“A Simple Lie” Review – A Gripping Tale of Betrayal, Manipulation, and Unconventional Love Affairs

Five people connected through friendship, lust, love, desperation, emotional blackmail and lies in their lives are brought together under the same roof by a simple lie told by Boma, a lonely woman who will go to any lengths to get what she wants. In this case what she wants is a life partner, Xavier, her former best friend’s ex lover, also a notorious sugarbaby.

Well written by Mannie Oisemaye and directed by Biodun Stephen, this movie pulls its audience into a story plot that thickens with each scene till the very end.

All gathered in the same living room by the news that their friend Boma was dying from a cancerous illness which she wants to keep a secret, five conflicted adults find themselves right in the middle of Pandora’s box, with hidden secrets and affairs just waiting for the right moments to be spilled out.

As the storyline builds up, each character well played by the cast begins to unveil themselves for who they really are. The viewers are introduced to Fade (played by Bukunmi Adeaga-Illori), a close friend to Boma, also a wild party girl fully committed to living her life to the fullest. Donna (played by Bolaji Ogunmola), a professional life coach who turns out to be Boma’s former best friend and married to Azeem (played by Ifeanyi Ikubese) her second choice husband, as a unit they are the Jabals; a modern day muslim couple. Then there is Xavier (played by Kachi Nnochiri), Donna’s ex lover and Boma’s current lover, who seems to still be desperately attached to his past. And of course Boma (played by Bisola Aiyeola), the character who kicks off the opening of Pandora’s box right in her living from uttering a single lie about her health to someone she wanted hooked to her. She saw an opportunity to claim familiar territory and she took it. Thanks to her we have a very interesting story plot that continues to unravel till the very end to lean into.

Social issues concerning subjects like infidelity, codependency resulting from financial insecurity, how single or unpartnered older women with full autonomy over their lives and bodies are viewed by people in the society, manipulation, miscommunication and deceit in friendships etc are brought to surface in this movie as each characters interlinked stories are revealed and told to us on screen.

A simple lie is a comedy drama filled with scandal after scandal, unconventional love affairs, spiralling from a bunch of adults who seem so well put together and morally upright on the surface but turn out to be nothing short of human and birds of the same feathers at the end of the day. It is hard to watch this well played drama without wondering who styled the characters in this movie, and whoever they are they made sure those characters especially Xavier slayed on screen. The stylists did a great job. Overall the audience can expect to witness great storytelling and see good acting on full display as they watch this movie.