In Queen Lateefah, Wumi Toriola portrays a woman caught between her extravagant ambitions and her humble beginnings. Directed by Adeoluwa Owu, the film is a well-crafted production, blending comedy, romance, and drama—a style that resonates with modern Nollywood audiences.
The movie highlights the contrast between ghetto life and the luxuries of the affluent. Queen Lateefah’s character embodies this divide as she navigates her daily life in a rundown “face-me-I-face-you” building while projecting the aura of someone who frequents high-end locations. The film’s lavish settings effectively showcase her aspirations to rise above her circumstances, even if only in appearances.
While the theme is familiar, seen in movies like Jenifa and Aiyedun, the directors rebrand it in a fresh way, offering audiences exactly what they enjoyed in those films with a new twist. Though entertaining, the film doesn’t fully exploit its comedic potential to be a true rib-cracker. However, its good pacing and relatable storyline make it an enjoyable watch, despite a few predictable twists.
Wumi Toriola was excellent due to her ability to play two roles in one i.e. she was the ghetto girl who was able to convince people that she belonged to the upper class. I could empathize with her struggles and feel the pressure of maintaining her lie. The confidence she displays even in the face of almost being found out is truly remarkable and convincing.
Kunle Remi, who plays Jide Rhodes, the dashing bachelor who falls for Lateefah, redeems himself after his appearance in the lacklustre movie Something Like Gold. The chemistry between him and Lateefah provided moments of humour, tension and romance. He was able to match the energy displayed by Wumi Toriola.
Broda Shaggi once again mirrors his Instagram persona, which is becoming one too many. I’ll advise any director looking to cast him to ensure he stars as himself if he’s going to display something similar to his Instagram skit character. After all, Nollywood had Baba Suwe always appearing in movies as himself, thereby giving him the flexibility to display the same comic relief he’s good at. That’s why we never saw Baba Suwe playing the role of a serious doctor.
The supporting cast is solid, with veterans like Femi Adebayo, Fathia Balogun and Bimbo Manuel delivering quality performances, while newcomers like Gbubemi Ejeye delivered.
I like the use of orange and teal in the color grading of the outdoor scenes. This helped to control the highlights, giving the scenes a calm and relaxing feel. However, the blacks or shadows of the grade are not neat as I could still see traces of teal in them, Perhaps, this was because I saw the movie on a large screen.
Queen Lateefah gets a 7/10 and would have gotten a better rating if not for the theme that is played out by Nollywood.