Femi Adebayo’s Seven Doors is a bold attempt to merge the grandeur of Yoruba traditions with the modern storytelling demands of film. With a narrative steeped in symbolism, it explores themes of love, leadership, and generational consequences through the lens of Ilara Kingdom’s struggles.

While its ambition shines in its technical execution and performances, the series occasionally stumbles under the weight of its theatrical roots, pacing issues, and cultural nuances that may alienate some viewers.

Story

The story revolves around the existential weight of choices and their ripple effects on individuals and society. Seven Doors merges royal drama with a fresh exploration of love, tradition, and leadership. Set in the hauntingly beautiful Ilara Kingdom, the narrative follows a ruler grappling with the demands of his throne, the trials of marriage, and a haunting generational curse tied to ancient rituals.

The narrative uses the symbolism of doors to explore themes of tradition, accountability, and generational consequences. The fate of a people hinges on the choices of their king and the haunting presence of an exiled antagonist. His choices, rooted in love, duty, and survival, set off a chain of events that threaten his kingdom’s survival and force him to confront the sins of the past.

Seven Doors is a story that examines humanity’s struggle between duty, desire, and the enduring cost of past transgressions. It’s a story of love, sacrifice, and what it truly means to lead.

Plot

The plot of Seven Doors unfolds in Ilara Kingdom, where King Adedunjoye’s failure to perform an ancient ritual involving seven symbolic doors unleash a series of catastrophic events.  As unrest and mysterious tragedies plague the land, the exiled and vengeful Esusu returns for vengeance, unearthing a dark generational curse tied to the king’s lineage. The king must navigate palace conspiracies, betrayal, and the demands of love while confronting the devastating consequences of his forebears’ actions.

The narrative builds towards a climactic confrontation where loyalty, betrayal, and redemption shape the kingdom’s future.

The plot includes several subplots that, while ultimately tied to the main narrative, sometimes feel excessive and unnecessarily drawn out. Though meaningful in hindsight, these backstories, like the subplot of Chief Otun’s daughter, Mayowa, contribute to pacing issues that can diminish the tension and engagement.

The slow unraveling of the king’s challenges, especially when solutions seem deliberately delayed, occasionally hamper the suspense rather than building it. While the interconnected subplots tie together by the end, the lack of consistent forward momentum in each episode weakens the narrative drive. The plot succeeds in maintaining thematic cohesion, even if it requires patience to appreciate its intricacies.

Technical Aspects

The film’s production design—including cinematography, set design, location, costumes, and props—clearly shows that a lot of effort and resources were invested in creating an authentic look.  Seven Doors undeniably boasts high production value, making its visuals a major highlight. From the breathtaking scene of seven women falling off a waterfall to the seamless magical transformation of a statue and a chicken, the effects are ambitious and mostly well-executed. Similarly, practical effects, like the destruction of a fence, were impactful and tangible, adding authenticity to the film’s setting.

However, some visual effects felt slightly overdone or misplaced, which detracted from the otherwise immersive experience.

Still, there are some issues, particularly with costume choices. A recurring flaw in Yoruba Nollywood productions is the use of oversized, unrealistic afro wigs to depict a historical setting, as seen here and in films like Crossroads and Blacksmith (Alágbède). Additionally, the king’s beads in one scene felt historically inaccurate, mixing traditional and machine-made elements that lacked authenticity.

Transitions between shots happened too quickly, as the film employed a jump cuts making it difficult to fully absorb the visuals. While the cinematography was generally commendable, especially in the spiritual fight scene in Episode 6, some choices didn’t always serve the story. And a few poor shots, like those in Episode 4, stood out. The sound quality was inconsistent, fluctuating between good and bad in a few instances, though this occurred sparingly.

The soundtrack deserves praise for enhancing the emotional intensity of key moments, but for someone unconvinced by the narrative, it might feel less impactful. On the bright side, the VFX, CGI, and SFX were convincing and moderately used, delivering an impressive result for the most part despite minor imperfections.

Performances

As the Onilara of Ilara, Femi Adebayo portrays a deeply conflicted king navigating the burdens of leadership and the weight of tradition. While his performance captures the character’s vulnerability and internal conflict, especially in moments of confrontation with his treacherous chiefs and the menacing Esusu, it often leans too heavily into theatricality.

This style of acting, more suited to stage performances, results in exaggerated gestures and expressions that feel performative rather than authentic. Adebayo’s portrayal, though layered, struggles with believability in certain scenes, making it harder for viewers to connect with the character. emotionally.

Chioma Akpotha shines as Queen Amaka, delivering a performance that is both nuanced and emotionally resonant. Her ability to embody a loyal and resourceful queen navigating palace politics adds depth to the character. Despite being of Igbo origin, Akpotha’s mastery of Yoruba adds authenticity and gravitas to her portrayal, further solidifying her as one of the film’s strongest performers.

However, her crying scene in Episode 4, seemingly directed at the audience rather than stirring drama within the story’s world, detracts from the overall immersion, revealing a disconnect between theatrical and cinematic storytelling (a directing issue)

Afeez ‘Saka’ Oyetoro’s performance as Agbaakin provides comic relief. Aliu Gafar delivers a standout performance as the antagonist, Esusu, bringing an intense, menacing energy to the role. His portrayal of psychological and physical terror is chilling and memorable, elevating the narrative with his commanding presence. Gafar’s ability to embody Esusu’s ruthlessness and vendetta against the royal family ensures he remains a compelling and unforgettable villain throughout the series.

The supporting actors, portraying the king’s chiefs and court members, deliver strong performances that highlight the film’s themes of loyalty, betrayal, and political tension. However, their performances occasionally fall into the realm of theatrical exaggeration, which, while engaging, sometimes detracts from the realism expected in film.

Overall, the performances in Seven Doors are palpable but often marred by an over-reliance on stage-like dramatization, which occasionally disrupts the immersive quality of the cinematic experience.

Final Thoughts

Seven Doors represents an ambitious step forward for Yoruba Nollywood’s foray into high-budget filmmaking. The series exhibits a clear investment in production quality, from its breathtaking visuals to its use of intricate VFX and set designs, marking a departure from the more modest productions that traditionally defined the genre.

While the final episode sufficiently ties the story together, the lack of consistent tension or compelling cliffhangers between episodes diminishes the sense of urgency that a serialized story requires.

Despite its flaws, Seven Doors is a bold project reflecting Nigerian cinema’s evolving landscape. It combines cultural storytelling with modern filmmaking techniques, offering a glimpse of the heights Nollywood can reach with more experience and refined execution. As Adebayo grows as a filmmaker, Seven Doors serves as both an achievement and a learning curve in the quest to elevate Yoruba Nollywood to global standards.

This story has a compelling premise rooted in the richness of Yoruba culture and tradition, but it doesn’t fully resonate with every viewer. The plot is laden with several inconsistencies. For example, why are the chiefs conspicously absent from the king’s wedding? Why do new queen mourn the fact that the king will be marrying 6 wives than the loss of their daughter? Did the cheifs turn good all of a sudden? Did Prince Adeeyo’s crown ambitions ever end?

Alsp, while the story’s theme is powerful, its presentation makes it hard for viewers to emotionally connect with it, leaving parts of the narrative difficult to relate to.

Verdict

Seven Doors offers a visually stunning and culturally rich film that showcases Nollywood’s ambition, but its uneven storytelling and theatrical tendencies hold it back from true excellence. While not perfect, it remains a bold and commendable effort in high-budget Nigerian cinema. This is a must-watch for its cultural depiction and technical achievements.

Seven Doors is currently streaming on Netflix.

Rating: 3.5 Stars