Irin Ajo starts off like one of those films where you don’t fully understand what’s going on yet, but you’re still following happily. From the very first scene, it feels like someone gently takes your hand and says, “Come on, let’s go,” and you just follow them without stress because… why not?

The film follows a couple who have been married for six years, and for the first time, the wife is taking her husband to meet her parents. That’s already suspicious, but we move. What seems like a simple trip suddenly takes a strange turn.  

One of the strongest parts of Irin Ajo is how boldly it leans into Yoruba beliefs about Akúdàáyà. For those unfamiliar, Akúdàáyà is a cultural belief about people who are thought to have died but are later seen living normal lives elsewhere, sometimes even starting a family. Most of us have heard the idea before, but the film actually takes its time to explain it in a way that clicks. Rather than brush past the topic, the directors teach us about this belief while telling the story. The cinematography and art direction add to this, nothing feels accidental. From the costumes to the framing to the set design, you can tell they thought things through and nothing was left to chance.

And the acting? Beautiful. Clean. At some point I even forgot these people were acting. Trisha especially, from the first moment we see her, you can already tell something is off. She’s tense, closed-off, not excited about this trip at all. We don’t know what’s wrong yet, but it makes you want to keep watching.

Now, the film’s biggest weakness? Lighting inconsistency. During the couple’s journey, some shots look like they were filmed at night, while the next look like early afternoon or evening. It breaks the visual rhythm. My guess is that they had to reshoot a few clips and just squeezed them wherever they fit, except they didn’t really fit. And honestly, your audience may wear glasses, but we’re definitely not blind.

Thankfully, the score understood the assignment, and it came in exactly when it needed to. No overdoing, no unnecessary drama,  just there, at the right moment, doing what it was supposed to do. For once, a soundtrack in a Nigerian film refuses to do “African Time”

For a 15-minute film, Irin Ajo did what it needed to do. It was bold, it was intentional, and it stayed committed to its theme from start to finish. The film tapped me by the shoulders and said, “Emmanuella, sit up. You’re about to enjoy yourself.”

Director(s): Myde Glover, Anjola Aluko

Genre: Psychological Thriller, Drama

Review By: NWACHUKWU EMMANUELLA