‘The Beads’ just hit Prime Video and arrived with little promotion—a trend that’s become all too common on the platform. Despite this, the film caught our attention, thanks to its impressive cast of Nollywood stars. Let’s see whether it lived up to its potential or fell flat as just another star-powered endeavour.

Plot

The story follows a young woman, ensnared in a paradox of life and longing for release. The film opens with a wedding ceremony where the bride appears to take her own life, then rewinds to unravel the events leading to that moment. The day before her wedding, the bride’s grandmother gifts her beads that promise a successful marriage, a pivotal plot element that drives the story forward.

Story

The narrative follows Ranti, the bride, as bizarre occurrences unfold on her wedding day. After being shot at the ceremony, she finds herself in a dreamscape, waking up on the wedding day again, stuck in a time loop. As this was not hinted at in the synopsis, it was a nice surprise. The film keeps us engaged as each repeated day reveals more puzzle pieces.

Performances

The acting in ‘The Beads’ is a mixed bag. Temitope Aremu’s portrayal of Irene falls flat, and Chioma Omeruah’s Adanna comes off as overly exaggerated, a common pitfall when Nollywood incorporates comedy. Juliana Olayode’s character, Shade, has the same issue with an illogical scene involving ice and hot tea.

The collision scene between Adanna and Zainab Balogun’s Ranti was poorly executed. However, Zainab Balogun delivers a strong performance, the actress doesn’t star in many films but is always memorable. Segun Arinze does not disappoint as Mr Obi. The chemistry between Zainab Balogun and Idowu Philips, who plays Ranti’s grandmother, is spot-on and enjoyable to watch.

Technical Aspects

Every time Ranti wakes up, she reacts to the way she died before starting her day anew. This detail added a fresh layer to the repetitive sequence, ensuring that each loop brought new revelations and variations. It’s commendable that they paid attention to these nuances.

However, the bright pictures, while visually appealing, occasionally clashed with the film’s tone and atmosphere. The film’s look is quite poor, it appears as something that was filmed in the 2010s. Sound design and lighting also do not compensate for its appearance, the film appears to be technically below average.

Final Thoughts

The beads being the catalyst for the time loop is somewhat believable for the genre. The emphasis on the taboo of the groom seeing the bride before the wedding by Ranti’s aunties and friends felt out of place, it’s a Western custom and they were having a traditional wedding. When the time loop occurs for the first time, Ranti immediately tells her grandmother she’s been reliving the day.

In most time-loop films, there’s usually a period of confusion before the characters realize what’s happening. This quick jump was jarring, particularly because the second time it happens, she tells her friends it’s the second occurrence. However, her conversation with her grandma suggests it has happened multiple times.

The film unfortunately lacks an overall technical quality.

Verdict

A lot of thought was put into its story, while this should be a given it is not always the case. Despite low initial expectations, it proved to be an enjoyable watch, earning it a solid 2.5 out of 5. If you’re in the mood for a unique Nollywood film, ‘The Beads’ is now streaming on Prime Video.

Rating: 2.5/5