I remember watching the trailer for Sugar Rush and being captivated by all the bright colours and big names (Adesuwa Etomi AGAIN?!) but not being able to tell what the movie was actually about. There was a lot of yelling and shots of Tobi Bakre’s character running so I assumed the movie would have comedic elements like the bulk of Nollywood movies out these days. So as soon as the trailer ended, I forgot about it and went about my day.
Thank God a friend convinced me to go see it with them a few days later because I would’ve missed out on a comedy that almost made me piss myself laughing.
Sugar Rush is a movie about three sisters, Susan (the eldest, played by Adesuwa Etomi), Sola (played by Bisola Aiyelola), and Bola (the youngest, played by Bimbo Ademoye). In an effort to better their lives and take care of their cancer-stricken mother and only living parent (played by veteran actress, Iya Rainbow), they stumble on and steal the sum of $800,000 dollars from a murder scene littered with the bodies of a politician and a dozen armed men. This leads to their involvement with some dangerous characters who want the money, and hilarious hijinks ensue.
One of the best things about Sugar Rush is the chemistry between the three leads. In the midst of hilarious and potentially dangerous situations, the hierarchical sisterly bond and love for each other shine through. Bimbo Adeboye especially deserves to win all the awards for her portrayal of the vain and social media-obsessed youngest sister, Bola. Other actors in the movie who deserve acclaim for their roles are Bisoloa Aiyeola (as the middle sister, Sola), Uzor Arukwe (as Knight, the mob boss who kidnaps the girls’ mother) and Williams Uchemba (as Obum, the idiot half of a pair of EFCC field agents).
From left to right: Bimbo Ademoye, Bisola Aiyeola, Williams Uchemba, and Uzor Arukwe.
Another great thing about the movie is how wild the story gets as it goes on. While watching, I could imagine the writers – Bunmi Ajakaiye and Jadesola Osiberu – frantically scribbling with maniacal smiles on their faces as they threw in one insane plot element after the other. Some examples of this are:
- The wildly impractical chase scene involving the Sugar sisters and Andy, Sola’s one-time love interest (played by Tobi Bakre).
- Andy’s surprise death scene.
- The girls not being able to catch a break between getting kidnapped by shady characters who wanted the money and the EFCC agents.
The cherry on top of the insanely fun sundae that is Sugar Rush is how elements of the supernatural are just casually introduced in the third act in the form of the bulletproof mob boss, Anikulapo (played surprisingly well by Banky W) and a juju-infused car with the ability to turn invisible.
Banky W as Anikulapo.
Sugar Rush‘s biggest problems are the crater-sized plotholes that the movie is littered with. As a way to save time, I’ll just list some of them:
- Who deleted the video of Susan and Sola leaving the dead politician’s house with the money from the EFCC computer?
- If the politician was killed because of his reluctance to share the money (like Mrs Madueke, the EFCC boss who turned out to be a criminal, said), why didn’t the assassins just take the money with them when leaving?
- Why does Gina, the dead politician’s daughter (played by Toke Makinwa), send the inexperienced Sugar sisters on a heist to rob the vault of Anikulapo, a man who is quite literally armed to the teeth with juju?
- After that hilarious (night time) shootout, Anikulapo orders his henchman to kill and burn Susan and the EFCC agent, Dan (played by Mawuli Gavor). Why did he wait till daybreak to do it?
- Wouldn’t it have been better if the character of Anikulapo was a looming figure the entire movie, felt (and maybe heard) but not seen until the end? So his reveal would’ve been more “So this is the guy!” as opposed to “Oh, look. It’s Banky W with a dyed beard and on fleek eyebrows.“
CONCLUSION:
Sugar Rush is nowhere near perfect, but it does deliver on its promise of plenty of laughs and a good time. It’s the Nollywood equivalent of Hollywood movies like Hobbs & Shaw, pure mindless fun. And sometimes, that’s all viewers want.
Sugar Rush is currently available to stream on Netflix.
