Missed opportunity for realistic Nigerian legal drama

Category: Nollywood

Movie Title: Agu

Release Date: 14 December, 2023

Directors: Anis Halloway

Runtime: 40 minutes per episode

Cast: Kanayo o Kanayo, Nonso Odogwu, Ruby Okezie, Mofe Duncan, Tina Mba, Linda Ejiofor, Ireti Doyle, Ego Nwosu, and Vine Olugu.

There is a reason international television series like ‘Suits’, ‘The Good Fight’, and ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ have a cult-like following.

They are all legal dramas that have informed viewers of specific legal jargon and principles, intensified the theatrics surrounding court cases, and indirectly exposed the loopholes in constitutions.

Nigeria’s first major legal drama, Castle and Castle, was well received. Despite several flaws, the producer’s effort at immersing viewers in the legal world is commendable. Since Castle and Castle have, in their way, set a blueprint for future producers on how to execute legal dramas, it only seemed fitting that high hopes were placed on Showmax’s latest legal drama series, ‘Agu’.

Agu focuses on three characters, Etim, Pius, and Victoria, who find themselves in a web of legal battles after Pius allegedly kills a man.

The six-part legal drama series fails to translate well on television. This is in the sense that a lot and nothing was happening simultaneously. It felt as if the writers had different ideas and decided to merge them, thus hindering a compelling flow of events. The influx of ideas is not the only flaw of this series, as the legal aspect of the series is almost nonexistent.

However, despite being void of the legal elements that are the core of every legal drama, Agu manages to keep viewers on their toes with several twists and turns.

The Plot

The first episode opens with Felix, Pius, and two other men driving to the outskirts of town. As they arrive at a forest, Felix asks that Pius follow him to check out a land he intends to gift him. Hours pass, and Felix and Pius are yet to return. The two men decide to check up on them. On arriving at the place, they find Pius kneeling next to Felix’s dead body, covered in blood.

We are introduced to Etim, a once-renowned lawyer whose career plummeted. Pius’s wife approaches Etim to defend her husband, an offer he refuses. Meanwhile, a lawyer, Victoria, is tired of being underestimated at work, so she demands to be made principal on a case. Her request is granted. She is tasked with prosecuting Pius.

After a confrontation in court, it is revealed that Etim is Victoria’s father. Victoria, who has known about this since, requests that he not share it with anyone. Unfortunately, she tells her mentor, Shola, who informs a journalist.

The revelation puts the father and daughter in the limelight. Victoria tries to develop ways to get her father to back down from the case, but he refuses. The judge rules that they should both be on the case.

During an interaction with Etim, Pius confesses to killing Felix, but only in self-defence. He claims that Felix used juju on him.

Now, Etim is forced to investigate the circumstances surrounding Pius’s death while dealing with a daughter who hates him and spiritual and mental attacks from unseen forces.

The Good

Agu gets one thing right: casting. Ruby Okezie, who plays Victoria, conveyed the essence of her character, making us sceptical root for her. It was fun and refreshing to see Kanyo O Kanyo in a different role, especially one that isn’t ritualism but the practice of the law. Ireti Doyle shines brightest despite limited screen time, as she adequately reflects the charisma possessed by every partner at a big law firm.

The cinematography was quite okay. Locations were spot on, from the law firm to the courthouse. The camera direction and lighting were also good. The sound was great initially but fell victim to noise around episode four.

Whoever styled the characters of Agu—the ladies, to be specific—brought their A-game. Viewers would be recreating all of Victoria’s outfits after watching the show.

The Bad

A legal drama contains the concept of “legal” for a reason. Viewers watch them to see the workings of the law and how characters often manipulate them to win their cases. Agu was 95 per cent devoid of legal elements. It felt as if the creators failed to adequately research how the legal system works, especially court arguments.

There are scenes where Etim and Victoria argue in court. During the arguments, they would not scratch beyond the surface when making their case. Either a character makes statements like “the evidence shows that my character is not guilty” or “objection, my lord” before returning to repeat that their client is innocent. It felt very bland and not a good representation of what a court session looks like.

A great option would have been to include constitutional section citations there. Let viewers believe that the people on screen are actual lawyers, not actors who have zero understanding of the legal profession.

The twists and turns in Agu are another red flag for the series. To clarify, the twists and turns are not entirely the problem, but how they were executed. Many of the surprising elements felt like last-minute thoughts. For example, we learn that Shola is having an affair with Victoria, and Pius’s wife sleeps with Felix. While these are shocking, the way they were revealed is underwhelming and lacks proper build-up.

Lastly, the introduction of ‘Juju’. Nollywood writers need to be told that they cannot excuse a series of events by introducing Juju to the mix. Agu’s premise did not require the introduction of supernatural forces. Again, it did not. It would have been great if the element of juju was discarded and the reasons behind actions were attributed to logical factors.

Final Verdict

4/10. Agu might be more of a drama than a legal one, but you should watch it for its shocking revelations.

Agu is streaming on Showmax.