Rahama Sadau
Fanna
Overview
An heiress and her husband -- who's also her father's most trusted aide -- have a romantic weekend getaway disrupted when things take a nightmarish turn.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
5 min readLove as a Hostage
I kept waiting for A Lot Like Love to surprise me. Not in the way a thriller should—with a sudden twist or a jolt of violence—but in the way a story about marriage should: by revealing something true about how two people cling to each other when the world turns against them. Instead, the film clings to its own predictability like a life raft, and the water beneath it feels oddly still.
The opening frames promise tension: a luxury car gliding down a Nigerian highway at dusk, its headlights cutting through the humid air. Inside, Fanna (Rahama Sadau) and her husband Abdul (Ibrahim Suleiman) are en route to what’s supposed to be a romantic anniversary getaway. The camera lingers on their hands—his fingers drumming the steering wheel, hers adjusting the rearview mirror just so—small gestures that suggest a marriage already in the quiet stage of familiarity.
Then, abruptly, the car is stopped. Men with guns appear. Abdul is dragged out.
The screen cuts to black.
What follows is less a thriller than a series of narrative detours, most of them told in flashback. The film’s structure is its first misstep. Flashbacks can be a powerful tool—they let us see how the past haunts the present, how choices echo.
But here, they feel like a crutch. We’re constantly yanked out of the kidnapping’s immediacy to watch Fanna and Abdul’s courtship, their wedding, the early days of their marriage. The problem isn’t the flashbacks themselves; it’s that they don’t deepen our understanding of the characters or the stakes.
They just delay the inevitable.
Take the film’s central question: Is Fanna’s love for Abdul genuine, or is it a transaction? She’s an heiress; he’s her father’s most trusted aide. The film wants us to wonder if their marriage is built on something real or if it’s just another business arrangement in a world where wealth and power are the only currencies.
It’s a compelling premise, one that could explore the loneliness of being loved for your money, the paranoia of never knowing someone’s true motives. But the script never digs into the ambiguity. Instead, it spells everything out in dialogue that feels lifted from a soap opera. “Do you love me, or do you love my father’s name?” Abdul asks at one point, and I winced.
Full Plot (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning
This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsBehind the Scenes of A Lot Like Love (2023): A Romantic Thriller with Nollywood Star Power
A Lot Like Love (2023), directed by Shittu Taiwo, is a Nollywood film that blends romance with suspense, promising a weekend getaway gone wrong for its lead characters. With a cast featuring some of Nigeria’s most recognizable faces, the movie has generated buzz for its intriguing premise and high-profile talent. Here’s what we know about the production, cast dynamics, and the story behind the film.
The Plot: Love Takes a Dark Turn
The film centers on an heiress and her husband—who also happens to be her father’s most trusted aide—as they embark on a romantic weekend retreat. What starts as a dreamy escape quickly spirals into a nightmare, though details about the exact nature of the disruption remain scarce. Both IMDb and Letterboxd describe the shift from romance to horror, hinting at a thriller element that sets A Lot Like Love apart from typical Nollywood romances.
While the official synopsis keeps specifics vague, the premise suggests a mix of psychological tension and marital drama, possibly involving betrayal, secrets, or external threats. The film’s tone appears to straddle the line between a love story and a suspense thriller, a combination that could appeal to fans of both genres.
The Cast: A Mix of Veterans and Rising Stars
A Lot Like Love boasts a ensemble cast with deep roots in Nollywood, including:
- Rahama Sadau: A household name in Nigerian cinema, Sadau is known for her versatility and has starred in hits like The Wedding Party 2 and King of Boys. Her role as the heiress is likely central to the film’s emotional core. - Gabriel Afolayan: A singer-turned-actor, Afolayan has delivered memorable performances in Omo Ghetto: The Saga and Kasala!. His portrayal of the heiress’s husband—a dual role as both spouse and trusted aide—could add layers of complexity to the story. - Sophie Alakija: A former beauty queen and actress, Alakija has appeared in The Wedding Party and Sugar Rush. Her inclusion suggests a supporting role that may drive key plot twists. - Ibrahim Suleiman, Adam Garba, and Ivy Blessing Agbo: These actors round out the cast, with Suleiman and Garba likely playing pivotal roles in the film’s darker moments, while Agbo’s presence hints at a younger, perhaps more vulnerable character dynamic.
The cast’s chemistry will be crucial, especially given the film’s shift from romance to suspense. While there’s no confirmation of behind-the-scenes drama or collaborations, the mix of seasoned actors and rising talent could make for compelling performances.
Production and Reception: What We Know (and What We Don’t)
Directed by Shittu Taiwo, A Lot Like Love marks another entry in the filmmaker’s portfolio, though details about his previous work or directorial style are limited in the available evidence. The film’s production appears to have flown under the radar, with no major announcements or interviews surfacing in the snippets provided.
As of now, there’s no word on the film’s budget, shooting locations, or release strategy. The lack of reviews or audience reactions in the retrieved evidence suggests it may still be in the early stages of distribution or has yet to gain widespread attention. However, given the cast’s star power, it’s likely to attract interest once it hits streaming platforms or theaters.
One unanswered question is whether the film draws inspiration from real-life events or other works. The title A Lot Like Love has been used before—most notably for a 2005 Hollywood rom-com starring Ashton Kutcher and Amanda Peet—but there’s no evidence to suggest a connection between the two projects. The 2023 version stands on its own as a Nigerian production with a distinct thriller twist.
Rumors and Unconfirmed Details
With limited evidence, some aspects of A Lot Like Love remain speculative:
- Genre-Blending Appeal: The film’s premise suggests it could attract fans of both romance and thriller genres, but without reviews, it’s unclear how well the tonal shift works. - Potential Sequels or Spin-offs: If the film performs well, there’s always the possibility of a franchise, especially given the open-ended nature of its plot. - Streaming vs. Theatrical Release: Nollywood films often debut on streaming platforms like Netflix or Amazon Prime, but there’s no confirmation yet on where A Lot Like Love will land.
For now, audiences will have to wait for more concrete details or official trailers to gauge the film’s full potential.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
Related movies
More titles in the same genres and with the same cast.
Chief Daddy 2: Going for Broke
2021 Movie
The Turning Point
2021 Movie
Pulimada
2023 Movie
Jonas
2016 Movie
Mughizh
2021 Movie
Giving Hope: The Ni'cola Mitchell Story
2023 Movie
The Song
2023 Movie
Oregon
2023 Movie
Sinam
2022 Movie
Inheritance
2022 Movie
Faith in the Impossible
2025 Movie
Everything Is Fine
2021 Movie