Three Cold Dishes: A Lukewarm Revenge Film

Three Cold Dishes is an action thriller that threads together the survival stories of three women from Nigeria, Benin Republic, and Côte d’Ivoire. Following the saying “revenge is a dish best served cold,” the film digs beyond a simple revenge plot; it explores family trauma, resilience, and the powerful bond that is formed when people endure the same kind of pain.

Running at 1 hour 50 minutes, Three Cold Dishes marks Burna Boy’s first executive-produced film. Rated 18, this movie was released in cinemas on November 7, 2025. Directed by Oluseyi Asurf and written by Tomi Adesina, the film relies on strong performances and cultural details to position itself as one of the more ambitious African cross-border narratives in recent years. But the real question is, does it truly hit the mark?

Premise

The film follows Esosa, Fatou, and Giselle, three young women betrayed by the very people meant to love them. Esosa is sold by her uncle, Fatou by her lover, who also doubles as her pastor, and Giselle by her own grandmother. Their separate paths collide when traffickers move them across borders, landing them in a brutal camp controlled by their pimp, Eagle.

After a raid that results in the Eagle’s death, the women’s journey shifts from captivity to transformation. Each survivor evolves in her own distinct way. Esosa hardens through military training, shaping herself into a soldier. Fatou, sharp and ambitious, slips into another world of criminality, eventually becoming a key figure in the drug operations of a powerful general. And Giselle, well…. she unravels, possibly plagued by her own demons.

Consequently, their shared trauma creates an unbreakable bond, and together they vow to exact revenge on the people who ruined their lives.

The entire story is a narration through the voice of Janice, an older sex worker who once cared for them and now recounts their past to a journalist. This journalist is chasing the present-day headline: Three women now fugitives, on the run from both the police and everyone else whose toes they stepped on.

Through Janice’s narration, the film becomes not just a tale of suffering, but gives us as viewers a movie about what it takes to be resilient, to reinvent yourself and to seek revenge.

Casts and Performances

One thing this film gets right is the acting. The younger versions of the girls, Ruby Akubueze as young Esosa, Sourou Guooeke as young Fatou, and Prescilia Ahoue as young Giselle, were honestly a pleasant surprise. They felt real, believable, and their chemistry was so natural that, at times, they outshone their adult counterparts. Those early scenes worked because the kids carried them with truth.

As adults, the story is taken over by Osas Ighodaro (older Esosa), Fatou Touré (older Fatou), and Maud Guérard (older Giselle). However, the childish chemistry built up seemed to be lacking. Although Osas gives a genuinely strong performance, digging into the physicality and emotion of her character, she also tries her best to portray the menacing persona of a militarily trained individual. Her French feels effortless and adds depth to her character’s journey, especially knowing she learned the language during captivity.

Fatou Touré also delivers beautifully; I wasn’t familiar with her before this film, but her presence is steady and believable. Maud Guérard leans into Giselle’s mysterious, spiritual side and brings the right amount of intensity to her role.

The supporting cast also adds weight where needed. Wale Ojo, as Uncle Bankole, sells the betrayal with a quiet menace that lingers, and this is the more commendable act. Femi Jacobs plays the journalist chasing their story.

Altogether, the performances were good based on the demands of the scripts provided. The child actors set a strong emotional base that one cannot say was properly built upon by the adults.

Highlights

Three Cold Dishes is rooted in the cultures it portrays. The film switches effortlessly between English and French during scenes set in Côte d’Ivoire, Benin Republic and Lagos, allowing the story to breathe in its true geographical and linguistic spaces. It’s a subtle touch, but it gives the film an authenticity that’s hard to fake.

The movie also makes a point to lay bare trafficking networks, focusing on the structures that allow exploitation to thrive, such as the betrayals, the route maps, the hierarchies, and the silence that keeps everything running. It makes the danger feel real without being sensational.

Visually, the cinematography stands out. The tone is striking, capturing the brutality of captivity alongside the quiet buildup of the women’s eventual mission for revenge. The desert chase sequences, in particular, stand out; the landscape shots add to the intensity, giving the film a more cinematic, almost epic feel.

The action, for the most part, held up. The fight scenes and gunplay are surprisingly believable, adding to the tension. For a nearly two-hour film, it manages to keep the audience engaged and invested throughout.

Drawbacks

Despite its strengths, Three Cold Dishes struggles with a few notable shortcomings. The use of Janice as a narrator, while clearly meant to bind the women’s stories together, often disrupts the flow instead of supporting it. In many ways, the film might have been stronger without a narration.

Pacing is another issue. The middle act, in particular, suffers from uneven transitions that break emotional momentum. It feels as though the filmmakers had far more story to tell than a two-hour runtime could manage. Because of this, viewers don’t get enough time to deeply bond with the characters or sit fully with the weight of their trauma. A limited series format would likely have served the narrative better, allowing more space for emotional depth and character growth.

Some character choices also feel underdeveloped. Giselle is the clearest example. Her mystique and the spiritualized direction of her character don’t tie meaningfully into the plot. Instead of enhancing the story, it complicates without contributing to it.

And finally, the movie ends on a cliffhanger that feels unearned, an attempt to create anticipation where the story could have concluded with a more grounded, satisfying resolution.

Final Thoughts

I had a lot of anticipation for this movie. The trailer did its job. Additionally, as a Burna Boy fanboy, seeing Osas, a menacing Wale Ojo, and those sweeping desert skylines, I was completely sold. Perhaps that made my expectations a little too high, because unfortunately, the movie didn’t live up to the notes it promised at the beginning.

However, credit where it’s due: the film delivers a commendable trans-border narrative, shedding light on a social vice that many people only hear whispers about. It opens a window into worlds often tucked away from public view, and that effort alone deserves recognition.

Rating

3/5

Our Rating of This Movie

Have you ever gone into a movie with sky-high expectations, only to find it didn’t quite hit the notes you were hoping for?

Author

Alexander Azonobo

Alex is a writer with an undeniable passion for movies and the stories they tell. He loves diving into the world of cinema—exploring its themes, characters, and the artistry that brings it all to life. With an eye for detail and a love for storytelling, he writes to share his thoughts and spark conversations about the films that move, challenge, and inspire us.