Ms Kanyin Movie Review
The Good, The Confusing & The Not-So-Scary: A Deep Dive Into "Ms Kanyin" on Amazon Prime Video
The elephant in the room (and my long lost self)
First of all, I would like to apologize for my hiatus. I have been so busy that I have not had the time to watch movies, let alone review them. Sometimes I even wonder if I should include life updates in this newsletter too, so you all know I am not running away from a review!
Anyway, let us get into Ms Kanyin.
Anyway, let us get into Madam Kanyin
If you are like me, you probably waited for the release of this movie for one (or both) of the two reasons:
A new spin on the legendary Madam Koi Koi folktale
Temi Otedola’s second film appearance following Citation
On the first point, I was genuinely looking forward to it. Growing up, we all heard different versions of the Madam Koi Koi story. I was curious to see what twist they would bring to it this time around.
Cast: Michelle Dede (Ms Kanyin), Temi Otedola (Amara), Toluwani George (Chisom), Natse (Uti)
Director: Jerry Ossai
TL;DR
Ms Kanyin had potential. But it falls short with a weak storyline, underdeveloped characters, sloppy direction, and no actual horror. Temi Otedola’s performance felt flat, however kudos to Toluwani George as she stoodout and the only real win was the costume and set design. Overall, it started strong but lost its way fast.
Verdict: I have refused to rate this!
The Storyline
Ms Kanyin was directed by Jerry Ossai. The story follows Amara played by Temi Otedola, a supposedly high-achieving student determined to get into Harvard. She is struggling with French and, in desperation, convinces her friends to help her steal exam questions from their French teacher, Ms Kanyin. Ms Kanyin played by Michelle Dede is portrayed as a kind, soft-spoken teacher who is regularly disrespected by her students and bullied by her colleagues. In an ugly turn of events, they awaken the vengeful spirit of Madam Koi Koi and from there, everything goes downhill fast, both for the characters and, unfortunately, the movie.
So… How did it go?
The opening scene had me sat, I was ready for a great experience but unfortunately, it did not deliver.
1. Weak Premise
The core motivation of the film just did not land. Amara’s struggle with French was understandable, but to then place the weight of the film’s conflict on a mysterious tree that supposedly triggers horror was far-fetched and underdeveloped. How does a random tree with no real context become the source of a supernatural curse?
2. Poor World-Building
The budding question for me was, if the tree was central to the story, then the film should have taken time even just five to seven minutes to set up the storyline. Instead, it felt like the tree was just there “for decoration.” It made no sense why a village would knowingly leave behind something so deadly without any explanation. I was disappointed to hear the elder say “we just left it there for our enemies” so why was it killing school students?
3. Underdeveloped Characters
The characters lacked depth, especially Ms Kanyin. There was no room to grow emotionally attached to anyone. We were given no insight into her backstory or why she mattered in the larger arc of the story. Instead, we got half-baked scenes — like the moment a parent aggressively confronts her with no context. Why was she singled out? What was that scene meant to show?
Continuity and Directional Issues
There were noticeable holes in continuity and several directional flaws.
One moment it is dark outside, the next it is broad daylight. The timeline of events was not carefully tracked.
The film is set in the 1990s, yet one character is seen holding a journal dated 2024.
Horror? Where?
The film was marketed as a horror, so I watched it in the morning to be safe but tbh, there was nothing scary about it. If old Nollywood promised to be scary, you best believe you would be scared to sleep with the lights off. This was not that.
Performances That Fell Short
Temi Otedola’s delivery felt overly rehearsed. Her expressions and body language did not align with the emotions her character was supposed to be feeling. I could not connect with her at all.
Natse Jemide’s character, Uti, was introduced as some kind of record-breaking swimmer but his swimming form was off and the scenes were hard to watch. If you are going to sell that narrative, at least put some effort into coaching or shoot it in a way that helps us believe it.
The one standout for me was Toluwani George (who played Chisom). She brought genuine emotion to her role. I could feel her distress and emotions as she delivered her lines. It is just unfortunate that the writing and direction were not strong enough to elevate her performance further. I would really like to see her in more roles.
The rest of the cast were mostly forgettable. No one stood out.
Costume and Setting: The One Saving Grace
This was the one area where the film got it right.
The white socks, the school uniforms, the sandals took me back to the early 2000s and for a moment, I felt that deep nostalgia.
The staff room also looked like what we grew up with wooden desks, teachers saying one thing or the other and that familiar mix of order and chaos.
If anything, the film succeeded in recreating the visual memory of the Nigerian secondary school experience (and probably more nostalgic for those who went to boarding school). But sadly that was where the “amazingness” ended.
Final Thoughts
Ms Kanyin had the potential to be something memorable because we always want a thrilling twist on a classic tale, paired with a nostalgic nod to our school days. But it ended up being an uneven experience with more missed opportunities than highlights.