Another Nollywood Age-Gap Romance in Everything is New Again

Nollywood fans are no strangers to stories of love and relationships marked by wide age gaps. Whether it’s “sugar mummies” or “sugar daddies,” these often-questionable unions usually leave a sour taste in the mouths of friends and family. So, what really is new about Everything Is New Again? Released in cinemas on January 30, 2026, the film treads familiar ground, though its ending offers a slightly fresh twist. Directed by Naz Onuzo and starring Mercy Aigbe and Vine Olugu as the leads in this age-gap romance, the movie explores what it means to feel love again, even with the unlikeliest of people, and how, against the odds of losing yourself to them, you can sometimes find purpose in yourself all over again.

Premise

Funmi, a 45-year-old mother of a teenager, is still dealing with the heartbreak of losing her marriage to a younger woman. Her ex-husband has moved on to marry a Gen-Z girl, and videos of Funmi breaking down over it have spread allover the internet. But her friend Susan isn’t about to let her wallow in tears. No! She drags Funmi out of her misery, insisting they go out to have some fun and run wild.

They choose a resort, the perfect place to relax among strangers and briefly let go. And Funmi, still very attractive, quickly catches the attention of Ekene, an equally handsome young man. The two hit it off almost instantly. Ekene, an engineer-turned-photographer, enjoys photographing her, talking endlessly, and eventually sharing a kiss. Susan, distracted by phone calls, barely notices what’s going on, though she gleefully suspects Funmi may be having more fun than they planned. And really, what do you expect when you leave a vulnerable yet attractive woman wandering a resort in a bikini, searching for an escape?

The resort vacation ends, but the romance doesn’t. Back home, Funmi tries hard to keep the relationship hidden, much to Ekene’s frustration. When he finally speaks up, he confesses that, despite being 27, he truly loves her and no longer wants to hide. Funmi gives in. But that moment turns out to be the beginning of the end.

Ekene’s friends, being boys, celebrate his “win” but push him to see Funmi as nothing more than a cash-out or a fling. Funmi, though supported by Susan, clashes briefly with her daughter and endures cold, disapproving looks from Ekene’s mother. Yet these reactions aren’t what finally shatter the fantasy. What truly threatens to pull them apart are their individual lives and the personal growth they’ve both put on hold.

Funmi dreams of returning to architecture after years spent raising her daughter, while Ekene now has a chance to pursue his engineering career fully. The question remains: will these paths bring them closer, or drive them apart?

Casts and Performances

One major dilemma for filmmakers with this familiar storyline is casting: who convincingly plays the older woman, and who fits the role of the younger man? In this case, I’m not entirely convinced the question was answered well. Although the actors are 48 and 27 in real life, on screen, they didn’t look like a pair with such a wide age gap. Mercy Aigbe’s character often mentions that she could give birth to Ekene, yet visually, she comes across more like an older sister. While that might sound like a compliment, it weakens the core idea of the story.

At several points, Aigbe’s character seems to overstate her age to remind viewers she belongs to an older generation, which feels forced rather than natural. The chemistry between the leads is also lacking. Apart from the frequent make-out scenes, there isn’t much to convince us that they are genuinely in love or deeply connected.

Nancy Isime plays Iveren, Funmi’s friend, while Desmond Elliot appears as Funmi’s ex-husband, Olusegun, with Gbugbemi Ejeye cast as his Gen-Z wife, Destiny Rose. Unfortunately, the overall performances fall short. More importantly, this is one of the rare times Mercy Aigbe appears miscast—a role that simply doesn’t fully suit her.

Everything is New Again_Nollywood_Nigerian Movie

What I liked

The film’s biggest strength is its ending, which offers a refreshing twist. Instead of following the usual path where forbidden love somehow earns an âgainst-all-odds fairy-tale ending, the story takes a different route. That choice quietly sits at the heart of the film. Let’s just say that the characters end up with very different lives than what they wanted.

Another noticeable high point is the visuals. The cinematography is clean and crisp, adding clarity to the overall viewing experience.

Drawbacks

With films like this that follow a familiar plot, the stakes usually need to be higher to keep things engaging. Unfortunately, that was missing here. The drama surrounding friends, family, and their reaction to the relationship felt watered down. For instance, Funmi’s daughter moves from being clearly upset to suddenly accepting her mother’s much younger boyfriend in the same scene simply because he helped fix a science project. That shift felt too easy.

For a romantic drama, most of the drama rested on Mercy Aigbe’s character alone, which made the conflict feel one-sided. Overall, the whole cast lacked the depth needed to truly sell the story.

On a technical level, the film also struggles. There are moments where the dialogue doesn’t sync with the actors’ mouth movements, which was distracting. The music choices were another weak point. Using Flavour’s Nwa Baby, not once but twice, as background music for romantic scenes felt odd and out of place. It didn’t match the tone or emotion of those moments. If it was meant as comic relief, it didn’t work.

All things considered, this doesn’t quite feel cinema-worthy. It might have worked better as a YouTube release.

Final Thoughts

Everything Is New Again feels like a challenge for Mercy Aigbe, a role she accepted to further test her range as an actress. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to have worked. It was obvious she had to get comfortable with some scenes because, like I said, frequent make-out sessions. The supporting cast doesn’t do much to help, and overall, the film lacks the emotional weight it clearly aims for. That said, the ending stands out. It delivers its own quiet “moral of the story,” and it’s easily the most satisfying part of the film. Beyond that, however, the movie needed more polish and stronger execution.

Side note: It was genuinely nice to see Desmond Elliot back on the big screen. It does make one wonder if we’ll ever see the return of icons like Genevieve Nnaji or Omotola Jalade as well.

Rating

2.5/5

Our Rating of This Movie

Out of curiosity, would you date someone 20 years younger than you?

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.