Ibobo, The Blind Seer (2025): Great Potential, Disappointing Output

Ibobo The Blind Seer is a Nollywood supernatural folklore that was released to cinemas across Nigeria on September 19^th, 2025. Directed by Godwin Onwuneme Obiora, it was written by Nnaemeka “Nani Boi” Eze, who also starred in the film. It has a runtime of 1 hour, 15 minutes and follows Ibobo, a blind man gifted with supernatural foresight by the gods, how he guides those around him, and his role in the bitter conflict between 2 kingdoms.

Premise

Umunze is a thriving kingdom that has unfortunately been deeply tied in a brutal war with its neighboring counterpart; Amanka. For years, Amanka has terrorized Umunze, ravaging its resources and taking its citizens into slavery. Leading the powerful Amanka army is Onochie, a formidable warrior whose father is a deceased yet legendary native doctor. He lives humbly with his mother and sister.

Meanwhile, Umunze is ruled by the king who, alongside his council of elders, struggle to find a solution to Amanka’s increasing invasion. In the midst of all of this is Ibobo, a blind man who is highly revered and respected in Umunze as he is a devout of the kingdom’s deity, serving as both a mouthpiece and the kingdom’s spiritual advisor. After receiving numerous visions, he instructs the King’s son, Okanga, to lead Umunze’s army into the next battle against Amanka. It is immediately noticed that Okanga bears a striking resemblance to Onochie. Confident that Ibobo’s advice poses a guaranteed victory, Okanga and his forces depart for battle with great fanfare.

However, this proves to be a futile effort, as Onochie’s forces no longer consist of mere men, but now the spirits of the ancestors in masquerade vessels. It is yet again another victory for Onochie, but then he sees Okanga, and both men are equally confused at the other’s appearance as they are seemingly exact replicas of each other. Baffled, Onochie returns to his own kingdom, but the lingering spirits knock Okanga out, sending his unconscious body back to Umunze, leaving its citizens confused.

Back in Amanka, Onochie is still incredibly disturbed by the events of the battle, and after confiding in his family, asks his mother if she has answers. But she is unable to respond properly as she is mute.

The scene the shifts to a night in Umunze, where Okanga is seen sharpening his sword, he later points that sword at his own father, threatening to kill him unless he reveals the location of his “bag of supremacies” which supposedly reveal the secrets of his death. The king, with increasing panic, realizes that it is no longer his son speaking, but the spirit of Ogidiga, the legendary native doctor of Amanka…and Onochie’s father. It is revealed that Ogidiga was reincarnated as the king’s son after supposedly being murdered by him.

“You should have thought about that before you killed me!”

Complying with his demands, Igwe takes Okanga (now fully possessed by Ogidiga’s spirit) to the location where he had buried his body, alongside the bag of supremacies. After finding what he was searching for, Ogidiga kills the Igwe in a fit of rage, exacting his revenge. He returns to the palace, but as his spirit leaves Okanga’s body, the prince is suddenly frozen on the spot by supernatural petrification.

The next morning, when the council of elders gather, witnessing the prince’s state, Ibobo decides to reveal a truth he’d been keeping for years.

The rest of the movie spans a flashback into a horrific past of betrayal, murder, and violation as Ibobo explains the true extent of Igwe’s actions and not only how it had spawned years of suffering for the entire kingdom of Umunze, but also Onochie’s existence and real heritage.

Cast and Perfomances

Ibobo the Blind Seer boasts of a phenomenal cast, with performances from Nollywood royalty such as:

Pete Edochie as Ibobo
Alex Usifo as Igwe
Gideon Okeke as Okanga/Onochie
Ebere Okaro as Udoamaka
Nkem Owoh as Onowu (Present)

Now one would think that with a stacked cast like that, we would be treated to a groundbreaking exhibition of Nollywood from the generation that built it. But it truly breaks my heart to inform you viewers that that is not the case. A lot of characters and dialogue had little to no coherency at best and absolutely no relevancy to the plot whatsoever at worst. No hate to the actors and performances, they did the best with what they were given.

The problem is that they were given nothing at all.

Plot points fell flat, certain dialogues in particular scenes came across as awkward (the scene where the elders confront Ibobo for keeping such a heavy secret? Horrendous), and some were just downright unnecessary (why on earth did we spend 10-15 minutes watching slaves sing and suffer when it did absolutely nothing for the plot?)

Not to mention, the titular character barely plays any role worthy of being front and center. Ibobo doesn’t contribute any impact aside from being the narrator. And even then, the character makes various questionable choices. He’d seen the Igwe’s atrocities in real time through a vision from the gods, and not only did he do absolutely nothing to stop it, he proceeded to keep it secret (unwarrantedly, by the way. Literally no one asked him to do that) for decades until the literal worst-case scenario had occurred. And when he was questioned why, he simply says that it was not yet time, according to the gods.

A lazy writing cop-out, truly.

What I Liked

It might seem hard to believe, but I genuinely loved the plot. It had so much potential, especially with the twists and reveals. I wasn’t expecting the reincarnation angle, but I was nevertheless incredibly happy to see it. It instantly made the story so much more intriguing to follow, especially after being dragged along by the earlier part of the movie. I liked the ambience and how the surrounding music accompanied that (Nollywood is really stepping up their music score game, yes!), and I loved the physical setting of the movie. I appreciated the depiction of Igbo culture and folklore (and I’m always one for a good fantasy/supernatural number), and I once again have to give the actors their props, especially Gideon Okeke, Pete Edochie, and Alex Usifo.

Pete Edochie in Ibobo The Blind Seer Movie

What I Didn’t Like

First of all, the ending. The movie’s attempt at an open ending only comes across as stalling and stagnant. And this is further escalated by the fact that it was abruptly cut off right when the story was starting to gain depth and momentum. We had come to the climax of the plot, we had understood the past and how it affects the present, but we never get to see the future that unfolds from these events, leaving viewers like me raw and unsatisfied. We are also lacking in certain expositions. It is unclear whether Okanga and Onochie are twins or why else they would be identical. And they missed the chance to craft a very compelling parallel between the two as a major plot point. It all just felt incredibly undeveloped and unfinished.

I knew something was wrong when I saw the unusually short runtime.

The character writing is definitely not the best. It was as though only the basic outlines of said characters were given any thought or consideration, severely lacking the interactions and depth that could really flesh them out, and not only does this not help the story, it actively harms it with the birth of plot holes and unexplained/unresolved loose ends. We’re not given a proper motive for the Igwe’s actions, especially since he’s initially portrayed to be a victim of his circumstances (his failure to bear any children makes him a target by bitter enemies) and then becomes the villain in an instant (why exactly did he kill Ogidiga and all those people? The ritual went well, and Ogidiga was going to keep it a secret anyway.). Ibobo himself is not given any character development whatsoever, there is truly nothing that solidifies or justifies his role as the titular character.

At this point, I can’t even say that the pacing was rushed, or dragged on. It just felt incredibly inadequate. Which is quite a shame, because they had all the right ingredients: An intriguing premise with exhilarating twists, fantastic cinematography that showcases the beauty of the setting, ambience that was further improved by proper visual effects and sound, and an amazing cast. There was so much potential, so many chances to do something that would be a major topic in future Nollywood discussions, but instead it fizzled out halfway, in the most underwhelming manner.

Final Thoughts

Despite having the elements to truly be something great, this film has too little hits and too many misses. I was genuinely excited to see it, but was incredibly let down (I actually gasped in shock when the credits started rolling), and quite disappointed.

I rate Ibobo the Blind Seer (2025): 2.5 out of 5.

Our Rating of This Movie

Have you seen the movie? Do you think Ibobo was right for keeping such a secret? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Author

Winifred Eze

Winnie is a business student by day and a writer by night, with a passion for movies and the art of storytelling. Whether it’s dissecting a film’s themes, exploring character arcs, or celebrating cinematic masterpieces, she loves diving deep into the magic of the big screen. She also strives to bring fresh perspectives and engaging discussions to fellow writers and readers.