The Lost Okoroshi

Set in Lagos, Nigeria, The Lost Okoroshi follows Raymond Obinwa as he’s unwittingly transformed into a speechless, masked spirit and forced to embark on a journey of self-discovery alongside a dwarf and a prostitute. It’s an out-there premise that is, at the outset, employed to affable effect by Abba Makama, as the filmmaker does an effective job of establishing the picture’s various central characters and the distinctive landscape in which they reside – with the hang-out vibe of The Lost Okoroshi‘s opening stretch perpetuating the far-from-memorable yet completely watchable atmosphere. There’s little doubt, however, that the somewhat inaccessible nature of the picture’s setup ensures that it becomes less and less compelling as time progresses (ie what does this all mean, exactly?), and it’s clear, too, that the meandering bent of Obinwa and Africa Ukoh’s screenplay paves the way for a third act that is, to put it mildly, somewhat uninvolving. Still, The Lost Okoroshi, despite its erratic atmosphere and padded-out sensibilities, does provide a fairly eye-opening look into the ins and outs of an impressively alien culture.

** out of ****