One thing Moses Inwang has never failed to do is deliver projects that stir unending conversations. Known for his directorial work in The Merry Men franchise, Unroyal, Blood Vessel, Dead Serious and now Devil Is a Liar. The feature stumbles with the goal it sets out to achieve. Spoilers Ahead!

A Well-Intended Story Fuelled By the Woes of Love

Devil is a Liar was released on Netflix on Friday, August 15, 2025. It tells the story of a realtor, who finds love in a younger man but gets dealt the hands of the devil in return.

The feature follows Adaora (Nse Ikpe-Etim), a wealthy woman whose marriage to Jaiye (James Gardiner) unravels under betrayal and abuse. Though content at first, her life turns desperate when Jaiye demands the termination of their second pregnancy. A stance rooted in his refusal to raise children on her wealth. Their union, which began naturally after meeting at her sister’s introduction, produces a daughter, also named Adaora. But Jaiye soon grows cruel, emotionally abusive, and hostile, eventually forcing Adaora into another abortion.

Tragedy strikes when they lose their only child in a car crash. Jaiye quickly resumes his reckless lifestyle, while Adora discovers he conspired with her doctor to secretly perform a hysterectomy. Consumed by rage, she runs him over after an anonymous tip, leading to his presumed death and her imprisonment. On her release, she learns Jaiye is alive, married to his supposed cousin Anna (Erica Nlewedim). And together they have stripped her of all her wealth while she was behind bars.

She learns of the double jeopardy clause and takes matters into her hands as she kills Jaiye and reclaims her asset.

Familiar Scenarios Kills the Momentum It Tries to Build

Devil is a Liar tells a familiar tale of love and betrayal, with outcomes that felt predictable as the story unfolded. It left several loose ends that could have provided the unique arc the film needed. For instance, there was no backstory explaining why or how Jaiye and Anna targeted Adaora. For a scheme that elaborate, their actions seemed too spontaneous, and a deeper exploration would have added much-needed depth to their villainy. Jaiye recording his intimate moment with Adaora, and its vague reference later by the pool, also felt incomplete, raising questions about whether it was ever meant as a blackmail tool.

Adaora’s desperation also fell flat, as her character began the film with confidence and composure, showing little trace of the breakdown she later embodied. The film further struggled with weak dialogue from the supporting cast, especially towards the final act. The climax, which leaned on the double jeopardy clause Adaora discovered, failed to land with the necessary weight. Instead of letting the audience witness her triumph, the story denied her victory the proper resolution it deserved.

A Two-hour Showtime Anchored On Two People’s Compelling Performance

Nse delivers yet another impeccable performance with the character Adaora. Over time we have seen her play sophisticated and also rugged. But this time we had both in the same character, as her journey in prison brings a totally different woman. She was able to deliver the expressions, tone and mannerisms to follow Adaora’s chaotic journey.

Alongside is Gardiner’s convincing antagonistic character, Jaiye. From the very beginning to his eventual death, one could see the evil in his stares and tone towards her. Unfortunately, their romance is unconvincing as it lacked chemistry, which made his eventual betrayal very predictable.

Erica Nlewedim’s character played a crucial role in the grand scheme to destroy Adaora, yet her performance fell short of the weight the role demanded. Anna, despite being central to every plot twist—from the asset theft to Jaiye’s staged death—came across as flat, lacking the depth and nuanced mannerisms needed to fully sell her presence. This made it difficult to reconcile how a character with such significant influence on the story and lead cast could feel so underwhelming on screen.

A standout mention is Mercy Aigbe’s prison character. Though her appearances were brief and her lines few, she leaves a lasting impact, creating a sense of sisterhood with Adaora that offered moments of relief amidst the tension.

However, other supporting roles (Sharoon Ooja, Akin Lewis, Tina Mba) fall flat in their deliveries, making it easy to miss their appearance in the story.

Constant Sound Errors That Ruin the Compelling Scenes

One major flaw a Devil is a Liar suffered from is non-alignment with the sounds and actions shown. There were scenes were the sound was either going faster or slower than the actions or mannerisms made by the actors. Especially during the fight scene between Jaiye and Adaora at the tale end. That scene was crucial in tying up Jaiye’s motive for targeting her and apart from the weak dialogue it suffered there, the mashup sounds made it even more difficult. But here’s the twist, the right music and sound were employed. Which helped aid the story line.

The movie also anchors greatly on excellent cinematography. Very deliberate shots and angles were taken all across the entire project. Some distinct shots would be Jaiye’s car drift, the accident and the final fight scene in the prison. The dark colour scheme also helped with the mood and tone of the film.

Final Thoughts

Might be a triggering watch for anyone who can resonate with the story, so grab your tissues. But it does stir a different conversation, on love for women in their 30s, and the constant portrayal as being doom-bound is the only reality out there. If our stories are truly drawn from the society around us then there are definitely more scenarios, love and women in their 30s, that have not been explored.

Anna and Jaiye didn’t suffer as much as they deserved.

Verdict

Devil is a Liar struggled to stand firm based on its here and there cracks from the story to the final edits. The fact that it anchors on a familiar story of love and betrayal required that it gave something different. But it doesn’t or rather, the deliveries are consistently predictable and far from settling.

Rating: 2/5