Shanty Town (2023– ) User Reviews (27)

GOOD VFX, BAD STORYLINE

[adurojaolawale · 4/10 · 23 January 2023]

Seeing that Shanty Town is a six-part series, one would have expected better character development and an ending that was worth it.

These and more were not gotten from the six-part series recently released to Netflix.

The series opens well, and I believed that I was in for a treat, but not really.

A combination of good makeup, mediocre sex scenes and ok vfx were this series selling points, because the story was riddled with plot holes.

Female extra characters are degraded and objectified, and the excuse of it being true to the story of the life of the average sex worker.

Chidi Mokeme was the stand out actor in this series, He brought his A-game and basically carried the series on his shoulders. The remainder of the main cast were giving what was expected. Peter Okoye's Yoruba accent... wow. He could have done with a trainer.

The plot of shanty town is shabby cacophony of stories that just lengthens the run time.

The ending was abrupt and totally unsatisfactory. For a six-part series.

The story could have used with a better ending but the producers had probably either run out of ideas or funding because the ending did nothing but add to already lingering bitter taste in our mouths.

In conclusion, the movie shanty town is a perfect example of having your heart in the right place but executing with the finesse of a toddler playing a piano.

A patchwork plot that lives to nothing

[exceladeogun · 4/10 · 23 January 2023]

This series opens with a fast and dark sequence of action scenes, giving a semblance of a promising start, but instead of building on this start, Shanty Town delves into a laden exposition that masks as the crux of the plot. This series never regains the thrill and urgency that the opening scene has.

Shanty Town is all about the male gaze, and is shameless in its portrayal. Female characters are degraded and objectified, and the excuse of it being a true attempt at showing the lives of sex workers is flimsy at best.

Shanty Town also employs gore and violence, but this isn't done to promote the plot, but is provided for shock factor. It's almost as if the creators decided to shoe in as much violence as they could fit in.

The plot of Shanty Town is a shabby patchwork of various stories and subplots that only help propel the runtime but not the story. Shanty Town trails to a very unsatisfactory end, with copious plotholes.

The only saving grace of Shanty Town is in its brilliant cast. Chidi Mokeme, Ini Edo, Nse Ikpe Etim, Richard Mofe Damijo, Nancy Isime, Shaffy Bello, and others try their best with the poorly developed story they were given to work with.

Shanty Town can best be described as a meal ruined by having too many cooks, the cooks in this instance are the towering subplots and themes that were incorporated.

Mediocrity at its best

[Abdulxoxo · 5/10 · 9 February 2023]

This is one of those adequately budgeted, for-show Nigerian production that's supposed to represent the country in the international market. Unfortunately, this show is below par, maybe by nigerian movie standards it's a masterpiece but still, it is mediocre. The biggest culprit here is the writing, the writing is so poor and unable to produce a coherent storyline and good dialogue. The pacing both moves slow and fast. Characters are cliches almost to the point of caricatures. Most of them lack any depth. But one could say the saving grace here is the performances? But not all tho, Chidi Mokeme as Scar was sublime, inhabiting his character wholly and embracing his eccentricities. He was actually enjoyable to watched but was a bit one dimensional. His character wasn't given much to work with. Ini Edo is up for the task but more often than not she overacts and her character is also quite predictable. Nse Ikpe-Etim as Ene was one of the better performers, she was understated with her performance and played quite a bit complex character. An awful performance, however, comes from Peter Okoye who played Femi. Peter can't act to save his life, good singer but terrible actor! As for the technical aspects, I thought the cinematography was good; the lighting was well done but the editing could be better, at some point I thought I was a watching a music video; scenes jumped from one scene to other with no explanation. People sometimes magically appear in places they shouldn't be. There was an attempt for fight choreography which was partially enjoyable but also somewhat embarassing to watch given how poorly done it was. The practical effects in the opening sequence was however excellent and praiseworthy. The story was predictable and formulaic, there's also the incorporation of supernatural elements which was random and out-of-place for the realistic tone the show is going for. Some of the nudity and violence were gratuitous and serve no purpose to the story. The ending could be better, it tidied up quickly but also make sure to tease the audience of a second season. My advice? For the second season; hire good writers, a director that can be able to put everything together well, and a coherent storyline.

Very disappointing

[damilolatayo · 1/10 · 12 February 2023]

That scene in the last episode where Shalewa (Nancy Isime) went to the bathroom to adjust her make up and then bumped into Ini Edo (can't remember her character's name) and then they found out the truth about Jackie....yeah...so in that scene Shalewa clearly brought out the 'touch and follow' charm, pondering on whether she could follow through or not before Ini Edo came out of her stall but in the very next scene, Scar (Chidi Mokeme) had it with him and used it on Femi Fernandez (Scar). Like....how????

This series is full of so many stupid mistakes like that. Like how come Scar was just tortured in the very same restaurant where Shalewa and Femi came to dine? And he just bumped into them?

The scrip writing was appallingly horrible and then the acting? Oh my goodness. The way accents changed mid scenes. I'm not even an observant or finicky person but the fails were just too obvious. I daresay it was almost lazy. Like how did this series go through the whole editing process and none of these mistakes were discovered and corrected?

Despite being star studded, the acting was very poor. The script and story was worse. I was very very disappointed. Complete waste of time.

A movie to keep the eye fixed

[nrdtunday · 3/10 · 8 February 2023]

I really have nothing to actually say about this series in all honesty. But for the purpose of actually reviewing I will say a few things. First of the camera was good, the actors are beautiful, I get to see some fine women's body and they have actions. This is all the positive I have for the series.now to what is actually vexing me about the series is firstly what's to concept asin the story line is weak, all of a suddenly I see I know faces in the movies coming out to fight the action part for real.

I think this cannot be classified as nollywood going in the right direction but a wake up call for the director and producer that the new to get the right and experienced people involved when making a movie by so doing they too will learn.

You've finally found a use for the 'skip' button on your remote control

[unbelievableactions65 · 1/10 · 23 November 2023]

There are some key issues that prevent this series from accomplishing its goals and here they are broken down:

1, Action sequences They are baaad. One move somehow is chopped into 4 different cuts with outrageously bad sound effects. This would be find on its own but in the opening salvo there are literal anti-tank mines going off all over the place seemingly for no reason!

2, The premise It suffers from horrible character development and a lack of agency from any of the supposed leads. Instead of having one or two characters drive the story, you have a mess of underdeveloped would be protagonists all pulling in different directions. By the end you're as confused as you were when the E1 started.

3, Effects The sound doesn't work, if anything it irritates you and pulls you out of whatever engagement you're able to cultivate - but it pales in comparison to the mediocre visual effects. I will concede this is a Nollywood film so you're not exactly expecting much but even by those standards it manages to disappoint.

If you can get over those issues, which I had a hard time doing then you're in for literal torturous viewing.

Charismatic Yoruba's with World Class acting

[JeffDamulira · 10/10 · 19 March 2023]

I didn't expect this series to be so good. In terms of production, visuals, plot, script, acting has improved massively from the old days of BEN channels. Nollywood is like Bollywood to be a force to be reckoned to Hollywood. However, I was thoroughly entertained with unexpected plots and suspense. The harsh reality on how power can corrupt absolutely from the political arena, which can correlate to real life situation. The A-class cast from The King of Boys such as Sola Sobowale really smashed it. The series does provide a unique twist, with the underground black market, and forced prostitution which correlates on how there are more slaves in the world than transatlantic slavery with political involvement in the continent of Africa. However, it shows the other dark side of prostitution, which is different to sex workers who really enjoy their trade with individual choice to make a living.

Satisfactory

[kadiri_alex · 6/10 · 25 January 2023]

How come everyone giving this a 10/10 posted their review on the 24th of Jan? The answer is obvious. That said, I just finished seeing this series and IMO it isn't too bad. Definitely a step-up from the typical Nollywood dross. Some of the acting was good, others not so much. But apparently what qualifies as great TV nowadays is sharp visual effects. Get a good cam, throw in some good actors, along with some bad ones. Add a bit of nudity and voila---you have a 'great' TV series. Otherwise tell me why Peter Okoye needed to be in this film. Everytime he opened his mouth, I cringed. He's a singer, not an actor. Even Nancy whom I love didn't impress. As far as I'm concerned, only two people did their homework: Chidi and Shaffy. Nse is a huge favorite of mine but I can't say she killed her role in this one either.

As for the plot, I thought it was decent. Nothing ingenious, just decent. Oloshos (or courtesans as they put it) trying to leave the hustle disappear mysteriously and the cycle continues. The authorities get wind of this and an undercover agent (in Nigeria btw) joins the ring just to gather enough information to bring it all down. Of course there are a few bumps along the way, but eventually she succeeds. THE END.

Now, even though they're not too many, here are some issues I had with this: Who kills and decapitates people right in the middle of the road? Why was there a fight scene between two characters neither of whom we knew nor cared about? Why were the fight scenes so poorly choreographed? Why would Chief Fernandez show up to an uncompleted building at all? Why would Ini edo who can 'fight' suddenly become helpless in the face of actual danger (rape & torture)? Who recorded or sent the VN to Shalewa? If it really had been recording the whole time, wouldn't Jackie's killers have seen it on the display and taken precautionary measures?

Overall, this was an average film with a rushed ending. Much better than most I've seen from Nollywood recently though. Would I recommend? Not really, but I'll say this for sure---it's not a bad watch. My verdict: Satisfactory.

A must see

[ighorodjeonanefe · 10/10 · 24 January 2023]

Shanty town helps to offer an insight into the lives of the corrupt, with a plot that gives it a strong base. Filled with impeccable acting and nerve wracking moments. Shanty Town is a must see. It starts off fiery but is perfectly paced, as the show goes on you see that.

Each character has a reason for doing what they do and their personal goals and vendetta all collide. Episode one gives us a teaser of what is to come and the further episodes help to build on that in as much as the gore or nude scenes may not be too everyone's liking it is certainly a key component of the show as it helps us understand the world of Shanty Town.

Indifferent

[princessnicedavid · 6/10 · 18 December 2023]

First of, it has an exaggerated cast of an all inclusive all stars.

By the way, what in the name of acting did Peter Okoye do?? And why are there so many veteran actors??

Secondly, the storyline is beautiful as it reflects the typical lifestyle of current day polluted politicians whose ill-wealth is generated from sex workers, human trafficking, corruption, organized crimes, drugs and other illegal activities.

Applaudable also, is the use of ibibio language (finally the use of another language asides Igbo, Hausa or Yoruba).

However, for a six episode story, the movie lacked suspense and the ending??? It was rather shabby Anyways, by Nollywood standard, it may be a masterpiece.

General review on shanty town the movie

[joycechom · 10/10 · 24 January 2023]

Shanty town is a fantastic movie in general with beautiful story line, fantastic casting and fantastic roles interpretation I love shanty town and it is the best movie from nollywood right now, i will like to recommend that everyone should see this beautiful work.the writers, producers, directors and every member of the cast and crew brought their A game on. Chidi mokeme immersed himself in that character, you'd most likely forget what he looks like in real life. Lost in the character, perfect performance. The movie has a good message and a relatable lesson. Will give it 10/10 Nollywood to the world.

A master piece

[ighorodjealexsia · 10/10 · 28 January 2023]

Shanty town is 10 over 10 for me.

You need to see it to be able to understand what I am talking about, characters, storyline, costumes all on point.

The Nollywood has really being blessed to have a writer like this.

Shanty town is 10 over 10 for me.

You need to see it to be able to understand what I am talking about, characters, storyline, costumes all on point.

The Nollywood has really being blessed to have a writer like this.

Shanty town is 10 over 10 for me.

You need to see it to be able to understand what I am talking about, characters, storyline, costumes all on point.

The Nollywood has really being blessed to have a writer like this.

Amazing Picture from Nollywood

[amaafadameh · 10/10 · 24 January 2023]

This is a well written plot and story. The characters are well rounded and the acting was very very good....in fact I can say excellent. The story and script team deserve an award. I'm so proud of how scriptwriting in Nollywood has become better and better.

It was soooo amazing to see Chidi Mokeme on screen again!!!!!!!!! And he totally killed the role. The quintessential villian giving us classic Lagos thug and street vibes. This movie has nice visual effects, the production, set design, lights and the make up were also good. It is a good show/miniries and I can watch it over and over again.

Phenomenal show worthy of all the acclaim

[nwobiaogechi · 10/10 · 25 January 2023]

Shanty Town is the first of its kind in Nollywood and the brilliance of the show is worthy of all the acclaim.

The story is solid as we follow the characters on their journeys, unravelling their motivations as they chase the things that are most important to them.

By episode 1, we have a lot of questions, by episode 6, we have most of our answers and each episode leaves you greatly anticipating the next.

Chidi Mokeme deserves an entire garden for this performance of a lifetime. He bodied the character of Scar so well, you couldn't tell them apart.

If you've ever complained about Nollywood only churning out comedy with nothing to excite, then you definitely want to watch Shanty Town. Boundaries are stretched and the characters are quite unlike what we are used to seeing in Nollywood.

Bravo to the writers, the cast members and entire crew 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

Awesomeness in a Motion Picture

[aluebhoseleibhafidon · 10/10 · 24 January 2023]

Sweet Story...Fantastic production...amazing set design...wickedly awesome makeup and visual effect...Greeeeeeeeeaaaaaaatttttttt acting...this movie epitomizes all the awesomeness we've been craving from Nollywood...it's an original masterpiece and it's not your regular kinda storyline...the actors showed range like I had never seen before from this part of the world and the plot twists were amazing...Shanty Town to me showed a perfect blend of "poshness and razzness" just as every movie should cos "real life nor be linear equation"...You'd also love that it contains just enough "raunchiness" to paint a real life picture of a world about "prostitution and drugs" without trying too hard..."SHANTY TOWN = 100% AWESOMENESS"

AN AMAZING JOB

[biolaakin · 10/10 · 24 January 2023]

The writers, the cast and the crew gave a wonderful performance. The actors put in their best to bring the story to life. Scar did justice to the character. He understood the task and simply killed it! Talk of carriage, class and charisma where it was needed; as well violence and ruthlessness, when it was called for. Shanty Town's production was simply awesome and amazing.

What an apt portrayal of the societal rots as well as the stink of the drug and organ trafficking world.

The taste of the pudding, as they say, is in the eating. I strongly recommend the mini-series for others to watch while I longingly look forward to the obvious sequel.

Nollywood breaking out of the norm

[ighorodjeejiroteresse · 10/10 · 24 January 2023]

This write up was a suspence filled masterpiece, from scar being the son of Chief (I bet a ton of people do not know that) to the illegal organ trade, 'Amanda/Inem' being Inem's twin later revealed.

I loved the witty lines for each character, scar lines a master piece well written funny and gruesome at same time. The actors were all amazing, depicting their roles to the latter, from Scar Chidi Mokeme, Ini Edo, to the extras who acted as prostitutes). The rape scene so real I felt Inem's pain. The accident scene where scar was abducted... Ha, masterpiece. The story line showed alot about the lives of people society not deliberate though is grossly ignorant about.

Overall I'd say SHANTY TOWN is a unique story line well written and brought into life by the cast and crew.

A Must Watch!

[tobihilda · 10/10 · 24 January 2023]

From its grand opening to its audacious ending, the Cast of Shanty Town delivers another Jaw dropping performance.

It is filled with a tidal wave of laughs, feeling and craft.

Nothing this real and intriguing has ever sucked viewers into the underbelly and slums of a world class city.

Shanty Town shows the grueling underworld of Drug Trafficking, Prostitution, Human Trafficking, Sex, Cultist and all vices you can think of.

Shanty Town takes you on an adventure on the Political Class meets Criminal Underworld.

Shanty Town does not disappoint and it keeps viewers yearning for a Second season.

Netflix, make it happen!

A GREAT START FOR 2023

[kevwekofi · 10/10 · 24 January 2023]

Totally recommend it.

A fantastic way to begin the year. Both the acting and the cinematography were superb.

It was pleasant to hear the Ibibio language used heavily. Welldone Ini and Nse!

An exciting drama series that examines the lives of sex workers, gangsters and dishonest politicians in Lagos.

Shanty Town is a powerful example of how Nollywood have developed. The cast provided acting performances that were genuinely competent and had an energizing impact on the viewers.

Where do I even begin?

Mercy Eke, despite having few scenes, made us fall in love with her and cry when Jackie, her character died (Oga Touch and follow did her dirty) Shaffy Bello, who, in addition to delivering her line added a bit of subtle social cues here and thereto make them more believable.

Chidi Mokeme gave us chills through the role of Scar. A worthy come back to the history after some years of hiatus Ini Edo made us root for Inem because of her versatility.

Nse Ekpe-Etim dazzled us as usual; displaying razzness one minute and poshness the next Shola Shobowale did less shouting (Ooops!) but she was amazing in her role Zubby Michael was spectular as usual (Body dey pepper all of us at this point) Nancy Isime was in her element. Graceful and elegant throughout Yaw as Oga 'Touch and follow" was a bastard who sold out jackie Peter Okoye did his thing as the loverboy as portrayed In All, it was a very good movie You need to watch it TWICE (to fully grasp and understand the so called "plot holes"- there werent anyanyway) Welldone to Xavier, Donald and the entire cast and crew.

Cant wait for Season 2.

It's worth watching it

[badniggy · 10/10 · 24 January 2023]

Nigerians series are usually boring and long but this is actually good. The cast played their roles right and the script was well written. I wasn't expecting it to be so good because usually when a movie or series is over hyped it's usually boring.

I'm on the 4th episode but already hoping there's a season two if not when I see the director, I will throw rotten eggs at him. He cannot come and do a good series and just go like that.

Boobs and violence is what makes a movie interesting from a guys point of view and this got that plus also the graphics weren't the usual naija style graphic. Well done my people.

A TRUE BEGINNING

[philipasaya · 10/10 · 24 January 2023]

When a movie is created with the sole intent of telling a story in its purest form to its audience, then you get Shanty Town.

Shanty town held me down from the get go. It, was a story that could be very well related to on the streets of Lagos and other cities of Nigeria. A plot that held its own from start to finish. There was no tottering in the way the stories for the characters went. Where there was pain we saw true pain, when there was fear it was from the depth, and when there was failure it was with no pride. The story didn't give the room for mediocrity of performance and our actors were willing to bow themselves totally to the call. I must say to me Shanty Town was a complete expression of what the begining of greatness looks like. It can only get better from here on.

AN INSTANT CLASSIC

[jausefrules · 10/10 · 25 January 2023]

Shanty Town has enjoyed critical acclaim since it's release and quite rightly so.

With an ensemble cast and some of the best writer in the African continent, the expectations were quite high for the Netflix blockbuster.

With an immaculately woven story of thuggery, sex, drugs and political power tussles, Shanty town delivers on the high expectations.

The method acting by the lead actor and several other cast members was a notable highlight throughout the 6 part series. The VFX and cinematography were also of the highest standard to really transport you into world of Shanty Town.

The story runs through a plethora themes and characters but is held together by impeccable writing.

Grab your popcorn and get ready for a binge worthy masterpiece.

As real as can be

[diosa-98842 · 10/10 · 25 January 2023]

Beautifully written and directed! The cast did a good job in bringing to life the realities of the underworld in Nigerian Shanties.

Chidi Mokeme did true justice to the character - Scar.

Mercy Eke was great for a new actress. Nancy Isime, Ini Edo and Nse Ikpe Etim were all spectacular. Sola Sobowale, Chidi Mokeme and Richard Mofe-Damijo reminded us of the essence of Old Nollywood.

No loopholes or unexplained scenes. Stunts were done very well. Accident scenes, quite realistic than any other Nigerian film to date.

Writing is superb, looking forward to a second season.

Well done to Xavier Ighorodje for creating a great tv series.

A Masterpiece

[veronighorodje · 10/10 · 24 January 2023]

The series Shantytown is a well crafted story that very well exceeded my expectations. The writers are very well knowledgeable in their craft as the story line was compelling and well told. I immensely enjoyed the dialogue between the actors and this depicts a well written script. The actors didn't disappoint they were top par, from episode 1 till the end, all lines were well spoken and each character well portrayed. The nude scenes and violence were also necessary in my opinion as one would expect when portarying a society of prostitution, drugs trafficking and illegal organ sales. Each scene was also well shot, the killing, rape, accident etc, everything felt so real. It is a must watch. I enjoyed every bit of it.

SKIP THE NEGATIVE REWIEWS!! Please skip skip skip!!!

[sophiaangel-24606 · 10/10 · 2 February 2023]

I don't have much to say since I don't wanna soil anything here but please just do yourself big favor by skipping the negatives reviews and go watch this right now!! I said right now!! This one here is a must watch! Shout out to all the producers because honestly they did a fantastic job!! Wow! I'm amazed to see how our African people are going far!! Good job guys!!! To all the actors good jobs!! I was also amazed to see one of our best artist @peter played his role so well like a champion 👏 yes I said like a champion! I'm really happy because I skipped all the negatives haters reviews! If you read the negatives reviews then I'm afraid you won't be able to watch this so don't discourage yourself just go straight and watch the movie and you'll come back to thank me later hahahahhahaha.