Nollywood is seeing the surge of the murder mystery genre, with filmmakers trying their hands at the genre, which offers an exciting and creative opportunity and audience engagement. When executed effectively, the genre can have massive audience acclaim, as exemplified by Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” franchise, with the third installment coming out this September.
The Party Movie Plot
So, when done right, the thrill of solving a murder and the suspense that comes with it are usually rewarding feelings for the audience. But it’s also one of the genres difficult to execute as it involves complex puzzles, red herrings, intricate timelines, and multiple characters with unassailable motives to commit murder. And without the excitement that comes with unraveling the murder and inherent suspense of the narrative, the genre can be highly disappointing.
Nollywood has still not found the right recipe to make this genre stick, as crafting a successful murder mystery still remains a challenge. At present, the industry has yet to establish a successful formula for this genre despite churning out half-baked murder mysteries such as “A Weekend to Forget (2023) and “Katangari Goes to Town” (2025), all of which lack the critical element of suspense. Despite their flaws, most viewers delight with the effort put in rather than the overall execution.
Story
The Party opens at Bobo’s (Kunle Remi) residence, where a birthday party is underway in his honour. A few minutes later, a body suddenly falls into the pool; the lifeless body of the celebrant, Bobo. Chief Balogun, the father of the deceased and an influential figure, gets the police to the residence quickly and makes it a top-priority case. Enters Habiba (Eva Ibiam) and Etim Caleb (Kelechi Udegbe), the leading investigators on the murder, and their superior, Moshood (Yomi Fash-Lanso), who’s only there to pander to the rich family rather than conducting a proper investigation.
The detectives question all the guests close to the victim one after the other. The victim’s clique of friends and his parents all point at the same culprit: his wife, Mrs. Balogun (Kehinde Bankole). Since getting married to her, the victim stopped hanging out with his friends and became estranged from his parents, who felt neglected by him. But as the The Party movie progresses, the plot thickens with other characters each with their own motives for wanting to kill the victim.
The Party Movie Performances
The lead detective, Habiba, played by Eva Ibiam, lacks the charm typical of most detectives in the whodunnit genre. Not only is the character underwritten, but the attempt to make her empathetic and sympathetic character falls flat. Her superior, Mashood, talks about how experienced she is in solving the murder case but only vaguely. She’s also the victim of domestic abuse at the hands of her ex-husband. However, this backstory does not contribute to her charisma; rather, it serves only to provide a foundation for empathy without adding substantial depth to her character.
The murder investigation in The Party is a massive red herring. Any attentive viewer can easily determine who the real murderer is simply by applying the law of economy of characters, which states that every character should be essential to the development of a story. So any major external character left easily off the hook is often the real culprit. The movie seems more interested in uncovering the secrets of the suspects than in meticulously addressing and solving the minute details of a murder. This is because there is scarcely evidential proof in the movie, necessary for an exciting whodunnit.
Femi Branch’s performance in the role of Quadri stands out in the cast of the movie. Femi Branch, who, in a recent interview, called some actors fake for only playing one easily recognized character, backed himself up by being able to play different characters. Quadri is the well-known, insufferable, lousy neighbor who demands to be respected because of his age. Femi Branch embraces this character with a top-notch entertaining flair and comedic skill. Tope Olowoniyan brought a mildly intense s3xual undertone to her character as Queen/Mrs. Ibe, as to make even Detective Caleb and his superior, Mashood lose their mind during interrogation.
Technical Aspect
The movie’s most glaring flaw isn’t the lack of suspense, but the plot holes in this three-part Netflix series. The building where the murder occurred is equipped with CCTV cameras, which are even shown to the viewers. However, the investigators never examine the footage to determine the identity of the killer. The detectives only rely on what the suspects say. This greatly undermines the narrative. This movie tries too hard to incorporate elements of whodunnit like red herring, that it falls short of incredulity.
Verdict
The Party isn’t a slick murder mystery as the director, Yemi Morafa known for his unique non-linear narrative style, would have wanted it. The screenplay by Stephen Okonkwo lacks the necessary intrigue and suspense associated with the genre, featuring underdeveloped characters that can’t propel forward a rather stagnant narration. Consequently, the movie doesn’t offer anything new to the Nollywood whodunnit landscape. If it has to be seen, it should be appreciated for its effort rather than for its overall execution.
Rating: 4/10
