This film made me tie wrapper. And yes, I mean it.
Beneath Command is about grief, twisted loyalty, family, expectations, and love; or at least, it tried to be. The story follows an engaged girl whose lover is taken away by the same military her brother works for, all because her lover dared to challenge authority. Sounds intense, right? The execution… less so.
The first rule of storytelling is “Show, don’t tell.” This movie… mostly told. Every theme hung in the air like a mosquito you can’t swat. Love? You don’t feel it. Loyalty? Just words. Grief? Mostly faces scrunching up and crying. By the end, I was exhausted from being told about the story rather than seeing it unfold.
Acting-wise, everyone tried. Credit where it’s due, effort was there. Sometimes, though, “your best” just isn’t enough. Chika (the fiancée) spent most of the film crying, and I never really felt the love between her and Etim. I think her only smile lasted ten seconds. If you want the audience to root for a separated couple, you need to convince us that the love is real. This didn’t. Every emotion the film wanted you to feel was unfelt. I started thinking I had lost touch of my feelings.
Art direction gets a very mixed review. On one hand, the locations were amazing. The family house, in particular, was beautifully designed and felt lived-in. On the other hand… there was a scene where Nnamdi hit the wall and a family frame fell. The problem? The frame was already falling before he even touched the wall. I watched that scene five times just to see if I’d imagined it. And the frame didn’t even break? Come on.
The one standout was the actress who played the mother, BIMBO PETERS. Her performance was the only truly believable one in the entire film. She carried weight, presence, and originality, I’d give her flowers if I could.
In summary, Beneath Command had a beautiful idea, but it got lost somewhere between “trying to explore heavy themes” and “actually telling a story.” Locations were gorgeous, acting was a mixed bag, and execution was confusing enough to make me question why I even sat through parts of it. It’s a film that’s more tiring than moving, and honestly, that’s saying something.
Director(s): Jedidiah Adesoji, Victor Omeke
Genre: Drama
Review By: Nwachukwu Emmanuella