Why Tiwa Savage’s Water & Garri bags negative reviews

Why Tiwa Savage's Water & Garri bags negative reviews

One of Nollywood’s movies, Water & Garri,” inspired by Tiwa Savage’s 2021 Extended Play Album (EP) has scored a low point in its rating.

Tiwa Savage - Water & Garri: lyrics and songs | Deezer

Although the EP and the subsequent album stood out as musical masterpieces, the same acclaim doesn’t extend to Prime Video’s movie adaptation released on 10th May 2024 in more than 240 countries.

“Water & Garri” tells the story of Ashia, a young girl searching for her purpose in life. The movie begins with a scene in a rough part of town at night, where a man is being chased and eventually shot. Ashia, the narrator, explains that he deserved it for killing her brother.

Ashia had a successful career in fashion design in Los Angeles, but she got a worrying call from her cousin Stephannie, who told her about her brother Niyi’s death.

Three months later, Ashia returned to the Eastside, where she grew up with her grandmother Yemi and her brother Ayomide. Coming back isn’t easy for Ashia, as everything seems different since she left ten years ago.

Returning to Eastside floods Ashia with memories of her childhood, from losing her grandmother to growing up with her brother Mide, and her teenage romance with Kay. She reconnects with Kay, now a gang leader, and they rediscover their love, exploring the city together on his bike.

However, their reunion is troubled when Kay confronts a perceived rival, leading to a tense situation. As Ashia navigates her feelings for Kay, she wonders if coming back to Eastside will change her life for the better.

The movie shot in Cape Coast and Ghana, was directed by Meji Alabi and produced by Unbound Studio and JM Films. It featured Mike Afolarin, Andrew Bunting, and Jemima Osunde amongst others.

It features a soundtrack filled with the musical talents of Ayra Starr, Black Sherif, Olamide, and Young Jonn, adding depth and richness to the viewing experience.

Reviews about the movie have been making rounds on social media and it has been rated 1.5/10. Well, even though Water & Garri had a good idea to start with, it finds it hard to show the same greatness as the EP.

To start with, the audience noted that the characters were not properly portrayed. Despite Tiwa Savage’s likeable charm, the portrayal of Aisha lacked the depth and finesse needed for the character.

Kay (played by Andrew Bunting) made matters worse as he struggled with his lines and couldn’t project the vibe needed to fit into his character.

While we can agree that there is no rule for filmmaking, Water & Garri has a dull storytelling and gives reasons why the movie lacks essence. The flashback technique used ended up interrupting the flow of scenes in the movie. Instead of providing clarity, they raised more questions, making the storytelling experience confusing.

Read Also: ‘I promised myself to make money after drinking garri for 10 days” – Shallipopi

A well-known critic on microblogging platform, X, Daniel Regha did not spare Tiwa Savage in his review. He questioned the relevance of the title to the storyline.

Daniel Regha criticizes Tiwa Savage's movie, gives it 1.5/10 rating

Netizens couldn’t but agree with Daniel Regha as many lamented that they wasted precious time watching Water & Garri.

On the other hand, Simi heaped praises on Tiwa Savage amidst the negative reviews she has been receiving. She noted how Tiwa Savage remained steadfast in her decision to produce the movie despite facing initial rejections for the project.

She wrote

 “So excited for and proud of @TiwaSavage She challenged herself and dared to do what many must have told her not to. I saw her movie “Water and Garri” at the premiere in NY and was so happy to see her launch herself in this space. So bravely. She told me about some of the sacrifices she had made just to make it happen. How many “no”s she got and how she refused to let it deter her. I wish her all the best things.”

A social media user quoted Simi’s post, suggesting that Tiwa Savage should have let the rejections stop her and not release the movie.

Simi shut down the negative reply immediately. She wrote

“You know how you know you’re an unkind person? Because It’s not enough for you to have and even to share your opinion in your space, at home or on your page. You have to double down by commenting on someone else’s opinion, praising and acknowledging someone’s efforts and hard work – just so you can get a few “kikis” and your life can feel full today. It’s not just you. It’s all of you that act like this. You’re just the scapegoat.”

The negative reviews have continued to roll out even though the movie ranks top 10 in fourteen countries including Ghana, Qatar, South Africa, and Tanzania amongst others.

Netizens lamented that this Water & Garri lacks Sugar! Would you blame them tho? Tiwa disclosed that she got inspiration for the movie when she was intoxicated.

Read Also: Check out five facts you didn’t know about Tiwa Savage

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