Maia narrates the tale of a young woman who faces difficulties maintaining connections with men because of a community curse. The character Maia, portrayed by Cherry Agba, felt she was cursed when a kid she was supposed to watch drowned in a river while she was going out on a date at the age of 17.
Directed by Pever Ben and written by Echobu Michael and Garuba Emil, Maia debuted on Prime Video on May 8. In addition to Cherry Agba and Ike Agbai, the film featured Queendi Dudu, Mofe Duncan, Stephen Ekechi, Ekemini Jane Essien, and Preach Bassey.
I’ll categorize this film as low-budget without further ado because of a number of factors. First of all, the film’s producers used a single restaurant for as many as five of Maia’s dates, demonstrating inadequate site scouting. Although I can see how costly it can be to hire different eateries for each of the five sequences, there was room for innovation. Even if there was only room for two people at a table, what happened to putting up a restaurant in a house corner?
The movie’s lighting is appallingly bad and not at all cinematic. In certain sequences, shadows were not maintained, causing lights to leak into areas they shouldn’t have. Bad lighting can be seen in the moment where Uzee Gyan (Mofe Duncan) was having a conference. In addition, I felt that the camera was overexposed because the white hallway walls made the image appear harsh. The excessive warmth in the highlights and shadows made for an uncomfortable viewing experience, therefore the color grading of the film is nothing special.
Were the actors faithful to their parts? Not in my opinion. I’m not sure whether should take the responsibility for the performers’ poor synchronization or the tale itself. But I must compliment Maia’s office assistant. I was only able to connect with her character. In the river scene where the child perished, the teenage Maia and her boyfriend performed admirably as well.
Is Maia a worthwhile viewing? No, and I’m sorry to say it. As I watched the film, I hoped it would conclude quickly so I could get on with my life. The movie’s opening scene, which featured a youngster drowning, drew me in. Sadly, nothing following that scene could hold me down, so I was spewed out right away.
Only when there isn’t any other entertainment available to broadcast can Maia flourish. This is due to the narrative’s weakness. I think authors should be aware that the stories that succeed in the modern era are not those that combine one and one to create two, but rather those who combine one and one to create eleven. That’s what Maia failed to see. If I had watched this movie while seated in a theater, I wonder how I would have felt. A 3 out of 10 is given to Maia.
