Starring: Joseph Benjamin, Sylvia Udeogu, Bayo Alawiye, Uru Eke

Synopsis:

A wealthy businessman faked his blindness and discovered his wife’s infidelity and wicked intentions.

Review:

Bankole and Deola were unhappily married thanks to a prearranged union by their parents. While Bankole (Bayo Alawiye) ran a successful business, Deola (Sylvia Udeogu) was having a heated affair with his best friend, Kayode (Joseph Benjamin). 

Bankole’s loss of sight was the result of an accident. During his blindness, Deola played the loving wife but still carried on with Kayode.  It was after the surgery that repaired his sight that he discovered the affair when he witnessed them kissing.  He handled the situation by faking that he was still blind and got an eyeful.  

Bankole was in for more betrayal when he visited his office and found his employees slacking off instead of working. His wife’s dark side surfaced when she learned he was worth billions and then she devised a plan to poison him. Little did she know the game was on her because Bankole had a plan of his own.

Let’s Talk. This movie had a fairly decent opening with profound dialogue regarding the human senses. When vision is lost, we rely on our remaining senses that become heightened and then better utilized. From here, the movie eroded into the typical Nollywood theme where a man slept with his best friend’s wife. She then plotted to kill him so she could inherit his wealth. Yawn… 

As posted in previous reviews, storylines where characters cheat with their best friend’s significant other should be retired. When will cheaters have an affair with someone that’s unconnected to the people in their circle? After all, that’s the most realistic approach to an infidelity storyline.

There were some scenes in the movie where Bankole’s wife and his best friend carried on like out of control, hormone raging teenagers. They actually had the audacity to fool around in Bankole’s presence. Those scenes were hard to swallow because Bankole wasn’t deaf!! Sound is created when clothes ruffle, lips smack, and when bodies move. 

Another pinch in the story was the way Bankole caught his wife cheating. He had just come home from having surgery and what’s strange was that his wife wasn’t by his side at the hospital!  Wouldn’t you want your spouse with you if you were blind and having surgery?? It was just too contrived that Deola would be at home fooling around with his best friend when Bankole came home…all by himself. 

“Dark Side” is actually a knock off of the Nollywood movie “Wisdom of Thomas,” also a story where a man pretended blindness in order to trap his wife. It’s common for storylines to be repeated but it’s more acceptable when filmmakers improve upon them.  Not the case here. 

Making matters worse was the advertising that popped up on screen throughout the movie.  How tacky and distracting. Was there no appropriate place in the movie for product placement? If the filmmakers’ objective was to divert viewer attention from the story, then hey, mission accomplished.  

Performances were average. Nothing to write home about. 

Camera direction was strange in some instances. There were scenes that seemed to be deliberately blurred which was off-putting and unnecessary.

Obviously, this movie missed the mark and “Dark Side” has no bright side. EJECT