What About Us?, produced by Emmanuel Iren (General Overseer of CCI), is a cinematic dive into the heart of a contemporary Nigerian marriage.
Released in Cinemas last year, the film explores themes of emotional neglect, communication breakdown, and the blurry lines between companionship and betrayal. It’s not just a love story; it’s a delicate examination of what happens when love is no longer loud, but simmering in silence.
Plot
The film follows Jaiye and Zainab, a young couple living a seemingly ordinary life. They share a child, a home, and a past filled with love, but their present is cracking at the seams. Jaiye, once present and engaging, has become emotionally distant. His life revolves around a job he no longer even has, something Zainab isn’t aware of yet. On the other hand, Zainab is building her drop-shipping business from home, left to deal with the growing loneliness and emotional starvation that Jaiye’s withdrawal causes.
Things shift when a new neighbour, David, moves in with his fiancée, Jessica. David is a homebody, a passionate baker who soon strikes up a connection with Zainab. What starts as casual baking lessons slowly evolves into something more emotional, more intimate, a bond built on attention, shared time, and unspoken needs.
Zainab’s best friend, Imade, sits in the eye of this storm. She’s close to both Jaiye and Zainab, and although she starts as a neutral party, she begins leaning toward Jaiye’s side, especially after learning of Zainab’s growing closeness with David. When Zainab confides in her about a kiss she shared with David and the offer he made (to leave his fiancée and start a life with her), Imade shuts it down completely, then takes it a step further by informing Jaiye.
Tensions explode when Jaiye confronts David at his bakery, leading to a physical altercation. It’s in the aftermath of this moment that truths are finally uncovered. Jaiye opens up about the reason behind his emotional absence. He had been scammed out of his savings in a failed investment and had been unemployed for almost a year. The weight of shame, fear, and not wanting to be seen as a failure made him shut down emotionally. Zainab, in turn, confronts her own guilt and confusion.
The film’s resolution doesn’t come with fireworks but with quiet, grown-up choices. Both parties choose to talk, listen, and eventually try to rebuild what they’ve broken. There’s no easy fix, but there’s an acknowledgement that healing begins with honesty.
Cast
The film What About Us? features Kunle Remi as David, Uzor Arukwe as Jaye, and Folu Storms as Zainab. Teniola Aladese plays Imade, while Seyi Awolowo appears as Gbenga. Atlanta Bridget Johnson takes on the role of Jessica, and Marycolettee Unamka plays Neme.
Language
The language of What About Us is predominantly English, which makes it easy to follow, even for a wide audience.
Final take
The cast was well chosen, every actor fitting neatly into their role without feeling forced. The cinematography also deserves a nod, clean shots, intimate framing, and an overall polish that gave the film a professional finish. From a visual standpoint, it held its own. The soundtrack? Quiet. Almost too quiet. But somehow, it worked. The silence gave room for the tension to breathe for the pauses, the glances, the unspoken resentment to say what words couldn’t.
Now, did it grip you from the get-go? Not exactly. The movie eases you in gently. At first, you’re not quite sure where it’s going, but that uncertainty becomes part of the journey. The ending wraps things up well, satisfying, grounded, not dramatic, not explosive, just… real. And that’s okay.
That said, there were moments when you wished they had added a little more spice. The potential for deeper plot twists was right there, but the film chose subtlety over shock, and maybe that was intentional. Not every story needs to shout to be heard.
