Aníkúlápó

Aníkúlápó is a Nigerian fantasy drama about Saro, a weaver who leaves home in search of a better life and travels to the kingdom of Oyo. There he becomes involved with a queen, and the affair costs him everything. What follows brings him face to face with Akala, a mystical bird believed to have the power both to take life and to restore it.

The film is directed by Kunle Afolayan, with a screenplay by Shola Dada, produced by Segun Akintunde and Seun Soyinka for KAP Motion Productions and Golden Effects Pictures. Kunle Remi plays Saro, with Bimbo Ademoye as Arolake, Hakeem Kae-Kazim as Oba Aderoju, Sola Sobowale as Awarun, Taiwo Hassan as Alaafin Ademuyiwa and Adebayo Salami as Oyo Chief, among a credited cast of 39. It runs 142 minutes.

Released in September 2022, the film draws on Yoruba storytelling and the folklore of a bird that gives and takes life. On IMDb it holds a rating of 5.5 from 561 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 7.1 from 43 votes, a smaller sample that is markedly more favourable. The gap between the two suggests a divided response, with a modest number of viewers recording a judgement rather than a broad consensus.