A Weekend Fiasco spins a tale of marital secrets and resort mishaps, blending rom-com hijinks with domestic drama. Directed by Samuel Olatunji, the film follows Tobe (Alexx Ekubo), a husband cheating on his wife Nicole with Reikiya (Liquorose), whose forgotten anniversary sparks her flirtation with co-worker Emmanuel (Chimezie Imo).

When Reikiya invites Tobe to a resort getaway, Emmanuel counters with Nicole, drawing in side flings like Maureen, leading to a weekend of overlapping deceptions. Olatunji’s light touch aims for laughs amid the tangle, but the sombre tone and stretched scenes leave the comedy flat, evoking the familiar ache of Nollywood’s tangled hearts, where secrets unravel in predictable knots.

A Tangle That Snags

The story opens on Tobe and Nicole’s fifth anniversary morning, Nicole planning a special day while Tobe, unremorseful, heads out to cheat with Reikiya, his two-year affair a pattern of neglect that leaves their marriage frayed. Feeling lonely, Nicole attracts Emmanuel, a co-worker with a past fling with Maureen (Lizzy Jay). Reikiya invites Tobe to a resort getaway with friends, planning to leave the country soon, while Emmanuel invites Nicole, pulling everyone—plus Maureen and Aisha—into the same resort. The middle erupts in overlapping lies, love spats, and meddling, peaking in confrontations that expose secrets.

The timeline, stretched over 1 hour 40 minutes, feels sluggish, dragging the pace, tiring viewers. Forced conveniences, like the resort overlap, strain belief, while sombre drama overshadows the comedy, turning laughs into tacky squabbles. A phone call scene with a locked iPhone screen jars, a sloppy oversight for a cinema release. The structure ties up neatly with the resort climax, but a cliffhanger for a potential sequel feels unneeded, leaving audiences unsatisfied, the slow build and heavy tone sapping the rom-com spark.

Hearts Caught in a Lie

The emotional core of A Weekend Fiasco traces the slow fracture of trust, each character’s hidden wants clashing in betrayal. Tobe’s affair with Reikiya paints a husband who sees bare-minimum effort as enough, his anniversary neglect leaving Nicole lonely and open to Emmanuel’s attention, her flirtation a quiet rebellion rooted in love for Tobe. Reikiya’s getaway plans hide her own doubts, while Emmanuel’s past with Maureen adds a layer of regret, his charm masking guilt. Aisha’s meddling stirs the pot, amplifying the chaos.

The story probes Nigeria’s cultural view of marriage, the resort’s tight spaces a symbol of trapped lies, moving from domestic hurt to chaotic showdowns, stirring a familiar ache of flawed hearts, its melodramatic fights over love resonating for those who enjoy tacky drama but irking others with its heavy tone.

Performances That Falter

Alexx Ekubo’s Tobe holds the screen with roguish charm, his unremorseful cheating and bare-minimum husband act fitting the self-satisfied character, the ironic soundtrack chords (e.g., after anniversary neglect) amusing chaos fans but annoying those seeking depth. Ini Edo as Nicole shines in her shift from hurt wife to cautious flirt, her anniversary confrontation soft with stilted lines.

Chimezie Imo’s Emmanuel brings sly energy, his past with Maureen a weak link that adds clutter, his delivery hampered by repetitive dialogue that frustrates coherence. Liquorose’s Reikiya radiates confidence, her getaway plans driving chaos, but melodramatic outbursts, like tearful pleas, feel overdone, jarring viewers. Lizzy Jay’s Maureen, with her signature accent breaking through, aims for comedy but loses steam, ineffective for some but delivering for audiences who relish chaos.

A Production That Stumbles

Samuel Olatunji’s direction chases rom-com chaos, the editing cutting resort scenes to mirror the tangle of lies, keeping a brisk pulse in confrontations. Cinematography frames the resort with basic visuals, the cabins a snug trap for secrets, but low-budget locations fail to match the characters’ status, jarring viewers and exposing production limits. Sound design lifts the comedy with playful chords, like the birthday song sting, adding fizz that entertains, the upbeat score matching the toned-down humor.

Production design uses resort props well, costumes hinting at social facades, but the low-budget feel undercuts the glamour. Lighting offers minimal contrast, with soft home scenes and harsher resort tones, but abrupt cuts disrupt the flow. The soundtrack stands out as the main technical strength, its subtle touches boosting laughs, while other elements, like basic camerawork, feel undercooked.

Final Thoughts

A Weekend Fiasco exposes the frayed edges of modern marriage, where neglect and secrets turn anniversaries into battlegrounds. The resort chaos poses a question: can love endure when lies collide in such absurd closeness? Its take on fidelity’s strain, from Tobe’s smug cheating to Nicole’s quiet rebellion, sparks thoughts on Nigeria’s romantic traps, the getaway a stage for confined truths. The sombre tone dulls the impatient, its unnatural dialogue a hurdle for those outside the melodramatic draw.

Nollywood often spices romantic tangles with flair, but Olatunji’s light touch offers laughs amid the ache, urging viewers to chuckle at flawed hearts. What does it mean to chase love when the chase feels forced? This film reflects Nollywood’s romantic pull, its strengths landing for chaos fans, yet its flaws: stretched scenes and stiff lines, show the cost of uneven execution.

Verdict

A Weekend Fiasco entertains viewers who enjoy its melodramatic chaos and light laughs, but its heavy tone and inauthentic dialogue dampen the fun. It suits those who embrace drama-heavy rom-coms and chuckle at tangled lies. Flawed yet not without charm, it delivers for those who meet its messy heart halfway.

Rating: 2/5