How much of our lives do we live for public validation? That is the salient question Kayode Kasum’s latest romantic comedy, Reel Love, seeks to address.
The film, set against the backdrop of Lagos’ glittering influencer culture, is a sharp critique of modern performative love and the fragility of reputation in the digital age.
The story follows Tomiwa Sage (played by a charismatic but uneven Timini Egbuson), a self-proclaimed “relationship guru” whose career hinges on his image as the perfect boyfriend. His world collides with Rachel (TJ Omusuku), a pragmatic shopping assistant, when a heated argument at a bar escalates into a viral scandal.
A by-stander’s video falsely framing Tomiwa as abusive toward Rachel spirals into a social media storm tainting his reputation and costing him sponsorships. To salvage the situation, his long-time girlfriend, Imani (Bridget Atlanta), advises him to find Rachel and create a false romance to rebuild his reputation and earn more endorsements. Imani, ironically becomes an unwitting collateral damage of her own mad cap scheme.
Though advertised as a rom-com, the film leans heavily towards dramatic social commentary — the craze for internet fame, a broken family, a deadbeat father, and the gradual death of real love in a world fascinated by “reel love”.
Director Kayode Kasum ensures that every scene reinforces these themes. Social media plays a major role in the protagonist’s life and this is reflected in the film through clever visual storytelling. Screens and pop-up notifications frequently interrupt moments of real intimacy, reinforcing how digital life dominates and upends personal relationships.
The film’s strength lies in its unflinching portrayal of how quickly online narratives distort reality. Tomiwa’s desperation to salvage his career leads him to fake a romance with Rachel. What begins as a transactional arrangement — scripted declarations of love and staged dates —slowly unravels into genuine vulnerability.
The screenplay, written by Ife Olujiyigbe while simple, effectively captures the obsession with social media validation. Every event in the film is shaped by online reactions —viral moments, cancel culture, and arcs of public redemption.
The dialogue is funny and the romantic tension is well explored. While some plot points feel cliched like Tomiwa’s deadbeat father Akin (Muyiwa Ademola), trying to reconcile with him now that he is rich and famous — the film succeeds in keeping us invested by grounding the story in verisimilitude.
Also, the screenplay cleverly mirrors the duality of modern identities: Tomiwa’s polished online persona vs. his insecure true self, and Rachel’s quiet resilience vs. her internalised loneliness and struggles to cater for her sick father. Their chemistry, awkward at first, blooms into tender authenticity, contrasting sharply with the hollow glamour of their online facade. Using the caustic, divisive social commentator The Megaphone (Hermes Iyele)) to pull down Tomiwa, it reflects on the dog-eat-dog nature of the influencer culture.
Though the film’s narrative is engaging, the performances are a mixed bag. Timini’s Tomiwa delivers a decent performance, convincingly portraying a man torn between image and authenticity. The girlfriend Imani, though not the focus of the plot, lacks depth and is reduced to a stereotypical role — the ambitious partner who prioritizes success over emotions.
The standout, however, is the family-oriented Rachel. Omosuku brings warmth, humour, and raw emotion to her role, making her character the emotional anchor of the film. Her chemistry with Timini is undeniable, elevating the movie beyond its predictable premise.
To establish its themes, the film’s pacing slows in the second act before accelerating in the third to connect the themes: in a world obsessed with filters and facades, true connection demands courage.
The climax, where Tomiwa takes two decisive and courageous steps, is a cathartic rejection of societal expectations. It is a reminder that love, stripped of algorithms and social media validation, thrives on real emotions and imperfection.
***Michael Kolawole is a screenwriter, playwright, poet, and cultural journalist/critic. Catch him on X @mkflow
