There really is something about the Briggs.

“There are certain attributes that make you attractive to him. Do everything within your power to maintain it,” Mrs Briggs tells her daughter, echoing a philosophy shaped by years of marriage and her experience. But her husband counters with a stark truth: “Those things that attracted you will repel you.”

In Something About The Briggs, marriage isn’t just about love, it’s about survival, adaptation, and the burden of expectations. The film dives into the complexities of family, faith, and commitment, questioning whether love alone is enough to hold a relationship together. But does it truly capture the weight of these themes, or does it fall into familiar storytelling patterns?

Story

Something About The Briggs is an exploration of love, marriage, and generational trauma within a wealthy but fractured family. Bukola Ogunsola crafts a narrative that dissects the fears and insecurities passed down through relationships, particularly the idea that marriage inevitably leads to misery. Through Sophie Briggs’ reluctance to marry due to her family’s history of dysfunctional unions, the film questions whether people are doomed to repeat their parents’ mistakes or if love, with effort and understanding, can break toxic cycles.

Faith, forgiveness, and personal growth emerge as central ideas, offering a layered perspective with a fusion of faith on marriage beyond romance and social expectations.

The film effectively captures the complexities of relationships, showing how deeply ingrained beliefs shape one’s perception of love. Sophie’s fears feel real, and her journey reflects a broader conversation about emotional baggage and learned behaviours within families. The Briggs family’s struggles, ranging from emotional neglect to outright abuse resonate because they mirror common realities, making the film feel deeply personal yet universal.

However, Something About The Briggs is not entirely bleak; by incorporating faith and personal accountability, it offers a hopeful outlook, suggesting that while love alone isn’t enough, commitment and self-awareness can bridge the gap between desire and lasting companionship.

Plot

Sophie Briggs is hesitant about marriage, convinced that the institution is cursed in her family. Her fiancé, Chuks Obi, refuses to accept her fears at face value and insists on meeting her family, setting off a journey through the troubled marriages of Sophie’s siblings. Her brother Richard is emotionally abusive to his wife, Mina; her sister Cynthia struggles with insecurities in her relationship; and her other brother, Jason, is caught in a marriage dominated by manipulation and disrespect.

As Sophie and Chuks navigate this whirlwind of dysfunction, hidden family secrets begin to unravel, forcing Sophie to confront whether her fears are rooted in fate or choice. The climax sees an unexpected figure, enter the picture, shifting the family dynamic and challenging long-held perceptions about love and resilience.

In this film, dialogue and drama drive the plot forward. The dialogue remains crisp, clear, and sharp ensuring that even in emotionally charged moments, every word is delivered with precision. However, it comes off as precalculated but still effectively helps to move the plot forward while maintaining cohesion.

Performances

The performances in Something About The Briggs are a mix of compelling character work and occasional theatricality.

Sophie (Ariyike Owolagba), as the emotional core of the story, is portrayed with a delicate balance of vulnerability and frustration, making her fears about marriage believable. Her interactions with Chuks (Daniel Etim Effiong) offer a natural chemistry, though his insistence on pushing forward despite her hesitations creates moments of tension that could have been explored with more depth. Sofia, the domineering older sister, commands attention with her sharp delivery and physical presence, making her both an antagonist and an unintentional source of comic relief.

Stan Nze’s character (Richard), as the emotionally abusive husband, is portrayed with an unsettling realism, making his scenes particularly uncomfortable to watch. Meanwhile, the couple consisting of Jason (Kenneth Okoli) and his controlling wife, Bimbo (Iyabo Ojo), provides a contrast that adds to the film’s layered depiction of marriage dynamics.

The ensemble cast carries the weight of the film effectively, with each character embodying different facets of love and dysfunction. The only drawback is that some of the emotional beats feel exaggerated, veering into melodrama instead of nuance, but the strength of the cast’s performances ensures that these moments remain engaging rather than distracting.

The same with dialogue. While functional, it often feels too deliberate in its effort to drive the plot forward, occasionally sacrificing natural flow for exposition.

Technical Aspects

Something About The Briggs stands out as a visually ambitious project, with its production values reflecting the film’s high aspirations. The production design is undeniably lavish, immersing the audience in the world of the affluent Briggs family. Every setting, from the grand family home to smaller, intimate spaces, is carefully designed to reinforce the film’s themes of status, emotional strain, and personal identity.

The costume design enhances the film’s aesthetic and also subtly communicates character traits. From the way characters present themselves at home (sometimes appearing overdressed) to the detailing of formal attire, the film uses fashion as an extension of personality and class. However, while this emphasis on grandeur adds visual appeal, it occasionally distracts from the film’s intended realism, making certain scenes feel more stylised than natural.

Cinematographically, the film leans towards conventional framing and lighting techniques, ensuring clarity, with a few scenes that enhance its emotional weight through more inventive visual storytelling. The camera work is functional, capturing performances effectively.

The sound design and music elevate the film’s emotional resonance, with a serenading score that underscores key moments without overwhelming them. The choice of music complements the film’s reflective tone, reinforcing its themes of love, loss, and reconciliation. The seamless integration of faith-based messaging into the film’s structure is handled with remarkable restraint, avoiding the preachiness.

Editing and pacing present a mix of strengths and weaknesses. The film prioritises plot progression, ensuring that no scene feels unnecessary, yet this sometimes comes at the expense of organic pacing (even though it was 2 hours long). Some transitions feel abrupt, and certain emotional beats might have benefitted from a more patient approach, allowing the weight of pivotal moments to settle. However, the overall flow of the film remains engaging, with no significant lag in momentum.

Ultimately, Something About The Briggs is a technically accomplished film that demonstrates a strong commitment to quality. While it doesn’t push Nollywood’s cinematic boundaries in terms of innovation, it delivers a polished and immersive experience, ensuring that its storytelling is well-supported by its visual and auditory elements.

Final Thoughts

Something About The Briggs attempts to tell a narrative around love, marriage, and generational patterns, all within the framework of faith and societal expectations. Something About The Briggs finds a way to seamlessly integrate faith without alienating a general audience. It presents biblical perspectives on love and marriage, particularly through 1 Corinthians 13, while remaining accessible to both religious and secular viewers.

This balance is what makes Something About The Briggs a conversation starter with its influence unmistakable.

The film’s layered messaging provides depth to its central theme: love is more than mere attraction; it is an evolving commitment. The Briggs family’s “curse” and the idea of generational mistakes lingering over new unions create an undercurrent of tension.

Something About The Briggs embraces a visual and situational approach in its storytelling, allowing its themes to unfold through interactions, conflicts, and even the presence of certain characters.

This is evident in the contrast between Mr. and Mrs. Briggs’ perspectives on attraction and marriage where their dialogue alone tells a much larger story about generational mindsets.

Verdict

In the end, Something About The Briggs succeeds in delivering a thought-provoking yet entertaining experience. It offers a fresh take on familiar themes, engaging its audience with both its storytelling and its emotional resonance. Whether through its faith-driven undercurrents or its commentary on love and marriage, it leaves viewers with something to discuss long after the credits roll.

Rating: 4/5