‘Domitilla’ holds up better than the reboot 27 years later [Pulse Editor’s Opinion]

In a conservative country like ours, a first-of-its-kind, risqué movie about sex workers that still managed to offer some moral lessons quickly became a hit.

Given that I was only five years old at the time, I certainly did not see the movie back in 1996, but I grew to appreciate what is now one of the many classics in Ejiro’s impressive catalogue and propelled Anne Njemanze, Kate Henshaw, Enebeli Elebuwa, and the rest of the cast to stardom.

This is why I was a little apprehensive when news of a reboot broke in 2020. Some of this angst dissipated when I learned that the original director, also known as the Sheikh of Nollywood, would be at the helm. I figured things would work out well this time since this remake had what others did not: the creator on board.

As the date for the premiere of Domitilla: The Reboot drew near, I decided to revisit the past by seeing the original.

It’s a compelling story of what young women do to survive and fend for their loved ones, complete with the deliverance angle and the bad guy getting what they deserve at the end to encourage the audience to stick on the right path.

Seeing how well the story still held up 27 years later, I was curious to see what Ejiro would do with the highly anticipated reboot.

When the day finally arrived, I showed up at the cinema, opened my popcorn, and settled in to see Domitilla: The Reboot.

Like the original, the remake invites us into the fascinating lives of Nigerian sex workers who choose this line of work for several reasons.

The movie opens dramatically with three women in fancy dresses running away from what or who we guess must be dangerous before cutting to Ekwutosi (Onyinye Odokoro) escaping an arranged marriage on her wedding day.

She flees to Lagos to meet her friend (Chioma Okafor) and chase their dreams of becoming established fashion designers. Her quest takes her to Mama Vee (Elvina Ibru), who introduces her to Domitilla, a prostitution ring where customers can get anything they desire, from virgins to watching women sleep with animals.

Murder, betrayal, and mayhem quickly follow as she and the other girls, Fisayo (Teniola Aladese) and Promise (Uzoamaka Anionuh), soon realise that Mama Vee is not who she appears to be.

The first movie focused on one single story and character, Domitilla, which made it easy to follow. We understood her motivations and how she got into the life. The fact that she still held on until her day job made her relatable and a character we could root for. It was also easy to see that she was willing to leave once a rich bobo showed up to turn her life around.

Like her, the supporting cast also had similar motivations that made them choose a life of prostitution. The original movie touched on a few issues, but the main story was never in doubt. It was a movie about desperate women becoming prostitutes because they thought they had no other way to make enough for themselves and their families.

This time around, we have an ambitious movie; there is the ashawo element, then we have child trafficking, organ harvesting, the ever-present corruption, arranged marriage, and a mother’s greed, to name a few.

Having too many subplots makes it difficult to follow the movie, and the incredibly slow pacing does not help.

In addition to packing too many stories into one, the movie fails to offer adequate motivations for its central characters, gives too much screen time to the wrong people and not enough to the right ones.

Based on the first story, this should be a movie about prostitutes, why they choose this path, and the consequences of their decisions. However, we do not get to understand Promise’s reasons for becoming an ashawo until just before she dies, and by that time, it is too late to get the right level of emotional attachment needed to truly grieve her character.

Then there is Ekwutosia, the lead, who wants to become a big fashion designer. While it makes sense for her to escape her wedding to chase her dreams, it makes no sense for her to stick to prostitution or continue fraternising with Mama Vee after she finally gets enough money for her business.

The mismanagement of the characters and their backstories results in a confusing watch that leaves you scratching your head throughout the movie. The film’s saving grace are the female leads, who deliver exceptional performances. The four women hold their own against Ibru, who stands out as a worthy villain, but even their A-grade acting is unable to save this disjointed movie.

By the end, you are left with a messy movie that leaves a stain on the original movie’s legacy and makes a strong argument for the end of reboots.

Unlike the remake, the original worked then because of the simple, straightforward story and still holds up 27 years later, despite the not-so-great sound and picture quality of the Nigerian home video era.

You can find Domitilla online and Domitilla: The Reboot in cinemas nationwide.

*Pulse Editor’s Opinion is the viewpoint of an Editor at Pulse. It does not represent the opinion of the Organisation Pulse.