Title: A Critical Review of Lionheart

Genevieve Nnaji’s Lionheart, stands as a landmark in Nigerian cinema, not merely as the nation’s first Netflix original, but as a thoughtfully constructed film that entwines cultural specificity with contemporary cinematic craft. This review undertakes a critical analysis of Lionheart through four analytical frameworks: Formal Media Analysis, the Oppositional Gaze, the Male Gaze, and Hall’s Encoding/Decoding model. The central argument advanced here is that Lionheart deliberately subverts dominant cinematic conventions by asserting a distinctly Nigerian vantage point, thereby reframing discourses on gender, power, and spectatorship. Through the integration of these critical perspectives, the review aims to illuminate how Lionheart disrupts conventional Nollywood paradigms and Western presumptions about African narratives.

Section A: Formal Media Analysis

Cinematography

Lionheart’s cinematography is characterized by its clean, balanced compositions that underscore notions of order and structure, mirroring the corporate environment at the film’s heart. The visual approach, orchestrated by cinematographer Clarence Peters, privileges natural lighting, which not only grounds the story in realism but also accentuates the vibrancy of Enugu’s urban milieu and the intensity of boardroom exchanges. The predominance of medium shots facilitates nuanced observation of character expressions while maintaining crucial contextual detail. Long takes during pivotal dialogues imbue these moments with a measured gravitas, echoing Adaeze’s own composed behaviour in the face of adversity.

Mis en Scène

The film’s mis en scène is meticulously curated to signify both Igbo cultural heritage and a forward-looking professionalism. Characters occupy modern spaces adorned with African art, producing a visual dialogue between tradition and innovation. Adaeze’s attire—tailored suits with subtle traditional accents—serves as a sartorial metaphor for her navigation of gendered expectations within patriarchal structures. Props such as the family enterprise’s signage, technological devices, and family photographs serve dual functions: they enrich the narrative’s authenticity while anchoring the characters in plausible, lived environments.

Sound Design

The soundscape of Lionheart combines diegetic and non-diegetic elements to reinforce authenticity and emotional resonance. Dialogue is rendered with clarity, frequently blending English and Igbo—a linguistic strategy that affirms the film’s cultural veracity. The musical score draws from traditional Igbo rhythms and contemporary Afro beat, creating a sonic bridge between generations. Strategic use of ambient noise and subtle instrumental cues during moments of tension or triumph further roots the film in its Nigerian context, while enhancing narrative engagement.

Editing

Editing choices in Lionheart favour subtlety and coherence, employing straightforward cuts and cross-cutting to sustain narrative continuity. The editing rhythm is paced deliberately, aligning with the film’s steady narrative progression. Flashbacks are used sparingly, thereby maintaining the story’s temporal focus. The editing notably decelerates during emotionally charged or ethically significant scenes—such as Adaeze’s confrontation with her uncle—providing the audience the space for reflection and critical engagement.

Performance

Genevieve Nnaji delivers a restrained yet commanding portrayal of Adaeze, articulating strength through quiet determination rather than overt assertiveness. Her performance is marked by expressive subtlety, relying on nuanced facial and bodily gestures. Pete Edochie, as Chief Obiagu, encapsulates the gravitas and warmth of a traditional patriarch, torn between familial obligation and personal vulnerability. The ensemble cast contributes credibly to the film’s realism, collectively portraying the intricacies of a Nigerian family and business network.

Narrative Structure

Lionheart’s narrative adheres to a classical three-act structure, following the protagonist from initial conflict through struggle to eventual resolution and reconciliation. Adaeze’s character arc echoes the archetypal hero’s journey but is distinguished by its understated resistance to injustice. The screenplay weaves in subplots of familial loyalty, gender dynamics, and corporate intrigue with subtlety, avoiding narrative overload and maintaining viewer engagement.

Section B: Oppositional Gaze

Bell hooks’ concept of the Oppositional Gaze invites viewers to interrogate media representations of race and gender with critical consciousness. Lionheart responds to this imperative by resisting reductive Western tropes that cast African women as either subjugated or hypersexualized. Rather, Adaeze is depicted as adept, intelligent, and ambitious—her accomplishments and agency are framed not as exceptions, but as products of her character and context.

The film challenges the colonial gaze that tends to flatten African identities, instead offering a nuanced portrayal of an African woman who commands respect and demonstrates strategic acumen in a competitive professional sphere. In doing so, Lionheart contests prevalent narratives that paint African institutions as inherently flawed or corrupt. The result is a counter-image: a woman whose authority and competence are foregrounded, inviting both Nigerian and international audiences to reconsider entrenched assumptions about gender and leadership within African contexts.

Furthermore, Lionheart invites Nigerian audiences, especially women, to recognize themselves in Adaeze’s journey. The camera does not exoticize her; it allies with her perspective. Her gaze—often directed at a patriarchal boardroom or dismissive male colleague—becomes a mirror for viewers, reinforcing a politics of resistance and empowerment.

Section C: Male Gaze

Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze theory describes how cinema often represents women as passive subjects of heterosexual male desire. Lionheart resists this paradigm entirely. There are no lingering shots of Adaeze’s body, no romantic subplot to define her worth, and no scenes where her authority is diminished by sexualization.

Instead, the camera aligns with her point of view. Adaeze is the agent, not the object. The film de-centers male pleasure and instead builds a narrative around female competence. Her conflicts are professional, not emotional; her identity is not constructed in relation to a male counterpart but in relation to her family and career.

This rejection of the male gaze is also evident in the film’s aesthetics. Clothing, gestures, and settings prioritize authenticity and modesty over visual spectacle. While Adaeze is attractive, her beauty is never emphasized over her intelligence or strategic thinking. Thus, Lionheart becomes a powerful example of female authorship in Nollywood, repositioning women as subjects rather than objects.

Section D: Hall’s Encoding/Decoding

Stuart Hall’s theory of Encoding/Decoding explains how audiences interpret media messages differently based on their social and cultural context. Lionheart encodes messages about female leadership, cultural pride, and intergenerational respect. However, how these messages are decoded depends on the viewer.

A Western viewer unfamiliar with Nigerian culture might read the film as a simple story of corporate struggle. However, a Nigerian viewer may decode deeper meanings—such as the symbolic importance of Adaeze wearing a wrapper to meet her father’s expectations, or the significance of negotiating in Igbo language as a form of cultural loyalty.

Moreover, the film’s rejection of overt confrontation in favour of diplomacy may be read differently across cultures. Some may interpret Adaeze’s composure as passivity, while Nigerian viewers may see it as a culturally grounded form of resilience.

By offering multiple points of entry, Lionheart exemplifies Hall’s idea of negotiated readings. The film communicates pride in Nigerian identity, but leaves space for both dominant and oppositional readings depending on the viewer’s positionality.

Conclusion

Lionheart stands as a landmark achievement not just for Nollywood but for global cinema. Through its refined use of formal elements, cinematography, mis en scène, sound, editing, performance, and narrative, it delivers a story that is both culturally specific and universally resonant. The film successfully resists the male gaze, affirms the power of the oppositional gaze, and invites diverse audience interpretations through encoding/decoding processes. By placing a strong African woman at the center of a corporate narrative without sensationalism or victimhood, Genevieve Nnaji redefines what it means to lead, to look, and to be seen.