01/05/2026
"Ms. Kanyin" MOVIE REVIEW!
"Ms. Kanyin" reflects the current state of Nollywood’s horror ambitions: bold ideas, impressive technical strides in some areas, but a lack of narrative discipline and thematic coherence.
Nigerian boarding school folklore has long been haunted by the whisper of high heels in dark hallways, 'Madam Koi Koi', the ghostly figure said to roam dormitories in the dead of night. It’s a tale passed from senior students to the juniors with equal parts fear and fascination, often whispered under torchlight after lights-out.
"Ms. Kanyin", a supernatural thriller directed by Jerry Ossai, attempts to reimagine this infamous myth in cinematic form. But in doing so, it falls into a trap familiar to Nollywood’s forays into horror: a strong premise undercut by underdeveloped characters, choppy storytelling, and a baffling lack of internal logic.
The story is motivated by Amara’s desperate pursuit of better French grades which puts her in close orbit with Ms Kanyin, the posh French teacher. This motivation is understandable for a teen drama which the first half of this film is, but it loses focus under the scrutiny of the second half of the film. Amara recruits her friends for the mission to save her grades by stealing the exam questions from Ms Kanyin and from there, the bloody spiral begins.
The killings start, but the performances remain lifeless despite the potential of the characters to be interesting. Michelle Dede as Ms Kanyin wears the exhaustion of teaching, almost as if she is jaded by the idea of teaching being a higher calling. This is never moved beyond the surface and so her revenge rampage is an empty inconsistent husk. The friend group that sends her over the edge led by Amara is never cohesive and that disconnection hints at something lurking beneath their relationship. You wonder how they became friends, it’s even alluded to by Chisom at some point, but it’s these crumbs that are expected to sustain the audience.
By the time the credits roll, you’re left asking not just “What happened?” but “Why did it happen that way?” and “To whom exactly?” The internal logic of the film collapses under its own supernatural weight. We’re told an ancient tree awakens after Ms. Kanyin’s blood is spilled upon it but the motivations of the spirit, the timeline of revenge, and even whether Ms. Kanyin is alive or dead, are never clearly established.
In one scene she levitates and flips a car; in another, she’s almost thwarted by a teenage boy holding a door shut. It’s not fear that grips you, it’s confusion.
That confusion is amplified by uneven storytelling. The film wants to be a horror, but rarely feels horrifying
Its a 5/10 for me!!!
