Omoni Oboli’s YouTube hit is the first cinematic event of 2025—if you can call a romcom released on YouTube a cinematic event. But we live in strange times, and its impressive 15,780,444 views racked up in less than two weeks make it an event. This is in spite of a viewing glitch occasioned by a copyright snafu.
Obiora (Uzor Arukwe), the well-heeled gentleman in Love In Every Word, is a man who believes that love is a verb with muscles; one that thrives on actions and dedication.
His belief in love as an act of will and pursuit is put to the test when he meets Chioma (Bambam Olawunmi Adenibuyan), a woman who seems determined to remain just out of reach.
Obiora encounters Chioma at her cousin’s wedding in Anambra, and an instant attraction sparks between them. After spending the night in his hotel room, she runs back to Lagos without giving him her phone number. To prove himself a worthy suitor and get her phone number, Obiora travels to Lagos and buys the office building Chioma works at.
Ludicrous, yeah? Obiora could have easily gotten the number from Chioma’s mother—after all, she was responsible for their meeting.
Nonetheless, the absurd scene sets the tone for the movie’s romantic affair and conflicts.
Before Chioma met Obiora, she’d been in and out of toxic relationships where she was sexually objectified and treated as nothing more than a financial provider by a lay about named Chris. Obiora, on the other hand, is the toast of every lady and their mother. Still, he remains selective and thoughtful about his love life.
Chioma and Obiora are instantly enamoured of each but after a few dates, her feelings for him start to thaw — not because she’s still in love with her ex-boyfriend, Chris, or because she discovers something distasteful about Obiora’s past, but for a very silly and flimsy reason: Obiora’s Igbo accent.
“He sounds Igbotic,” Chioma tells her friends, who believe she is experiencing a spiritual and psychological attack.
Though Chioma’s deep-seated bias plays a role, using Obiora’s Igbo accent as a tool of conflict between them isn’t strong enough because it lacks depth and genuine stakes. It is a mere ploy meant to drive the story into the third act.
However, in the third act, we are thrown into a decent conflict: Chioma’s childhood trauma and daddy issues—a problematic father-child relationship that still haunts her and holds her back. The focus on Chioma’s inner turmoil, rather than external forces like the sudden appearance of her ex-lover or the revelation of Obiora’s hidden past, creates a compelling conflict that feels organic and easy to explore. Screenwriter Daniel Uzodinma’s decision not to burden the screenplay with unnecessary sub plots make for an interesting narrative choice.
The cast of Love In Every Word is minimal, but their performances are a maximum thrill. The chemistry between Bambam and Arukwe is palpable; it’s as though they are a real-life couple living their truth. Every interaction between them carries a natural rhythm, making their romance feel less like a scripted affair and more like a genuine connection unfolding before our eyes.
Chioma’s friends, Ify and Ivie (Osereme Inegbenebor and Amanda Iriekpen), her toxic boss and her personal assistant, all deliver standout performances.
Yet, at times, Arukwe’s Obiora leans too much into exaggeration for comedic effect, which makes his delivery feel a tad bit forced. Bambam’s Chioma remains subtler and more natural.
The references to Chioma’s childhood anxiety from Ify to Ivie (and us) are underdeveloped. This slip also affects the follow-up scene, where Ify and Ivie reveal to Obiora that Chioma’s dilemmas stem from her daddy issues. These scenes lack the emotional weight needed to push the resolution forward — a little refinement could have made them stronger.
Fortunately, the pristine closing scene serves as a saving grace.
***Michael Kolawole is a screenwriter, playwright, poet, and cultural journalist/critic. Catch him on X @mkflow
