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DramaFamily Cannes 2025 Editor's Pick

My Father's Shadow Review (2025) — 84% Celluloid Score

Directed by Akinola Davies Jr. · 2025 ·

LLM fact sheet (.md)

Answer Summary: Is My Father's Shadow worth watching?

My Father's Shadow (2025) earns a 84% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.Critics (98%) were notably more enthusiastic than audiences (88%).

Quick Verdict: What is the Celluloid Score for My Father's Shadow?

Calculated from 4 available inputs: Celluloid editorial rating, Metascore, Letterboxd and IMDb. Audience sentiment is shown separately and never changes the composite. See how we calculate scores.

84%
Celluloid Score Recommended

4-input transparent breakdown

98% Editorial Rating
88% Audience snapshot · excluded
85 Metascore
★★★★☆ Letterboxd 4
7.4 IMDb /10
Watch Trailer
Runtime
1h 33m
Cast
Sope Dirisu , Godwin Chiemerie Egbo , Chibuike Marvellous Egbo , Uzoamaka Power
Streaming
MUBI
Country
Nigeria
Language
English

Where to watch

  • MUBI

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home

Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home

Where to watch My Father's Shadow by country

Country Streaming on
India MUBI
Malaysia MUBI
Pakistan MUBI
Philippines MUBI
South Korea MUBI
Thailand MUBI
Turkey MUBI
United Kingdom MUBI
United States MUBI

Subscription availability, refreshed from TMDB. Rental and purchase options may differ.

Why this score?

  • Celluloid's editorial rating is exceptional (98/100).
  • General viewers mostly liked it (88%).
  • Metascore signals universal acclaim (85/100).
  • Letterboxd diarists rate it highly (4/5).
  • Celluloid Score 84% combines 4 verified rating inputs; audience sentiment is shown separately.

Best for

  • Viewers who want a well-regarded drama, family pick
  • Short runtime — easy weeknight watch
  • Critics' darlings — stronger with reviewers than general viewers

Not ideal for

    Scores reflect data indexed at build time. Component sources are shown on this page; Celluloid Score is our composite, not a third-party trademark. Scoring policy

    Streaming availability, artwork and title metadata courtesy of TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.

    Is My Father's Shadow worth watching?

    Yes — My Father's Shadow earns a 84% Celluloid Score. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.

    Celluloid Verdict

    Critics have called this semi-autobiographical debut a quietly devastating breakthrough, praising Sope Dirisu's restrained lead performance and Akinola Davies Jr.'s ability to fold national upheaval into an intimate father-son story without ever feeling didactic.

    Celluloid editorial verdict

    Critics (98%) were notably more enthusiastic than audiences (88%).

    What is My Father's Shadow about?

    Over one sweltering day in Lagos during the tense 1993 Nigerian election, two young brothers tag along with the estranged father they barely know as he chases down a debt across the city. Between an amusement park detour and a beach stop, small tender moments accumulate — even as the father hides a nosebleed and a secret that will reshape how his sons remember him.

    Watch the Trailer

    Critic Reviews

    My Father's Shadow stills

    Official production imagery supplied through TMDB, kept with the movie instead of split into a thin gallery page.

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    Images courtesy of TMDB. TMDB does not endorse or certify Celluloid.

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