There are movies you watch for entertainment, and there are movies that make you pause at certain scenes and ask yourself, “Wait… what exactly is happening here?” King of Boys is one of those movies for me.
At first glance, it looks like a story about a powerful businesswoman trying to enter politics while dealing with her criminal past. But the deeper I got into it, the more I realised it wasn't just about crime or politics. It was about power. Who has it, who wants it, who controls it, and what people are willing to do to keep it.
Kemi Adetiba's 2018 political crime thriller movie introduces us to Alhaja Eniola Salami, amazingly played by Sola Sobowale. Eniola is a wealthy businesswoman, philanthropist and respected member of society. She hosts lavish parties, maintains relationships with politicians and is someone influential people come to for help but there is another Eniola behind closed door. The woman who controls the underworld and sits at the head of the criminal table. The movie cleverly introduces us to both versions.
One moment, she's celebrating her birthday surrounded by dignitaries and the next, she's brutally dealing with someone who betrayed her. Her public image and private reality are completely different worlds, yet she operates successfully in both. What an amazing character!
But Eniola no longer wants to control only the criminal underworld. She wants political relevance. After years of helping politicians get into powerful positions, she expects something in return and that's a political appointment but the problem is her reputation. The same criminal history that made her powerful is now standing between her and political acceptance. The political elite know who she really is, and suddenly, those who benefited from her influence don't want their success publicly connected to her.
This is one of the realities the movie explores "people may need your power without wanting their identity attached to your success."
Then comes Makanaki, played by rapper Reminisce. Ambitious, violent and hungry for recognition, he isn't satisfied with being another person at the table. He wants more and sees Eniola's position as something that can be challenged and this is where the real power struggle begins. Makanaki starts making moves of his own, testing how far he can go. Eventually, Eniola realises that the young man she thought she could control may become a threat to everything she built.
There's also Kemi Salami, played by Adesua Etomi. She's Eniola's daughter, lawyer and trusted confidant. Unlike her brother Kitan, whose vulnerabilities eventually become a way for Eniola's enemies to reach her, but Kemi appears capable of taking the family toward a more legitimate future.
While Eniola battles politically and criminally, Inspector Gobir investigates her, determined to pursue the law despite operating within a corrupt system and then comes one of the movie's most devastating moments.
Kemi is killed outside the courthouse, shot in Kitan's arms after Judge Nwachukwu delivers his judgment. For the first time, we see Eniola not as the feared Alhaja or powerful crime boss, but as a broken mother. Things become even darker when Kitan discovers that his girlfriend, Amaka, has connections to those responsible for the killings. He kills her and then takes his own life. Now, Eniola lost both her children.
The woman who seemed almost untouchable has been emotionally stripped bare. And this is where I think the movie's treatment of power becomes particularly interesting that you can control people and still be unable to control life. The movie asks a painful question which is "can you really escape the consequences of the world your family built?
Eniola eventually discovers that Makanaki isn't the only person working against her. Aare Akinwande, a powerful political figure, is also involved. She realises that she has been surrounded by people playing different sides of the same game and honestly, this is where I found myself asking what actually will be the end of Eniola now that she is emotionally vulnerable?
Sola Sobowale's portrayal of Eniola is the heartbeat of the movie. She doesn't simply play a gangster. She plays the philanthropist, mother, politician, businesswoman, criminal boss, grieving parent and survivor and moves between those identities convincingly. Sometimes, she doesn't even need to raise her voice. Her facial expressions and body language already tell you something is about to happen.
King of Boys is also a movie about betrayal. People don't always betray you because they hate you. Sometimes, they betray you because they want what you have. People don't always respect you because they love you. Sometimes, they respect what they think you can do to them and sometimes, the people closest to you are simply waiting for the right opportunity to move.
The movie runs for nearly three hours, and some plot developments feel conveniently placed. At times, the dialogue also leans heavily into proverbs and dramatic exchanges else, I'd have given it a perfect score.
I'll be dropping my 🖊️ here on the movie review
Thanks for reading through 🤗
All images are from the movie
Rating: 93/100
