A Year With Olivia, a YouTube drama directed by Chidi Chijioke and available on Uche Mbunabo’s YouTube channel, takes a delicate subject—loss, love, inheritance, and secrets — and turns it into a story that keeps you asking one question from beginning to end: “Who exactly is Olivia?”
Plot
The movie began with the death of Mr. Vincent, an elderly man battling cancer, and just as his family gathers for the reading of his will, a shocking twist is introduced. Mr. Vincent, before dying, recorded a video will, a personal message in which he announces that a certain young woman named Olivia must live in his mansion for one whole year. Not just live there, but live there undisturbed, peacefully, and with his son, Liam. If this condition isn’t met, the entire will is null and void.
Now picture this: Adora, Mr. Vincent’s wife, is watching the video, and her facial expression could curdle milk. To her, this mysterious Olivia isn’t just a stranger; she’s assumed to be her husband’s mistress. The betrayal is almost too much for her to swallow. She fumes, threatens legal action, and vows to contest the will, but everything is watertight. Olivia must stay. And suddenly, we’re thrown into a living situation so awkward and charged, it’s almost unbearable.
Adaora begins a personal mission to make Olivia’s life hell. From insults to sabotage, aided by her nosy maid Ngozi, she throws every card in the “jealous wife” playbook. Meanwhile, Leon, Mr. Vincent’s UK-returnee son, is caught in the middle. At first, he’s confused. Then he’s curious. Why did his father choose Olivia? Why did this woman, who looks more like a lost graduate than a mistress, get written into the will with such prominence?
Slowly, Liam becomes Olivia’s unexpected ally. He helps her navigate the toxic energy in the house, and a strange, fragile friendship begins to form between them. Until one day, it’s not just friendship anymore. There’s chemistry. And there’s that one kiss—sweet but tension-filled—that flips their dynamic. Of course, nothing good comes easy. The kiss brings awkwardness, emotional walls go up again, and their already tense household becomes even messier.
The turning point comes when Liam, fed up with his mother’s cruelty, realises that the will doesn’t require Adaora to live in the house, only he and Olivia. So, like a plot twist from a petty drama queen’s handbook, he sends his mother packing to their other house in Owerri. With the negativity gone, Liam and Olivia’s relationship grows in peace. But the real question still lingers in the air: Who is Olivia to Mr. Vincent, really?
Exactly one year after Mr. Vincent’s death, a second video will be played, and this is where everything flips. Mr. Vincent reveals that Olivia was not his mistress, but a kind-hearted pharmacist who helped him during his last days, when even his own wife had abandoned him. She treated him like a father, and he saw in her something pure. Her presence in the house wasn’t just a favour, it was a plan. He hoped she and Liam would connect. Oh, and one more bombshell, Liam isn’t his biological son. Yes. Mr. Vincent knew all along that Adaora had been unfaithful. But he still raised Liam as his own. The man was dying, and instead of revenge, he plotted healing, for himself, for Liam, and for Olivia.
The story closes on a soft but emotionally rich note: Leon and Olivia, now aware of their shared history, must decide what they want from each other going forward. Was the connection real or orchestrated? Will love grow from truth, or has too much happened?
Cast
A Year With Olivia features stars like Uche Montana, Chike Daniels, Maureen Ihua, Chinwe Isaac, and Valentine Esomchi.
Language
Predominantly English Language.
Final take
Let’s be honest, A Year With Olivia had potential, but it fell flat. The pacing was painfully slow, and at some point, it started to feel like everyone was acting in slow motion, especially Olivia. While the costume design did its job, the story itself lacked emotional depth.
For a movie centred around secrets, grief, and redemption, there was very little tension. Liam’s character, in particular, felt too unrealistically calm, like, who just accepts their father’s “mistress” without even questioning it? It’s meant to be emotional, but nothing about it pulls at the heartstrings or makes you want to watch it again.
It’s one of those movies that drags on and on, and by the end, you’re just glad it’s over. Realistic in some ways, yes, but still incredibly boring.
