Colours of Fire is an ambitious Nigerian epic fantasy written and directed by Niyi Akinmolayan, produced by Busayo Olayiwola, and starring Osas Ighodaro as Moremi, Uzor Arukwe as Akinbode, Mercy Aigbe, Femi Branch, Gabriel Afolayan, and Ibrahim Chatta. Running over two hours, it introduces Afrofusion: a cinematic blend of African mythology, fashion, music, ritual, and advanced technology, as a new visual language for Nollywood.
The story unfolds in a fictional ancient world divided between the Blue Tribe (masters of sacred blue magic and harmony) and the rising Red Tribe (feared for rumoured dark power). A young warrior, Akinbode, is sent to slay a monstrous threat, only to discover truths that unravel inherited hatreds. The film is a bold spectacle of cultural pride and technical ambition, but uneven storytelling and pacing prevent it from fully realising its promise.
Colours of Fire
Directed by: Niyi Akinmolayan
Written by: Niyi Akinmolayan
Genre: Epic, Fantasy
Released on: December 26, 2025 (Cinemas)
Language: Yoruba, English
A World Divided by Colour and Fear
The Blue Tribe was once thriving in peace. Their sacred Elu magic woven into fabric (literally) and daily life. Blue is not just a colour. It is a symbol of harmony, skill, and divine favour. That balance shatters as red emerges. A colour tied through fearful rumours to blood, dark magic, and disorder. As the Red Tribe prospers, fear replaces admiration. Tales spread of a monstrous being attacking farmers during the harvest of Esu, hardening into justification for violence.
The Blue Tribe sends Akinbode, a warrior trained from childhood for war, to slay the threat. Armed with a sacred sword and absolute faith in inherited stories, he sets out convinced his destiny is written in blood. Instead, he finds no monster. He finds another community burdened by its own fears, and Moremi, prophesied to bring down Badero, son of Abifarin. She becomes the emotional and moral bridge between two worlds built on deception. As truth slowly unravels, Akinbode learns that the hatred between the tribes is rooted in myths, fear, and deliberate fabrications. The real enemy is not colour, magic, or tribe, but the lies that have kept them apart for generations.
Themes of Inherited Hatred and Spiritual Cost
The romance between Akinbode and Moremi is heavy and consequential. Love here is political, destabilising, and dangerous forcing a choice between personal truth and communal obedience. Dialogue leans on proverbs and metaphor, concealing explicit meaning beneath cultural phrasing, especially in intimate and violent scenes.
Colours of Fire explores inherited hatred, rivalry sustained by misinformation, and the danger of tradition used to silence truth. Characters are trained to fear the other long before meeting. When contact happens, everything taught unravels. Honour, reputation, loyalty become traps, because truth threatens structures reliant on myth.
Performances That Shine and Strain
The language choice in the film is thoughtful. While most of its cultural and aesthetical choices come from the Yoruba, it includes English. This is a film where English and Yoruba exist, a fictional environment that doesn’t add the absurdity of them fighting over “colours”. The choice is very sensible given its fictional roots. That’s why actors who aren’t Yoruba can act in it and not feel misplaced. It works for the fictional world they are establishing.
Osas Ighodaro’s Moremi is one of the film’s strongest presence. She embodies a seductive, dangerous aura that aligns with the mythic tone. Her physicality, controlled accent, and dance ability enhance credibility. Horn-shaped braids visually communicate beauty and menace.
Ibrahim Chatta’s oracle Baba Agba is compelling, grounded by controlled delivery and convincing ritual presence. Gabriel Afolayan delivers emotional sincerity, though occasional excess appears in monologues. Femi Branch offers competent royal authority, performing a familiar role without redefining it. Uzor Arukwe’s Akinbode is serviceable but restrained by the role’s demands. Mercy Aigbe feels disconnected from the ensemble, her line delivery occasionally rehearsed.
Technical Craft That Dazzles and Divides
Cinematography is deliberate from the opening sequence. Camera movement, framing, and composition allow environments to breathe, making them feel like living entities. The cinematography allows the environment to breathe, making it part of the frame, like an existing entity. A few instances the shots allowed for eyes to focus on various elements on the screen, allowing viewers to choose what to look at. It captures moral tension and mythic weight, lingering on faces, landscapes, and conflict. Lighting uses blue and orange tones to create striking evening scenes, though contrast sometimes overwhelms. Costumes and makeup ground the story in historical texture.
Although the costuming was visually strong and aligned with the film’s title, the concept of “Colours of Fire” could have been explored further through a more deliberate use of colour symbolism. Sound design and music are major strengths. The score, performed by Adam Songbird and Mr Magick and composed by Oludamilola Adewale Aluko, is immersive and purposeful, guiding emotion through the narrative. Diegetic sound adds texture to the magical atmosphere.
Visual effects initially complemented the set design, but became inconsistent as the film progressed. The combination of green screen, AI-generated visuals, and animation created tonal confusion. Instead of enhancing the fantasy elements, the mix eventually felt excessive and distracting. The beast; Agedengbe is a missed opportunity for practical effects.
Slow motion emphasises physicality and creates memorable images, but frequent repetition diminishes its power, shifting from expressive tool to ornamental habit. The slow motion helps to turn moments into memorable, “hangable” still images, focusing on the physicality and impact of action. It allows audiences to clearly see the unfolding action, rather than it being obscured by fast camera work, and also for emphasis to highlight the intensity and weight of a pivotal event or happening. It just felt overused even though not unnecessary to the unfolding action.
Final Thoughts
Colours of Fire is a statement of intent. A visually ambitious and polarising film, best suited for viewers who enjoy epic storytelling and cutting-edge technology. While it may stumble narratively, it succeeds as a bold, eye-catching production that pushes Nollywood’s technical boundaries. It defines what Afrofusion looks like: myth, fashion, technology, music, spectacle woven together. It pushes Nollywood’s technical boundaries forward, sketching a bold future. From the outset, the film treats cinema as spectacle and art, aiming to expand what Nollywood looks and feels like on screen. The screenplay is the weakest element. Central conflict is referenced more than dramatized.
Motivations remain vague, villages suffer off-screen, character arcs lack depth. The antagonist never fully asserts presence, weakening tension. Romantic scenes are excessive and repetitive, failing to deepen relationships. The ending attempts sequel potential through cliffhanger but introduces twists without emotional grounding, leaving confusion rather than anticipation.
The film succeeds in establishing an aesthetic but struggles with narrative integration. It dazzles through sound, costume, cinematography, and scale, while frustrating through weak writing, uneven performances, and inconsistent effects. It falls short as a complete narrative experience, yet stands as a significant step. The future it sketches urgently requires stronger storytelling to match its visual ambition.
Verdict
Colours of Fire suits viewers who love Yoruba mythology and visual spectacle, even if narrative coherence takes a backseat. It rewards those who appreciate ambitious experimentation in Nollywood. Dazzling yet uneven, it marks a bold step forward.
Rating: 3.25/5
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