for the eyes.

However! However!! However!!!

All those things I mentioned in the previous paragraph can also describe a number of other things:

• A high-end music video
• A high-fashion runway show
• An art exhibition
• A luxury lifestyle commercial

What differentiates a film from those examples above is the story it tells. A good film needs more than surface-level brilliance to truly resonate. A good film should be more than just a visual and auditory feast. While elements like vibrant colors, stylish costumes, and a great soundtrack are undeniably captivating, they should serve as a backdrop to a compelling story and unforgettable characters. Christmas in Lagos came through with the aesthetics, but beyond the sizzle, it lacked narrative depth. As such, it gave me nothing. By the time the final credits rolled, I couldn’t put a finger on one thing that excited me—except the optics.

What did I not like about this film? 

The casting and acting didn’t work for me. Teniola Aladase played the role of the lead female Fiyin and I didn’t think she was able to do justice to the role. A different lead would have added more dimension to the character and helped the film as a whole. 

Yagazie (played by Angel Anosike) was really stiff, Elo (played by Shalom Obiago) cannot act. I don’t think he had more than 2 expressions in this film. Fine boy aside o, his interpretation was just really flat. 

Ajani (played by Ladipoe) was awkward to watch. 

Chisom (played by Obinna Okenwa) was actually quite good, he did not play a major role but he had this presence that was really appealing. 

Shaffy Bello, RMD and Wale Ojo, brought some warmth to this film. Again, I appreciate them.

Moving on, the story was weak and the storytelling was even more disappointing. It was bland, with no memorable moments or emotional highs. The central premise—that Fiyin expected her best friend to be the love of her life was unconvincing. If you consider the fact that they weren’t dating, hadn’t expressed romantic feelings, and she’d just come out of a five-year relationship, yet she was expecting him to propose, makes you wonder “from where to where?”. It felt like a flimsy foundation for a film of this scale. Narrative arcs that could have added depth were touched upon briefly and then abandoned before they could develop.

The dialogues were really cringe, I particularly disliked every time Ajani opened his mouth.

For a romantic comedy, Christmas in Lagos was neither funny nor romantic. Shaffy Bello’s love triangle with RMD and Wale Ojo provided some entertainment and gave the film a bit of substance, but the trailer already revealed most of their storyline. I liked Obinna and Ladi too, but the other romantic pairings were flawed. There was no spark, no chemistry, and as a result, I wasn’t invested. I honestly did not care about any of them.

Let’s talk about Fiyin and Elo, they did not even seem that close, The fact that she didn’t know he’d been in a relationship for eight months says a lot. Yes, they had the cliché “special” handshake and a song to back it up, but……they did not have that casual, effortless but deep connection that comes with years of friendship. Even when Elo was shown glancing at Fiyin for an extended period—clearly intended to confuse us about his feelings—I wasn’t confused in the slightest. There was no love in that man’s eyes.

The pairing of Elo and Yagazie was another error. Elo mentioned that they connected over their shared traumas, explaining that they were both in pain when they met, helped each other heal, and offered mutual support. That’s admirable, but people bond over shared pain in group therapy or AA meetings too, right? Is that love, though? The minimal amount of time they spent together didn’t convince us of any deep romantic connection, attraction, or intimacy. There was NOTHING there. They had no business getting married.

This love triangle, which should have been the core and highlight of the film, was weak.

The only thing less believable than the romance between Elo and Yagazie was that thing between Ivie and Ajani, even for a fling, it was poor. The rich girl falling for the broke guy is a common movie trope but still, they did not have that palpable connection that would justify her letting him kiss her after he had the audacity to show up on his Okada, wearing that red net outfit. So she was “falling” for him? The way I hissed while watching the whole thing ehn.

Another thing that I did not like was the fact that there were too many unnecessary scenes. Some scenes were so grandiose, yet they did nothing to move the plot forward. That RMD’s birthday party was for what? 

Let’s talk about Christmas & Lagos and how they were represented in this film. The film tried to replicate the vibrancy of Lagos with scenes like the chaotic traffic, random beachgoers, and people heading to their owambe. It also attempted to showcase the contrast between Christmas celebrations on the Island and in the ghetto, likely in an effort to “balance” the narrative. However, these moments felt like tick-box exercises to fulfill all righteousness rather than authentic representations of the city or the season. They didn’t feel woven into the fabric of the story, and as a result, they lacked authenticity. Even the carol service felt off.

Christmas means so many things to so many people and I think it has been very difficult to capture its essence in the Naija context because there are so many angles that can be explored. Regardless of the angle, I think a good Christmas movie should have heart; it should feel warm and wholesome. Sadly, like other attempts at Nigerian Christmas movies I’ve seen such as A Naija Christmas, this film missed the mark. Or maybe it’s just me? Let me know!

Jade Osiberu has given us quite a number of truly exceptional stories over the years, but personally, I don’t think Christmas in Lagos is one of them. It felt like she handed us a shiny, vibrant box and hoped we wouldn’t look closely enough to see how empty it was. Unfortunately, no amount of stunning scenery can distract from the lack of substance in this film.

It wasn’t outright terrible, but it wasn’t good either.

What makes this especially disappointing is that I was hoping for a romantic film that would leave me grinning stupidly at my screen because everything was just so sweet. Instead, they gave us an unexciting romance and an unconvincing conclusion. It felt as though most of the characters in Christmas in Lagos deserved different endings.

Overall, this film was not really my cup of tea. Beautiful visuals, great production value, but it lacked substance. 

My Ratings: 4.5/10

Have you seen the movie, please share your thoughts with us in the comments below

Read the review of Ada Omo Daddy here.

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