Ijogbon is a straightforward thriller centered on a pouch of uncut diamonds, which bring chaos to the four teenagers that find it. With the film’s young cast, the ensemble, understandably, makes poor decisions when given a stack of cash. The way they and their families handle difficulties, like deciding who to get the gun, or deciding what to do when they find random dead bodies, actually feel humorous – there’s something to be said about how, given the right circumstances, both kids and adults make the same mistakes. Thematically, there’s also something here about how natural resources in Nigeria are made for high end technology they can’t afford. However, the film doesn’t really delve into its themes, or play up the comedic potential it has shown, deciding instead to play out the same way similar stories do.
Four teenagers from a rural village in South West Nigeria stumble upon a pouch of uncut diamonds — but before long, others come looking for the bounty.
Four teenagers from South West Nigeria dream of a better life outside their rural village. While walking through the woods after school, they stumble upon a pouch of uncut diamonds. However, others come looking for the diamonds.
Ijogbon’s premise is straightforward, and with the main characters all teenagers, it’s understandable that they decide to make foolish choices. It’s easy to see why some would spend money on the wrong things, like gadgets and new clothes. And it’s easy to see why they would panic when faced with something new, like gaining girls’ attention with their new phone, or figuring out how to deal with guns. However, it’s hard to tell whether these scenes were intentionally made to feel funny, because of the way these moments are set up. It makes the film feel like it missed its potential, by sticking to the more serious, and more common approach to stories centered on unexpected treasure.
Note to self: When your group stumbles on a random bag of diamonds, quickly divide said diamonds among yourselves.
