Gone is a Nollywood crime and psychological thriller that premiered on Showmax on March 8, 2025. Produced by Izzy Besta and Oluwanifemi Arogundade, and directed by Oke Omotola, the film was penned by Winner Achimugu. It dives deep into the pain of abandonment and the psychological trauma that can come from being raised on lies especially when those lies are told by the people meant to protect you.
With a compelling lineup of talents like Tolu Odewumi, Paul Nnadiekwe, Teniola Aladese, and Rotimi Adelagan, Gone manages to keep its viewers curious, even when some performances fall short.
Premise
The title Gone carries a certain mystery, and that was enough to pique my interest. It opens with Damola (Paul Nnadiekwe) on his 26th birthday. For two decades, he has searched for answers about the father who abandoned him. With no solid memory of the man, Damola turns to hypnosis, carried out by his aunt Yemisi (Funke Kate Adepegba). The sessions help him piece together fragments from his past, but his father’s identity remains blurry.
Then a package arrives from his father. Before Damola can get any answers from the delivery guy, the man disappears. This triggers Damola’s rage, one he usually channels into lifting weights. Not even Adanna (Martha Ehinome), his girlfriend, can talk him down. His mother, Abimbola (Tolu Odewumi), admits his temper mirrors his father’s.
Things take a dark turn when a plumber discovers an actual skeleton in their sewage system. This unearths a family secret that had been literally buried, not hidden in closets like we’re used to. The police step in, and we meet Detective Christie (Teniola Aladese), who has her own score to settle with Damola’s father, Captain Maxwell (Kelechi Udegbe), who was allegedly involved in her sister’s murder.
With each discovery, Damola moves closer to the truth about his father and further away from everything he thought he knew.
Cast Performance
Paul Nnadiekwe as Damola
Paul’s performance wasn’t the worst I’ve seen, but it missed the mark. His emotional scenes felt overdone, and in moments where silence would’ve made more impact, he chose to overreact. Maybe it’s the absence of a father figure that made Damola come off as clingy and emotionally erratic. He played the “mommy’s boy” role too well, especially when he gaslit Adanna that scene was very annoying but very believable.
Tolu Odewumi as Abimbola
Tolu carried her role with quiet intensity. She looked like someone hiding a lot, and she made us doubt her with that deceptive, sweet demeanor. Her portrayal of a mother doing everything to erase her son’s traumatic past even at the cost of truth was spot-on. I enjoyed every scene she was in.
Teniola Aladese as Detective Christie
Her performance was just okay. The whole “he killed my sister, now I want revenge” angle was predictable. The delivery lacked depth, and it felt like she stuck too closely to the script. That subplot had potential but wasn’t fully explored.
Rotimi Adelagan as General Oje
Rotimi didn’t bring his A-game. It might be the direction, or maybe the script just didn’t give him much to work with. His character felt like a red herring thrown in just to confuse the audience. From his first appearance, I pegged him as a suspect, but later on, he seemed unnecessary to the plot.
Kelechi Udegbe as Captain Maxwell
With limited screen time, Kelechi made it count. He nailed the role of a toxic husband and a loving father—yes, both. The film tried to paint him as the villain, but honestly, the way Abimbola nagged and manipulated made it hard to side with her completely.
What I Liked About Gone
Gone is a solid attempt at a crime thriller. It achieved what Katangari Goes to Town tried and failed to do. The pacing was perfect. It wasn’t rushed, and it gave enough time for each layer of the story to unfold. I wish the film started with Damola as a child rather than jumping straight into adulthood. Those flashbacks could’ve been expanded into full scenes.
The cinematography was clean, the colors were vivid, and the sound quality was top-tier. The soundtrack blended beautifully into each scene. Despite the acting hiccups, I have to applaud the movie writer Winner Achimugu, the script was tight, and the storytelling was well structured.
What I Didn’t Like About Gone
If you’re going to rely heavily on flashbacks, make them believable. Everyone looked the same in the flashback scenes, as though 20 years hadn’t passed. It ruined the realism. Simply switching to black and white didn’t do the trick.
Also, the lack of creativity from some actors was hard to ignore. It drained the film’s potential. Gone could’ve been incredible, but weak performances from a few key roles held it back.
Verdict
Gone is not a great movie, but it’s a good one. The plot had depth, the writing was solid, and some performances made up for the weaker ones. If you enjoy psychological thrillers and like piecing clues together as the story unfolds, Gone will keep you engaged. It’s the type of movie you watch with your family and spend the rest of the evening discussing.
My Rating
Gone sits at a 2 out of 5 stars.
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