The Figurine (2009) Review: Seven Years of Luck

Is The Figurine worth watching?

Yes, with reservations. The Figurine is an atmospheric, genuinely unsettling thriller that roots its suspense in Yoruba myth, and it marked a turning point in how ambitious Nigerian cinema could look and feel. Kunle Afolayan builds a story of friendship, love and fortune around a single eerie object, and the film sustains a creeping sense of dread. The reservations are a baggy middle section and some uneven performances and effects that show the limits of its budget.

What is The Figurine about?

Two old friends, played by Kunle Afolayan and Ramsey Nouah, are doing their national youth service when they stumble upon an abandoned shrine in the forest. Inside is a strange figurine linked to Araromire, a goddess whose legend promises seven years of good fortune to anyone who finds her image. One of the men takes the figurine home, and soon both friends and Mona (Omoni Oboli), the woman who comes between them, start to see their lives change in remarkable ways. But the legend also hints at what may follow those seven years, and as time passes, the question of whether the figurine’s power is real becomes impossible to ignore.

The Figurine was directed by Kunle Afolayan, who also produced it and plays one of the leads. It is a Nigerian production in English and Yoruba, running 122 minutes, and it won Best Picture and Best Nigerian Film at the Africa Movie Academy Awards.

Myth as the engine of suspense

The film’s great strength is how it uses folklore. Rather than treating the Araromire legend as exotic decoration, Afolayan makes it the foundation of a psychological thriller. The figurine is photographed with an unnerving stillness, and scenes in and around the shrine have a heavy, ominous atmosphere that lingers. The film asks how belief shapes behaviour, and the uncertainty over what is supernatural and what is human gives the story a tension that builds steadily.

Afolayan also grounds the myth in recognisable modern concerns: ambition, money, marriage and the pressure to succeed. The figurine’s promise of fortune feels tempting precisely because the characters want what many young Nigerians want, and that makes the film’s moral questions resonate beyond its supernatural premise.

A new ambition for Nigerian filmmaking

The Figurine was made at a time when much of the Nigerian film industry worked quickly and cheaply for the home-video market, and its polish stands out. Afolayan invests in careful cinematography, a brooding score and a deliberate, cinematic pace, and the result feels designed for the big screen. That ambition helped pave the way for the more expansive filmmaking associated with New Nollywood, and it is one reason the film is still discussed as a landmark.

Ramsey Nouah gives a strong, charismatic performance, and Omoni Oboli brings warmth and conviction to Mona, who gradually becomes the emotional centre of the story. Afolayan’s own performance is solid, if less vivid than his direction.

Where the pacing slows

The film’s structure, which spans several years, is both a strength and a weakness. It allows the legend’s promise to play out over time, but the middle section drifts, with domestic scenes that repeat their points and stretch the 122-minute runtime. Some supporting performances are uneven, and a few effects look dated. Viewers used to tightly paced modern thrillers may find the build-up slow.

Who should watch The Figurine?

It is essential for anyone exploring Nigerian cinema and a good choice for fans of supernatural and psychological thrillers rooted in folklore. The film is more eerie than graphic, with some unsettling imagery, mild violence and mature themes, so it suits teenagers and adults. Viewers should be prepared for a deliberate pace over two hours.

For more in a similar vein:

• October 1, Afolayan’s later period thriller, which shows how much his craft developed.
• Anikulapo, another Afolayan film steeped in Yoruba myth and the supernatural.
• Living in Bondage: Breaking Free, a Ramsey Nouah-directed thriller about the dangerous price of fortune.

The verdict

The Figurine is an ambitious, eerie and influential thriller that draws real suspense from Yoruba myth and modern desire. Its slow middle and uneven moments hold it back, but its atmosphere, central performances and historical importance make it well worth seeking out.

Rating: 4/5