Upon approaching Ajaga (The Yoke), viewers may grapple with conflicting expectations due to its dual messaging in the promotional materials. One narrative positions the pastor as the central character, while another highlights universal themes of justice against sexual violence, unwavering faith, and the uncovering of hidden truths. 

The film ultimately succeeds by centering on the latter perspective, presenting an engaging and thought-provoking angle. However, it falters in several key areas.

Story

Ajaga (The Yoke) primarily unfolds around Bolusefe (Adenike Odubawo), the wife of Pastor David (Femi Jacobs).  Its narrative focus is not on Pastor David, but on Bolusefe’s quest for truth and justice, highlighting the story’s unexpected depth.

Plot

Bolusefe runs the Bolusefe Foundation, an organization dedicated to humanitarian efforts and advocating for justice for victims of sexual violence. Recently, she secured justice for a young girl who was sexually assaulted by the son of a wealthy man. While David and Bolusefe’s marriage appears idyllic on the surface, troubling signs suggest deeper issues, particularly David’s unsettling tendencies, which Bolusefe initially embraces as part of their intimacy.

However, as Bolusefe receives a threatening message, it triggers an investigation into her husband’s actions, which catalyzes the plot.

The Cinema Experience

This was significantly hampered by poor sound quality. The trailer hinted at this issue, which was further amplified in the cinema; the bass was excessively loud and distracting, making it challenging to fully engage with the dialogue. Fortunately, subtitles were provided, as the film employed a bilingual approach, incorporating both Yoruba and English. However, the subtitles were not consistently reliable, ending abruptly halfway through the film.

While the soundtrack and score were generally difficult to discern, the track playing during the credits stood out for its messaging. The visuals were competent, yet nothing particularly distinctive emerged to elevate the overall experience.

Technical Aspects

This film presented various strengths and weaknesses. While the visuals were generally well-executed, the subtitles proved inconsistent, and the sound quality, as noted in the trailer, remained subpar. The protagonists’ costume choices were visually appealing; however, Pastor David’s attire in one scene was notably inappropriate for his environment. As a pastor, would one truly dress so casually for a Sunday service? Such choices raise questions about character authenticity.

Additionally, some hair and costuming decisions raised concerns regarding character integrity. For instance, a character who had recently come into a significant sum of money maintained the same hairstyle throughout the two to three months depicted in the film. This lack of evolution in her appearance felt static and unrealistic, detracting from the narrative’s credibility.

Performances

The performances in Ajaga (The Yoke) were largely underwhelming. While not entirely lacking, they failed to leave a lasting impression. The characters lacked the emotional depth needed to engage with their feelings, which is crucial for a film centered on such intense themes. Bolusefe (Adenike Odubawo) was meant to guide the audience through an emotional journey; however, her reactions often came across as unrealistic and unrelatable.

For instance, after her alarming discovery about her husband, viewers would expect a profound emotional breakdown. Yet, when a church member seeks counsel from Bolusefe and her husband, her response appears morally weak, twisting the situation into baseless platitudes of “faith.” Instead of demonstrating emotional and character growth, this moment is squandered with inadequate counsel in front of her husband, culminating in her dialogue being muted—perhaps a reflection of the vacuity of her statements.

Femi Jacobs as Pastor David seems to grasp his character’s nuances well. His behavior subtly foreshadows his perverse tendencies, whether deliberate or not. However, the character’s initial portrayal as wholly virtuous becomes problematic when he delivers faith-related sexual jokes to Bolusefe.

While these jokes could be interpreted as playful banter, they feel incongruous within a faith context, undermining the integrity of the character and the narrative. If his character was intended to be flawed from the outset, this approach could work; however, it inadvertently exposes his psychological complexity to the audience. Thus, when the investigator arrives to unravel his “mysterious” character, the revelations lose their impact.

Jaiye Kuti as Bolusefe’s mother, however, delivers a noteworthy performance that sparked discussion among viewers. Her reaction upon Bolusefe’s revelation of her husband’s actions was a kind of unintended relief. Until she uncovers another layer into the narrative.

Final Thoughts

Soon, it becomes apparent that “the yoke” within the narrative transcends a mere burden for the characters; it embodies a fundamental, generational issue that unfolds gradually. However, to fully grasp this intricate layer, viewers must invest their time and attention, as the film itself does little to explicitly preach this underlying message.

Ajaga (The Yoke) illustrates a recurring issue in Nollywood’s marketing and publicity approach: the misdirection of narrative focus. The Yoruba term “Ajaga,” meaning burden or yoke, sets the expectation of a character grappling with a weighty dilemma. Promotional material reinforced this assumption, presenting loglines such as “When faith meets deception, the truth is the ultimate test” and “Preaching faith by day, living lies by night. What happens when the truth comes to light?” These statements prime audiences to anticipate a tale centered around a preacher’s moral and spiritual conflict.

Silverbird Cinemas, the film’s primary distributor, added to this notion with a synopsis that promised “a pastor wrestling with his moral failings, particularly his womanizing tendencies. The movie explores themes of hypocrisy and personal conflict within a religious context.” This synopsis solidified expectations of an exploration into the pastor’s internal struggle and moral dilemmas.

However, the narrative employs a form of marketing misdirection, ultimately shifting its focus away from the pastor to his wife, whose journey becomes the real crux of the story. While this perspective shift is a refreshing narrative subversion, it reveals a deeper issue: the film’s treatment of faith is fundamentally flawed.

As a faith-based narrative, the portrayal of religious elements lacks the depth and sincerity necessary to engage the audience genuinely. The depiction of the pastor and his wife’s spirituality feels superficial, making it challenging to invest in their supposed faith journey. Consequently, when the film attempts to deliver a “spiritual” resolution, it comes across as contrived and unconvincing, undermining the very themes it seeks to explore. This failure to establish a credible foundation of faith reduces what could have been a powerful narrative to something far less compelling.

Verdict

Àjàgà (The Yoke) challenges viewers to engage with its narrative complexities, revealing that the true burden extends beyond personal struggles to generational issues of faith and morality. While it provides a thought-provoking experience, the film’s execution falters in areas such as sound quality character depth, and story integrity.

While the film attempts to tackle significant themes of faith and justice, the narrative lacks a compelling connection to its central characters, leaving it feeling somewhat disjointed. Therefore, approach the film with an open mind, prepared to dissect its layers rather than expecting a straightforward tale.

Rating: 2.5/5