Umjolo: My Beginning, My End! Movie Review – A Franchise That’s Losing Its Spark

Umjolo: My Beginning, My End! picks up right where The Gone Girl left off, plunging us into the tangled love life of Mayi, a woman torn between passion and responsibility.

Directed by Zuko Nodada and written by Thuli and Thuthu Zuma, the film follows Mayi, who’s set to marry Sizwe, heir to the Jama empire. But her plans take a turn when she meets Zweli on her 30th birthday, sparking an undeniable connection.

Caught between love and duty, Mayi must make a life-altering choice. 

Plot

Mayi, a young woman from a modest background, is engaged to Sizwe, the affluent heir of the Jama empire. While this might seem like a fairy tale to many, Mayi feels torn, searching for true happiness and meaning in her life.

On her 30th birthday, everything changes when she meets Zweli—a saxophonist and bookstore owner who instantly steals her heart. Though Zweli isn’t as wealthy as Sizwe, their connection is undeniable, and sparks fly from their very first date, ending in a kiss. However, Zweli’s discovery of Mayi’s engagement causes him to hesitate. Despite this, love pushes him to persist, and Mayi begins to reconsider her path.

But just as Mayi leans toward Zweli, his past resurfaces in a way that complicates everything. Hurt by the situation, Mayi decides to stick with her engagement and move forward with the wedding. Yet, on her wedding day, fate intervenes as Zweli appears, forcing Mayi to make a heart-wrenching decision. Will she honour her duty or take a leap toward the love she truly desires?

Cast

The ensemble cast of Umjolo: My Beginning, My End! brought undeniable talent, yet the film struggled to breathe life into its characters. While the performances by Nirvana Nokwe-Mseleku as Mayi, Yonda Thomas as Zweli, and Nkanyiso Makhanya as Sizwe were commendable, it often felt like the actors were battling against a script that didn’t allow them to shine.

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The supporting cast, including Baby Cele as Mrs. Jama, Themba Ndaba as Mayi’s father, Zama Ngcobo, and Mavuso Magabane, added depth, but the lack of engaging dialogue and slow pacing made connecting with their roles feel like a chore.

As much as the movie leaned into its romance-drama genre, the dragging narrative and cumbersome character development made it difficult to immerse in the story fully. The talented cast deserved a better script to showcase their abilities truly, but unfortunately, the writing fell flat, leaving the film underwhelming.

Language

The movie was performed in Zulu.

Summary

The Umjolo franchise seems to stumble further with each new installment, and My Beginning, My End! is undoubtedly the lowest point yet. What should have been an emotional and engaging romance instead feels like an overly long trailer, ending before it even begins.

Mayi, the main character in My Beginning, My End!, is arguably the weakest link in the film, mainly due to her lack of character development. Without any real exploration of her personality or motivations, it’s nearly impossible for the audience to connect with her, much less understand the decisions she makes. Her romance with Zweli feels rushed, and her relationship with Sizwe is equally baffling—how did they even get to a point where she felt unhappy? Why did she choose him in the first place? These crucial questions go unanswered, leaving viewers frustrated.

Adding to the confusion is the random subplot involving the Jama family’s pregnancy and cheating drama. While side stories can add depth, this particular one feels like an unnecessary distraction that doesn’t contribute anything meaningful to the main plot. It’s disappointing that Thuli thought it was okay to include this without properly setting up any backstory for it, leaving viewers lost.

Umjolo: My Beginning, My End! is poorly structured and lazily executed, leaving the audience questioning why it was made in the first place. For a franchise that once showed promise, this entry feels like a rushed, disappointing misstep.

Ultimately, the only thread connecting the three parts of the Umjolo franchise is the wedding, and it’s hard to see it as a true franchise when the storylines are so disjointed. This installment falls flat, and it’s clear the filmmakers were overambitious in calling it a franchise.