Clarence Peters' 'HEX' is a super-impressive debut with an imperfection [Pulse Movie Review]

On January 18, 2020, Nigerian Filmmaker, Cinematographer and legendary Video Director, Clarence Abiodun Peters released his award-winning 2015 short-film, 'HEX' as a four-part, bit-sized show. 'HEX' was also Peters' first movie.

It tells the short, consequential story of a youthful five-man posse, who saw their promising night of hedonism go in worst possible direction. It is the quintessential 'Nigerian/Nollywood story' of atrocity, guilt, spirituality, vengeance and the oft-disputable concept of karma, told with counter-cultural x-rated elements.

While three of their friends sat in the backseat of an SUV, Chioma (Played by Nancy Isime) delivered a riveting blowjob from the shotgun sit to her boyfriend, Olabode (Played by Ayo Ayoola), who was also the driver. The ecstatic fellatio prevented Olabode from seeing the seemingly drunken man who was trying to cross the road.

Olabode drives through the man whom they presume dead, until they realized that he wasn't. Olabode then proceeded to hit the nameless man with a jack, before they dumped his body in nearby lagoon.

During a conversation between Olabode and Bola, the most conservative member of the gang who never quite healed, it was subtly revealed that the five-man posse entered into a blood oath of secrecy to protect their atrocity.

One of the show's biggest wins is the way it subtly expresses how all the parties to that incident struggled to move on from Olabode's cold murder. Biodun and Emeka kept having sex without a future in sight, Chioma apparently became a sex worker or stripper and Bola battles an incessant depression which keeps her confined to a bathroom.

Now haunted by their atrocity, they pay with their lives. Peters must also take credit for how he hints that the spirit of the dead guy might have inhabited Bola's consciousness to exert his revenge - everybody else dies, but Bola doesn't. Even more interestingly, there is a change in her eye color, and that usually signals possession.

The show also excels for its execution of X-Ratings. Its counter-cultural expression through sex, explicit language, sexuality, sensuality and vivid imagery alerts an unaware viewer to pay attention. Just as its picture quality, suspense, props and set design deserve praise, the selection of songs that form the soundtrack deserves commendation.

However, while the songs concisely told story, they get excessive at times.

With the exception of Chioma, whose character is a bit obscure, the development arc of the other characters come to the fore, and project how defiance battles and masks guilt. Peters also aptly highlights their core traits with the limited time he has.

But with all the positivity and the concise scripting, the story isn't properly substantiated and told. The writers also leave excessive onus on the viewer to decipher things in an X-Rated movie.

Once we take the characters, cinematography and the progression away, the story doesn't stick. Good movies might make people attracted to characters, but they fundamentally drive an interest in the story... a plot.

And to be honest, it was all too fleeting. Instead of using four minutes for credits, the story could have had two more minutes for better articulation. When you ask most people about the movie in two years, they will likely remember X-rated elements and characters more than the story itself.

In essence, even though the characters are properly conceptualized, only Biodun really shone because the storytelling didn't allow the others to grow.

With such strong characters, the movie failed to crown its own glory. In the end, Peters deserves praise for attempting non-linear storytelling in bit-sized limited series. Scarlett Gomez also aces her role as Biodun. This writer appreciates the title of those episodes as well.

You can watch the full show and behind the scenes footage HERE.