Following its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival in August, Stitches commenced screening across cinemas nationwide on November 28, 2025. The Lagos-set drama follows Boma, a gifted fashion designer from a humble background, whose rise into high society is threatened by love and the weight of social class.
The feature is produced by the collaborative effort of Chris Odeh (Sozo Films), Ramsey Nouah (Ramsey Films), and Joy Odiete (Bue Pictures Film distribution) into a fresh company called BRS Studios. It stars Dakore Egbuson-Akande, Regina Askia, Adaobi Dibor, and Obinna Okenwa.
Although Stitches delivers a beautiful cinematic experience, the storyline, however, feels way too recycled to be ignored.
Stitches
Directed by: Shirley Frimpong-Manso
Written by: Chidima Uzozie Thecla, Uche Atelia, and Shirley Frimpong-Manso
Genre: Drama
Released on: November 28, 2025 (Cinemas)
Language: English
Very Familiar Plot
Stitches follows Boma, a young aspiring fashion designer struggling to establish herself in Lagos after losing her mother. When her aunt, owner of a renowned fashion brand, offers her a blank check to pursue her dreams, Boma finally has the chance she’s been waiting for. Just as she’s determined to make her mark in the city, romance enters her life through their biggest client yet. Now she must balance her career ambitions with new love, fighting to keep both from unraveling.
Woven alongside Boma’s journey are other characters who also navigate the intersection of love and survival. Ultimately, love triumphs—and this time, no one has to sacrifice their ambition for it.
The narrative masterfully explores love, identity, ambition, and resilience, with the protagonist’s journey seamlessly weaving through each theme in compelling ways.
That said, the premise of relocating to Lagos feels overdone at this point. The fashion design industry angle, in particular, has become a well-worn path in storytelling.
Intentionality Saves the Flaw of Familiarity
Although the plot feels very familiar to Almost Perfect, which also tells the story of a young girl who defies odds and moves to Lagos in pursuit of her fashion design career. There is some depth with Stitches, or better put, intentionality that makes its difference stand out even more.
And we see that with how little things like the reaction of the guest at the funeral made sense, to the shocking entrance of the mother’s carbon copy. And then the shared passion for helping less privileged kids between Boma and Mofe. This helped add some depth to their intimacy.
They may seem like little scenes here and there but they helped elevate it from just trying to survive and fall in love in Lagos to something a lot more intentional.
While there was clear intentionality in certain areas, the aunt’s character felt underdeveloped. Given her significant influence on the overall narrative, her backstory deserved more attention. Key questions remain unanswered: if she prioritized her career, how does she have a daughter nearly Boma’s age? Why is she so deeply invested in her niece’s development yet seemingly indifferent to her own daughter’s life and choices? These gaps weaken what should have been a pivotal character.
Palpable Chemistry
Boma (Adaobi Dibor) and Mofe (Obinna Okenwa) give outstanding performances, particularly notable for their immediate, tangible connection. From their initial meeting, they displayed an intuitive grasp of each other’s gestures and communicated volumes through their quiet scenes together.
Combined with exceptional work from Dakore Egbuson-Akande, Tomi Ojo, and Martha Ehinome, Stitches showcases nearly flawless acting across the board.
Excellent Dance Between Picture Frames and Sound Scores
One of the beautiful things that aids storytelling is the blend of clear picture frames and sound scores. Each setting was enhanced by the frame choices that made the audience appreciate the difference between the minimalistic home in Port-Harcourt and the boldness of Lagos.
The set designs added some texture to the lead characters, as we could tell what felt like home and what felt like a choking box. Especially, with the storyline leaning towards romance more, the sound choices also helped elevate the mood and the feelings being expressed.
There was also something very distinct about the clear sound for the actors’ dialogues, which gave the charming Mofe, a prince charming bass that lingered through, and then the boldly shy Boma. At, some point, one could tell that the audio seemed recorded but it blended in nicely.
Final Thoughts
A flashback between Boma’s mum and her sister could have illuminated the ways the life choices drove them apart. And then, there was the unexplained angle on the aunt having a child, when she had explicitly mentioned that she chose her career over having a family.
Verdict
Stitches tells a refreshing story, and even though it has a familiar plot line, it manages to deliver it better.
Rating: 3/5
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