Gangs of Lagos is a Nigerian crime thriller movie produced and directed by Jade Osiberu and set in Lagos, Nigeria. The movie was released on April 7, 2023 on Amazon Prime Video as the first Amazon Original Movie from Africa.
About the movie
The movie Gangs of Lagos is about a group of friends who grew up together in the crime and violence infiltrated area of Isale Eko in Lagos. They are Obalola, Gift, Ify. The movie begins with the story of a boy named Obalola who robbed a woman in traffic. This singular act of his drew the attention of the King of the streets known as Eleniyan who was moved by his courage.
A gang leader known as Nino quickly showed interest in him and became his foster parent. Nino admired his courage and ability and decided to enroll him in a school and become successful in life instead of mingling with the bad eggs of the society. Unfortunately, Nino's dream was cut short as he was killed. After Nino's death, Obalola and his friends started working with Kazeem, Nino's partner. Kazeem is a greedy and cruel leader.
Obalola, Ify and Gift were working for Kazeem but things took a different turn when Kazeem killed a rival gang leader and pinned it on Ify. With the help of his friends, Ify decided to run for his life but he was gruesomely murdered by the gang. After Ify's death, Obalola and Gift decided to avenge Ify's death and hunt down Kazeem at all cost. This resulted into a bloody war between Obalola, Gift and Kazeem's gang.
Gangs of Lagos review
The Gangs of Lagos movie which garnered millions of views in the first weeks was soon criticized by the public. After its release, the Lagos State government strongly criticized the production of the movie, deeming it unprofessional. The Lagos State government said the movie portrayed the culture of the state in a demeaning manner with the use of Eyo masquerade. The Eyo masquerade which only comes out during a rite of passage for Kings and chiefs or during historical events as a sign of honor was portrayed as a gang of murderers in the movie.
This didn't sit well with the Lagos State Government, the Dosunmu royal family and Nollywood actor Jide Kosoko. Though there were efforts to ban the movie, the National Film and Video Censors Board said they have no power to regulate movies on streaming platforms.
Cast of Gangs of Lagos
Tobi Bakre as Obalola
Adesua Etomi as Gift
Chike as Ify
Bimbo Ademoye as Teni
Olarotimi Fakunle as Kazeem
Tayo Faniran as Nino
Iyabo Ojo as Mama Obalola
Toyin Abraham as Bamidele
Chioma Akpotha as Mama Ify
Maleek Sanni as Young Obalola
Zlatan as Kash
Pasuma as London
Mr Macaroni as Wemimo
Funke Williams as Blessing
According to IMDb, Gangs of Lagos is 6.7/10. 87% of Google Users liked the movie. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the movie is 82%. The movie is among the top 10 Nollywood movies of 2023 and it is highly recommended if you want to get that adrenaline boost.
You can watch Gangs of Lagos on Amazon Prime Video. You can also download Gangs of Lagos and watch as many times as you want.