Title: LUKE OF LIES (1 & 2)

Sequel: NONE

Starring: Alexx Ekubo, Belinda Effah, Eddie Watson, Daniella Okeke

Synopsis: A group of con artists watch their ring go up in smoke due to new recruits, disharmony, and ulterior motives.

Review:

Luke, Ubong, and Susan were a team that made a living by duping the wealthy. They experienced success and continued to devise schemes to become rich.  

Luke and Susan (Alexx Ekubo & Daniella Okeke) were lovers and Ubong (Eddie Watson) was in constant communication with Chelsea (Nkechinyere Urum Jombo) a woman he met online through a social website. Although the two never physically met, the relationship was that of a romantic nature and Chelsea began to develop feelings for Ubong. 

But Ubong was smitten with Shola (Belinda Effah) so much so that he invited her into his group to help plot robberies. The other members weren’t keen on Shola’s involvement because they didn’t know her. Susan, in particular, didn’t trust her and she was determined to protect her interests and especially her relationship with Luke. 

As the group planned their biggest theft, it identified their weakest link and exposed misguided trust and disloyalty among the clan. 

Let’s Talk. Luke of Lies…catchy title but unimpressive story. This is a crime drama that displayed very little crime. Although the storyline had potential, at best, the movie was dull. 

We’ve seen movies with distrust amongst gang members and this was just another one of them that lacked action and intrigue. Most of the dialogue was weak and there was lots of pointless conversation. 

It’s unrealistic that Ubong (Eddie Watson) would meet a woman and instantly invite her into the group. It’s not like they were a group that got together on Fridays to play cards; they were into illegal activity. Yes, Ubong was supposed to be the weak character in the crew but even so, his actions just wasn’t logical behavior for a man in the business of conning people. 

There’s a segment where a victim offered to wire transfer money into Luke’s account. He declined the wire transfer explaining that electronic transfers leave a trail but yet he accepted a check as payment. Since when do checks not leave a trail? Wires and checks disclose the same information – name, account number, and amount. Talk about ill-advised! 

Most of the movie was just watching the group plan and strategize while we waited for each member’s hand to be revealed. The plot twist at the end was unexciting but the upside was that it brought the movie to an end. 

Performances? Whack. Alexx Ekubo and Belinda Effah were the only two on worth watching. And did they pair Alexx with Daniela Okeke? Noooo. They had zero chemistry. What a mismatch. 

Sound was decent although there were times when dialogue had a hollow-like effect. 

Ideally, “Luke of Lies” was disappointing and did very little to ignite the senses and arouse interest. EJECT