Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story Review… brilliant screenplay, few issues
Year: 2020
Genre: Money, Self-Discovery, Crime, Thriller
Cast: Stan Nze, Bucci Franklin, Osas Ighodaro, Efa Iwara, Emeka Nwagbaraocha, Odera Adimorah, Brutus Richard, Norbert Young, Gloria Young, Tobi Bakre, Elma Mbadiwe, Chinyere Wilfred, Tope Olowoniyan, Ramsey Nouah
Director: Ramsey Nouah
Writer: Nicole Asinugo
Cinematographer: Muhammad Atta Ahmed
Summary: Ahanna, striving for a better life, assembles a team of skilled friends to carry out numerous heists that are not without repercussions
Overall Rating: Beignets
We were very uneasy when Ramsey Nouah first released the title of his new movie ‘Rattlesnake’ as we thought it would be about snakes. Ha! 😄
It was nothing of the sort. The Ahanna Story was such a brilliant screenplay seasoned with solid performance and overall production
~Worth Watching~
Delicious
—The Ahanna Story was indeed presented as a story; it almost felt like reading a book with images.
The film began and concluded with a brutal scene sending out a strong message on life. “Would you rather be free or be loved?” This question formed the crux of the plot as Ahanna went through various experiences in search of freedom then love.
Featuring the character Richard Williams (from the ‘Living in Bondage‘ movie) added another magnitude to the plot, leaving us wanting for a sequel 🙂
—Best actor awards go to Stan Nze (playing Ahanna) and Bucci Franklin (playing Nze). E.f.f.o.r.t.l.e.s.s. acting!
They knew how to hype up, tone down, be vulnerable, and have control. They correctly incorporated the soul of their respective role
—Congrats to Ramsey Nouah’s directing style; you can tell he’s very serious about filmmaking and puts a great emphasis on quality.
Ramsey adequately mapped out each character’s action in every scene and carried the audience on a journey. The progressive introduction of characters fed our curiosity
—Casting new faces and veterans in the industry was a beautiful mélange
Bland
—Ahanna was supposed to be sharp like a rattlesnake (thus his nickname), however, his thought process and master plans were relatively simple without any wowing element
—Some logical issues could not be overlooked, e.g. Nancy (Ahanna’s mom) failed to age from the time Ahanna was a teen to becoming an adult, and the man in the opening scene didn’t scream while being lynched🤔
—Photography in the Nigerian scenes suffered from uncontrolled brightness while the South African scenes were sadly not cinematic
—Sound effects and score could have been better designed to create suspense, fear, and tension in some scenes
—The Ahanna Story could have benefited from some violence or more dynamic scuffles to elevate the momentum
Viewers’ Guide
Language Violence Intimacy
Trailer
Available on
(Audio: English, Pidgin English; English Subtitles: Yes)