King of Thieves, AGESINKOLE: Nollywood movie review and film summary

King of Thieves (Agesinkole) is a Nigerian Nollywood movie which tells the epic tale of Agesinkole – a notorious criminal who unleashed a reign of terror on the fictional town of Ajeromi.

The main language of the movie is Yoruba, tho it also features some English narration and commentary by ace Nollywood actor, Segun Arinze.

Co-directed by Adebayo Tijani and Tope Adebayo Salami, the movie stars Toyin Abraham Ajeyemi, Femi Adebayo, Odunlade Adekola, Ibrahim Chatta, Adedimeji Lateef, Aisha Lawal, and a cameo appearance by comedians Mr Macaroni, and Broda Shaggi.

Plot

The movie starts with the coronation of Odunlade Adekola as the new king of Ajeromi kingdom, then almost immediately Agesinkole’s reign of terror starts when he waylaid and attacked two guests returning from the coronation. The new king was obviously disturbed by this, and in a few scenes later he was preparing to take on Agesinkole in a one on one supernatural fight. The king was just having a dream, a nightmare infact. And this is where the story begins it’s twists and turns.

Agesinkole continued to reign terror on the kingdom, and in a desperate attempt to find a solution, the town’s elders first attempted to send hunters to end his reign, then they sent Sango, and a priest, and witches and wizards, and then finally, a hunter who has been fortified by being buried alive for seven days. They all failed and Agesinkole defeated them all.

In the end, Agesinkole was revealed not as a human, but the spirit of an ancient prince who was manipulated and killed by corrupt chiefs and is now back to seek retribution on the kingdom alongside his best friend who was also wrongfully convicted and killed in their first lives.

The movie ends after Agesinkole revealed that he was not a human but the spirit of a wrongfully executed man who died as a result of the treachery of the town’s ancestors. He went away after giving the town’s people new rules to follow and warned them against treachery.

What can be improved?

In all the movie is a good watch. Definitely of high quality by Nollywood standards. But since the story is all fiction, the set designers could have done better by presenting the kingdom as a bit more prosperous.

The king’s palace was a mud house, the streets are not paved, the setting is just an impoverished present day Nigerian village. Movies can be used to change the mindset that the average Nigerian kingdom has always been impoverished and will always remain impoverished.

How to watch ‘King of Thieves (Agesinkole)’ at the cinema

The movie was first released to cinema chains across Nigeria on April 8th. Movie ticket price at Viva cinema is N2000 per adult during the week and may go up to N2500 at the weekend and N1000 for popcorn with another N250 for drinks. You’ll need N3250 per adult to watch this movie at Viva cinema chain across the country, the price shouldn’t be far off at other cinema chains too. If you’ll like something extra you can watch it at the VIP section of Genesis cinemas starting at N7000 per adult. At Silverbird Cinemas, the price is N3000 with popcorn and drink inclusive.

In conclusion, King of Thieves (Agesinkole) is a good watch and it gets 7/10 compared to other Nollywood movies. The movie did well in showcasing the rich culture of the Yoruba people.
FYI: Agesinkole translates to “He who enters a house riding a horse”.