Netflix’s Man of God takes on the prodigal son narrative and adds a generous sprinkling of Nollywood magic.
Man of God is the latest Naija Netflix film that has everyone talking. It’s been doing the rounds as one of the top trending Netflix films watched in Nigeria, and around the world, since its release date on 16 April.
The film’s director, Bolanle Austen Peters, a veteran in the Nigerian film and theatre scene, has previously given us hit Nollywood films like the ever glamorous ‘Bling Lagosians’. Man of God is the latest production under her belt, and she is deservedly proud of her film.
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In a recent social media post, she reflected: “I reminisce on the journey of Man of God and its success. When I thought of this story, I wrote a short synopsis and sent it to a fantastic scriptwriter, Sola Dada who wrote a script worthy of a five-part series. Due to lack of resources for a series, we condensed as much as possible to give you this beautiful story that clearly resonates globally.”
So, what’s the film about? The Man of God storyline revolves around Samuel, the son of a preacher who abandons his harsh religious upbringing to chase a frivolous lifestyle. While this might sound like your regular run of the mill proverbial tale of the prodigal son, it’s not.
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Man of God takes on this narrative and sprinkles a lot of Nigerian magic to it. From the film’s music to the culture, to the talented cast and even the subtle yet loud tribute to the King of Afrobeat, Fela, this film is a gripping watch for Nollywood fans.
In the opening scenes, a young, rebellious Samuel gets the whipping of his life from his preacher father, fast forward a couple of decades and we see him hedonistically living his best life during his university days, giving a performance emulating Fela.
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It wouldn’t be a Naija film without a love interest and the film didn’t falter here. When it came to matters of the heart, a love triangle turned into a love square between Samuel and his love interest; he falls hopelessly in love with Joy, a devout Christian girl he met through his friend Teju, who happens to also have a crush on him. Let’s not forget Rekya, his unassuming friend with benefits who plays a huge role in his subsequent downfall.
To address the film’s title, Man of God does a good job of highlighting the turbulence and the feverish fervour that represents ‘religion’ in Nigeria and how sometimes behaviours are the antithesis of what you would expect from religious folk.
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Asides from the storyline, the star-studded cast make this film what it is. Leading the cast as Samuel is Akah Nnani. He is joined by Melan Magazine fave Osas Ighodaro and others, including Atlanta Bridget Johnson, Dorcas Shola Fapson, Mawuli Gavur and more.
At the time of writing, Man of God remained in the top 10 in Nigeria on Netflix. Kudos to the film’s director Bolanle Austen Peters, we look forward to seeing what she does next.
Man of God is available to watch exclusively on Netflix.
