With Difficulty Comes Ease was written and directed by Korede Azeez, and it is a thoughtful drama that unfolds slowly, drawing viewers into an emotional journey. The film stars Uzoamaka Aniunoh as Zainab, a young widow navigating life within a conservative Muslim family after the death of her husband. As she struggles with her loss, Zainab must also manage her tense relationship with her mother-in-law, Hajiya (played by Ummi Baba-Ahmed), while exploring the potential for new love with Rayyan (played by Caleb Richards).
I am not sure I have ever paid attention to the titles of movies, but I really liked the title of this movie—it just seemed very interesting.
This film was a good watch for me, and one of its standout features was the theme it addressed. The film focused on the complexities of identity, particularly through Zainab’s experience as an Igbo woman married into a Hausa Muslim family. This film explores this intersection of culture and religion but not in a “judgy” way.
The storytelling in this film is deliberately slow, but if you are patient, you’ll see that this “slow burn” approach is part of its appeal. With Difficulty Comes Ease takes its time to develop its characters and themes, making the small, seemingly mundane moments—like that scene where Zainab’s slippers got spoiled in the middle of an already frustrating day—feel so relatable. I liked the simplicity of this film.
Acting and casting worked really well. Uzoamaka Aniunoh delivered a performance that was both nuanced and emotionally rich; her performance felt so “real life” and effortless. I liked Ummi Baba-Ahmed’s portrayal of Hajiya, and I thought Caleb Richards as Rayyan offered a gentle yet complex counterpart to Zainab. Despite the odd circumstances in which they found themselves, I could honestly feel their connection (I don’t want to call it chemistry because it wasn’t that). Their interactions were very restrained due to the peculiarity of the situation, but still, it felt very meaningful, and I wanted to see more of them.
However, the film is not without its issues. The setting and cinematography, while adequate, could have been more visually compelling to match the emotional weight of the story.
Also, while the title With Difficulty Comes Ease suggests a narrative arc where challenges are eventually overcome, the film seemed to focus more on the difficulties, leaving the part where “ease” happens underexplored. Zainab’s transition from hardship to a more stable life is abrupt—too abrupt—with little screen time devoted to the process of her healing and growth. I felt cheated. I mean, I was anticipating that part of the story, and when I got to that point, there was not much to see.
Additionally, while the film admirably avoids passing judgment on its characters or their situations, I personally felt like it missed the opportunity to explicitly address the loss of self that Zainab experienced. Zainab lived in the shadow of her late husband while he was alive and even after his death, and that’s not okay! While some may argue that this reflects the reality for many women, I still believe that this film left some important questions about personal identity and autonomy unanswered, and that did not sit well with me.
Overall, With Difficulty Comes Ease is a film that rewards patience. Don’t go into this one expecting fireworks or high entertainment, but it invites you to sit with its themes and characters. While it may not be perfect, this was a good watch for me; it is a different take on love, loss, and the search for identity. Like I said earlier, it might not be for everyone, but those who appreciate slow-burn dramas will find much to admire about it.
My Rating: 6.8/10.
Have you seen the movie, please share your thoughts with us in the comments below
Read the review of Anikulapo here.
We have a fun and vibrant community on Instagram and Twitter, you can also join the conversation there or Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!
