Kayode Kasum once again proves that good storytelling isn’t determined by tribal knowledge or personal knowledge alone. But rather a willingness to learn, evolve and of course an aligned team. He achieves all these with his latest cinematic release titled The Serpent’s Gift.

Released in cinemas nationwide on August 29, 2025, the feature adds to Kasum’s expanding catalogue of Igbo-centered stories. In 2023, the Nigerian filmmaker unveiled Afamefuna, which explored the Nwa-Boi tradition in Igbo culture. It went on to be one of the top-rated and highest-grossing Nollywood movies that year.

A Story Anchored on The Dark Realities of Culture

The Serpent’s Gift continues Kasum’s going trail, as its plot anchors on a distinct norm in the Eastern part of Nigeria. It follows Ijeoma Sylvanus (Ihuoma Linda Ejiofor), whose life unravels after the sudden death of her wealthy husband, Nduka Sylvanus (Chico Aligwekwe).

Set against the backdrop of the Igbo culture, ancestral heritage, and the unspoken laws on death and family. Centered on the traditional rituals that occur when a man dies in what’s regarded as a mysterious way. The wife of the late man must go on a scrying journey to prove her innocence in the death of her husband. The movie surrounds the theme of love, betrayal, family feud, deception, culture and inheritance.

A glimpse into Ijeoma and Nduka’s love story reveals two individuals from different social and age backgrounds. Despite disapproval from both families, they remained steadfast in their choice to be together. Their meeting felt divinely orchestrated, happening just as Nduka began to sense his days on earth were numbered.

Pastor Okereke’s (Nonso Odogwu) vision of Nduka confronted by a serpent — a dream rooted in biblical symbolism of safety and healing — aligned with Nduka’s own dream and Ijeoma’s cherished pendant of a serpent on the cross.

A Simple Story Told In a Deliberate Way

Upon the slow but sudden announcement of Nduka’s death, the family rally together to go up against his widow. Driven by a common hate and desire to acquire their late brother’s wealth, they invoke a cruel tradition. Based off their displeasure with the man’s will, which clearly rules them out of everything. For Ijeoma, she sets aside grief and quickly puts the business affairs of her late husband in order before going to battle with the family. Her enemies are Nduka’s sister Margaret Okereke (Tina Mba), Nonso, Nonso’s wife and Ebube.

In a shocking turn of events, he has full custody of his children from his previous marriage to Ijeoma, 100 million naira to Margaret’s husband, Pastor Okereke and 250 million naira to Ebube.

According to the Igbo tradition, Ijeoma must drink the water used to clean her late husband’s corpse. And swear before an oracle to not have a hand in his death. She was taken through this traumatic experience and dodged being killed by poisoning. The real masterminds who had evil intentions were also utterly revealed.

Margaret, despite her husband’s warning to exercise patience, was arrested for attempting to poison Ijeoma by lacing the corpse water. Nonso also lost the branch of the family business after several instances of company theft. His plan to marry Ijeoma in order to acquire his late brother’s wealth was also thwarted.

However, Ebube couldn’t bear the wicked scheme, haunted by childhood memories of her own mother suffering the same fate and dying from it.

The Serpent’s Gift is a very slow burn and could easily feel overly dragged at the very beginning. However, its simplicity is sufficient to highlight a crucial and untold cultural story. The feature doesn’t juggle way too many things or directions. But follows the clear part on death and tradition.

Although the story offers intriguing hints, it leaves certain gaps as it concludes. For example, Nduka’s younger brother, Sylvester (Ric Hassani), repeatedly displays an interest in Ijeoma, yet this thread is never developed. He disappears entirely after the death announcement — a puzzling absence that remains unaddressed.

During the will reading, nothing was said about what Nduka left behind for Ijeoma, aside from the children. Which sends the signals either a mistrust from him or an oversight in scripting. Because this was important to serve as a form of vindication for Ijeoma before his family.

Excellent Performances That Further Solidify The Story

Great performance delivery from the cast all around, which shows the deliberate work put into casting from the onset. Ijeoma and Nduka shared a chemistry that wasn’t distorted by the wide age difference or the status. It didn’t give the typical Odogwu and damsel in distress outlook, but genuine love and sincerity. Ejiofor gives a very noteworthy performance, which shows some level of dedication that we have seen from her in recent times. Although the story suffers some pacing lapses, Ejiofor’s character doesn’t bend into being dragged or slow but maintains the right amount of grace, poise, anger, rage and sadness needed.

Margaret (Tina Mba) and Nonso (Stan Nze) also delivered their vilain roles excellently. Not for once were their objective and mission unclear, nor their stance on the out comes. From their disposition to their choice of words, their joint evil agenda and then separate counters. villain. It was also very clear that Margaret’s strife was fueled by an entitlement to send Nduka to school and then Nonso’s utter greed and laziness.

Pastor Okereke’s performance is one that is subtle and quiet but yet loud and integral. He maintains the same posture towards his wife’s actions from the start to her eventual arrest. All together, the performances take it from just another sad tale of culture but a stirringdespicable will to really lend a voice to the despicable act.

Technical Aspect

The Serpent’s Gift boasts crisp, clear cinematography and seamless edits — a hallmark of Kasum’s previous projects. The colour palette stands out, shifting from bright, vivid tones in daylight to darker, more subdued hues in emotionally intense scenes.

The location choices also deserve praise, particularly the oracle swearing scene. Every detail — from costumes and set design to props and character positioning — reflected a shared understanding of the moment’s weight between cast and crew alike. Another standout was the dream sequences of Pastor Okereke and Nduka. The special effects avoided the usual pitfalls of over-dramatisation, instead delivering a strikingly realistic impression.

Final Thoughts

Simple stories like this should be embraced more in Nollywood. But the audience has sadly been trained to only value overly packed movies. Its amazing that silent characters like Etim Effiong and family lawyer still leave a lasting impression. Echoing strongly, that words and actions alone don’t make a performance great.

Ijeoma seemed to have a possible love interest in Slyvester and Tolu (Effiong) Sylvester, who knows, maybe she may find love again.

Now, the crucial question that remains is how women are often their own first problem. Because one would imagine that in a time as this, women who had probably gone through this would be the ones to wage war against this barbaric culture. And then again is the fact that manipulative steps that have led to death have clearly taken precedence in real-life experience.

Verdict

Simple and neatly put together with such a powerful story, The Serpent’s Gift earns itself a 4 point from us.

Rating: 4/5