‘A Bag of Trouble,’ another addition to the Circuits library, directed by Michael Chimex Onwunali, recently popped onto our radar. As always, we’re here to share our thoughts—so let’s get into it.

Plot

The official synopsis reads: A struggling vulcanizer receives a gift that sends his life into a spin.

The story follows Mosquito, who somehow manages to rescue a kidnapped politician’s daughter and ends up receiving a bag of money from her parents. This unexpected windfall leaves him stuck in his room, too paranoid to step outside. However, most of the supposed threats exist only in his head, making for an extremely dull plot.

The film spends too much time dragging out Mosquito’s paranoia, and you can feel every minute of the exhausting two-hour, fifteen-minute runtime.

Story

The film starts with Mosquito saving a kidnapped girl, which sets everything in motion. But from the very beginning, the logic is shaky. Why did Mosquito even seek out the people in the suspicious car in the first place? How did he decide to attempt a rescue? The way he pulls it off is just as ridiculous—criminals bold enough to kidnap a politician’s daughter wouldn’t just scatter because someone randomly shouts that they’re in the army. The entire setup lacks depth and credibility.

Instead of the usual Nollywood trope of squandering newfound wealth, the film tries something different: Mosquito becomes too afraid to enjoy the money and ends up throwing it away. While this could have been an interesting twist, the execution drags on for far too long, making the film feel aimless rather than engaging.

Performances

The cast is packed with comedians, including Broda Shaggi, Sabinus, and Hafiz Oyetoro, but they offer nothing we haven’t seen from them before. Their performances feel like an extension of their usual skits rather than actual acting.

Broda Shaggi’s portrayal of Mosquito, in particular, doesn’t feel like acting at all—it’s just his usual exaggerated antics. The over-the-top screaming and physical comedy quickly become tiresome. Osifuwa Oluwadolapo Modola who plays the girl Mosquito was trying to impress also delivered a notably bad performance, complete with an unconvincing accent.

Technical Aspects

Visually, the film plays it safe. The bright colours and clean cinematography give it a polished look, but nothing particularly stands out. However, the soundtrack is a nice touch—original music is used to reinforce the film’s themes, evoking nostalgia for older Nollywood films.

Final Thoughts

Unfortunately, ‘A Bag of Trouble’ raises far more questions than it answers. Why would Mosquito, a random vulcanizer, risk his life to save a politician’s child? Why did he assume he could retrieve the money after throwing it away? And why on earth would he give his money to a girl he just met? Instead of delivering genuine humour, the film relies too heavily on exaggerated performances that quickly become exhausting. Broda Shaggi’s shouting, in particular, makes the experience more frustrating than entertaining.

Verdict

‘A Bag of Trouble’ follows the all-too-familiar Nollywood comedy formula, banking on popular comedians rather than a well-thought-out script. Unfortunately, in this case, it results in a film that is more frustrating than funny. With an incoherent plot and an unsatisfying ending, this one earns 1.75 stars out of 5 from us.

Rating: 1.75/5