When the trailer for Ms. Kanyin dropped, we were intrigued. Visually, it looked great. After Netflix’s The Origin: Madam Koi Koi debuted in 2023, it was surprising to see Jerry Ossai’s Ms Kanyin appear just two years later, now streaming on Prime Video. Still, we gave it a fair shot. Spoiler Alert!! Here’s how it went.

Well-Paced with a Few Stumbles

The official synopsis reads: “Amara’s mistake awakens Madame Koi-Koi. Now she and Mr. Mustapha must stop the vengeful spirit before it’s too late.” While the synopsis is clear and sets expectations well, it’s also misleading — a common misstep. In truth, it’s Chisom, not Amara, who initially partners with Mr. Mustapha to stop the spirit, only bringing Amara in much later.

Despite that, the first and second act is ejoyable. It gradually builds momentum but Nollywood’s undying third act curse strikes again and the film reaches an unsatisfying crescendo. The story’s structure works — even if some of the finer plot details don’t.

When High Stakes Meet a Low-Impact Solution

The film’s central story follows Amara, an ambitious student set on attending Harvard. After receiving a C in her French mock exam, she becomes desperate to succeed, fearing her entire academic future is at risk. Her anxiety drives her to steal WAEC exam papers, a choice that ultimately triggers Ms Kanyin’s death and awakens the legendary Madame Koi-Koi. While her goal is quite clear, same can not be applied to her friends who take great risk to partake in the heist for little or no reward.

The premise is solid, and the dialogue — especially among the students — is natural and engaging if you could can pretend not to hear modern day lingo from a film set in the 90s. The film does its genre great disservice by not being scary, eerie or creepy enough in the first act and when we finally get what we signed up for, we were still hungry for more.

The resolution leaves much to be desired. After all the buildup, the “final solution” turns out to be… cutting down this tree of death, that the people of the community failed to destroy just because “the land was sold”.

Good Performances with a Few Standouts

Michelle Dede’s Ms. Kanyin and Demola Adedoyin’s Mr. Mustapha are strong additions to the cast, with an eye-pleasing chemistry and each delivering good performances. Kalu Ikeagu as the principal unsurprisingly puts on a good interpretation of his character.

Temi Otedola gives a decent performance, but it’s quite clear she’s not from the world she tries to portray as she does not fully immerse herself into the role. The supporting cast — Kanaga Jr., Aduke Shitta-Bey, Natse Jemide, Toluwani George, and Damilola Bolarinde — all hold their own in their respective roles. No one stuns, but no one crashes either. And of course, there is Petra; Nollywood’s new favourite dog.

Stylish Visuals, But the Devil’s in the (Badly Rendered) Details

There’s no doubt this film is beautifully shot. The visuals are crisp and the film’s look suits the genre. The location — a boarding school — adds just the right amount of familiarity. We especially liked the visually striking scene where Amara runs in the opposite direction from the other students.

Still, the visual effects leave a lot to be desired, constantly bouncing between really good and terribly poor. The decapitation in the opening scene is laughably unconvincing. The special effects remain a weak point, and that undermines the fear factor. For a horror, the sound design is sub par, while the music helped to immerse the viewers into the 90s, the film also painfully lacks a score that set the mood and tension.

To their credit, the filmmakers use smaller, sensory cues — like the deliberate sound of Ms. Kanyin’s heels clacking — to foreshadow and build tension. But when modern elements like a 2024 planner or vehicle sticker appear in what’s supposed to be a 90s setting, and students like Amara walk around in school wearing make up, it shatters immersion. It’s disappointing that Nollywood still struggles with these kinds of avoidable anachronisms.

There’s Heart Here — But Also Sloppiness

There’s a strong sense of intention behind many elements of Ms Kanyin. The film includes layered foreshadowing, like multiple characters hinting at Ms. Kanyin’s fate and her fear of dogs — a detail that ends up being her undoing. The fact that she kills all the dogs around the area immediately she becomes a vengeful spirit is thoughtful storytelling.

But the frequent oversights; from encroaching boom mics to conflicting timelines; in misplaced modern props like the Amara’s 2024 planner and Mr. Mustapha’s 2022/24 van stickers distract from what could have been a cleaner, more impactful film. Horror relies on immersion. When that immersion is repeatedly broken, the stakes just don’t stick.

Verdict

Ms Kanyin sets out to deliver a polished horror story rooted in Nigerian folklore — but it barely succeeds. It’s visually appealing, and thematically focused on accountability and consequence. For a horror film, it quite simply doesn’t scare.

Ambitious and enjoyable but disappointing. It earns a 2.75-star rating out of 5.

Rating: 2.75/5