When a movie director has a reputation for making good movies with great stories, it’s natural to anticipate his work with a faster pulse. The recent Netflix release, Colours of Fire, stirred strong emotions with its fiery aesthetics on arrival. Directed and written by Niyi Akinmolayan, Colours of Fire (produced by Anthill Studios in collaboration with FilmOne Studios and Imuetinyan Productions) is a high-concept fantasy epic blending myth, romance, political intrigue, and world-building. Still, the movie is another cinematic reference point on how Nollywood still struggles between visual evolution and story depth.
The cinematography is bedazzling. But often, the way a story is told and how it ends determines how well it was done. Set in an ancient fictional world, Colours of Fire centres on a deep-seated rivalry between two factions: the Blue Tribe and the Red Tribe. The Blue Tribe, practitioners of sacred blue magic called Elu and masters of fabric dyeing, live in harmony under the belief that blue is the ultimate sign of divine favour. However, peace collapses when red emerges—a colour stigmatised by rumours of dark magic and disorder.
Fear reaches a boiling point when reports circulate of a mythical, terrifying beast named Agedengbe terrorising the populace. Convinced the monster is a weapon of the Red Tribe, the Blue Tribe sends Akinbode (Uzor Arukwe), a disciplined warrior trained from childhood on a singular mission: to hunt down the threat and restore order.
Akinbode proves to be a man of strategy and perhaps weakness. He falls under the spell of Moremi (Osas Ighodaro) and does the unimaginable. Through the passion, he sees through the rivalry and empathy kicks in. Akinbode and Moremi seek to end the generational feud dividing their people and devise a peace mission that blows up in their faces. The revelation that unravels brings the movie to its desired happy ending.
Akinmolayan’s films are known for their grand scale and visual flair, and Colours of Fire is no exception. The production design is heavy on traditional fabrics and histo-cultural allusion. The costume styling is contemporary, with styles that are partly westernised.
Relying heavily on experimental technology—blending computer-generated imagery (CGI), animation sequences, and AI-assisted elements to craft its mystical setting —Akinmolaran reimagines cultural narratives, though not without flaws in delivery. The lead characters, both non-yorubas, were not adapted to embody the cultural image they project through the use of indigenous language. While other actors spoke English with some Yoruba, the lead actors did not speak Yoruba at all, which would have been a way to cement their roles. They delivered the storytelling but didn’t convince the audience of their Yoruba ancestry through language.
When these visual choices land, they create arresting imagery: breathtaking ritual dances, theatrical set pieces, and grand landscapes that push the scope of African fantasy cinema.
Also, introducing green-screen environments and AI-generated visuals made several scenes feel disconnected from the live-action performers. Rather than enhancing the illusion, these VFX shortcuts actually pull the viewer out of the story.
Uzor Arukwe gives a grounded performance as Akinbode, balancing warrior intensity with the vulnerability of a man watching his worldviews shatter.
Performing alongside the legendary Femi Branch, Mercy Aigbe and Ibrahim Chatta, Gabriel Afolayan proves to be a sterling performer, with the right anger level, fencing skills and emotional fidelity.
The film’s major shortfall is its narrative pacing. Thankfully, you can fast-forward through it. Some scenes were unnecessarily long, stalling dramatic momentum.
Colours of Fire is undoubtedly a daring project that showcases Nollywood’s relentless technical courage. Niyi Akinmolayan deserves his flowers for pushing past standard storytelling templates to build an Afrofusion fantasy world. While it ends up being a film that is overbuilt and underwritten, its visual splendour, cultural richness, and thematic ambitions make it a notable milestone for Nigerian cinema.
