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By Henry Akubuiro
The recent release of A Very Dirty Christmas, a movie by Nollywood superstar, Ini Edo, has created a hoopla around the film, with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) faulting the title as a burlesque of Christendom. The National Video Censorship Board’s prompt intervention calmed frayed nerves about the movie’s intention, though it recommended a change of title. But does the movie deserve the furore it raised?
Ini Edo, 43, who started her movie career in 2000, has got a basket of credentials to command attention in whatever movie she is behind the artifice. A garden variety thespian might have not attracted the scrutiny the movie was subjected to a few days after its release from a distance. She has featured in more than 200 movies since making her debut. Early in her career, she commingled with some of the best in the industry and starred in blockbuster movies with legends that include Olu Jacob, Kenneth Okonkwo, Liz Benson, Hilda Dokubo, Stephanie Linus, Rita Dominic, Kanayo O. Kanayo, Genevieve Nnaji, Uche Jombo, Mercy Johnson, Kate Henshaw, Jimmy Iyke, Chinedu Ikedze, Mike Ezuruonye, Funke Akindele, to mention a few. She has also been nominated for major national international movie awards, scooping many of them. No doubt, she knows her onions both as an actress and as a movie producer.
What’s the background that has given rise to the controversial movie title? Christmas holds both a religious and social significance. For the church, it is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed on December 25 each year. Coming at the end of the year, it also falls under the holiday season globally, a period when most people, irrespective of religion, embark on shopping and travels to celebrate with loved ones,
In Nigeria, like the rest of the world, Christmas is one of the biggest events. Roads, waterways, rail lines and airways often bustle at the seams with travellers from far and wide journeying back home to partake in numerous festivities. Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, in recent years, has become a major international tourist destination with the Detty December fiesta that feature the best of national and international artists. Little wonder, Ini Edo’’s A Very Dirty December, released on December 16, 2025 raised eyebrows. Credit, however, must be given to Edo for not throwing shades at Christendom in the movie as the title might suggest, having watched the film.
Produced by Ini Edo herself, who also acted a defining role in the movie, A Very Dirty Christmas is directed by Akay Mason. It tells the story of three estranged sisters reuniting during yuletide season with contrasting facades, unsettled issues and rivalry, as their youngest sibling, Jade, disappears, no thanks to an upstart. Her sisters, Lala (Waje Iruobe) and Lulu (acted by Ini Edo) are compelled to search for the elusive – in the process, uncovering a counterfeit drug syndicate connected to their dad, Don Phil and, also, some dirty secrets. A deadly rivalry between the charming business mogul and their father get to a head at the Ashe Carnival, and the sisters cannot but fight for their family’s survival, which comes at a cost. IK Ogbonna’s performance is mind-blowing, it must be noted.
The plot unfurls Lulu’s marriage to Caleb (played by Lateef Adedimeji) undergoing a trial, even as she pretends all is well to save her marriage and protect her family’s name. But the randy Caleb goes after everything in a skirt, citing infertility for his sexcapades. The balmy Christmas air gets desecrated when Jade, the youngest sister, suddenly disappears. Lulu and Lala. Her disappearance brings out the best in her sisters, who search desperately for her whereabouts, stumbling on hard facts they didn’t know existed about their family.
Thespians like Nancy Iseme, Phyna of Big Brother, Eucharia Anunobi, Femi Branch, Taye Arimoro, Wumi Toriola strike a delicate balance between vigour and rigour, enriching the performance. The profuse bloodletting and the rude awakening towards the end are pointers to the dirty side of Christmas that rattles conscience. The movie scores a high mark when you isolate the cinematic elements deployed by Ini Edo and the ambitious cast.
