I had heard a bit about Shantytown before finally watching it. It was released on Netflix and with a cast that includes Chidi Mokeme, Ini Edo and Richard Mofe-Damijo I was naturally curious to see what they had put together. I had also heard a lot about Chidi Mokeme's performance as Scar, so that was another reason I decided to give the series a chance. It is a six-episode crime thriller about a group of women trying to escape from a Lagos drug kingpin and pimp, while political connections and family ties make things even more complicated.
In this instance, the story is mainly divided between the women trying to escape from Scar's control and the criminal and political world surrounding him. Jackie has finally made enough money to leave but her attempt to get away does not go as smoothly as she wants. Inem returns to Shanty Town while Shalewa becomes involved with a stranger who brings another problem into the story. At the same time Scar is given a political assignment and finds himself caught between powerful people.
Scar definitely interest me the most. Chidi Mokeme plays the character with a level of confidence and intimidation that makes him stand out almost immediately. Scar is a drug kingpin and pimp who has people working under him and connections that reach into politics. Mokeme understood exactly what the character needed. That, I'm sure of.
The women also have enough story around them to keep the series moving. Jackie is trying to escape after finally getting enough money while Inem returns to the place she had left behind. Shalewa gets involved with Femi and later finds herself in an even more dangerous situation because of Scar. Their stories are not always equally interesting but they give the series something more than the usual crime boss storyline.
The political side of the story was the part I enjoyed the least. I understand why it was included because Scar's criminal activities are connected to powerful people and the story needs to show how far his influence goes. But whenever the series moves away from the women and Scar and focuses more on the political dealings the pace becomes a little less exciting for me. The crime side of the story was much more interesting because that is where the tension between the characters is strongest.
I noticed that the series does not shy away from showing the darker side of its story. There is prostitution, drug dealing, violence, corruption and an investigation into missing women. Netflix itself describes it as a violent and gritty crime thriller. It is definitely not the kind of Nollywood production you put on when you want something light and relaxing.
As I mentioned at the beginning, the cast is one of the biggest reasons to watch Shanty Town. Chidi Mokeme is the standout for me as Scar and I can understand why so much attention was given to his performance. Ini Edo also plays Inem and Richard Mofe-Damijo appears as Chief Fernandez. The series also includes Sola Sobowale, Nse Ikpe-Etim, Zubby Michael, Nancy Isime, Shaffy Bello and several other familiar faces.
I was already familiar with some of these actors but Shanty Town gives them a very different kind of material from the lighter Nigerian movies we sometimes see them in. Chidi Mokeme especially seems to have enjoyed stepping into a character like Scar because it gives him plenty of room to be aggressive and unpredictable. His performance is easily the one I remember most from the series.
The series has its problems and some parts worked better for me than others but I think the crime storyline and the performances make it worth checking out. If you like Nollywood crime stories and you want something darker than the usual Nigerian drama, Shanty Town is available on Netflix. Be sure to drop your thoughts.
Rating: 96/100
Credit:
I screenshots the photos when watching on YouTube and crop them using capcut.
