MOVIE REVIEW: ‘Teachers Boy’ is a poignant reminder that words can wound

Cast: Eronini Osinachi, Jude Chukwuka, Tina Mba, Chima Bright Onwuama, Mary Jeremiah

The opening scene shows a young woman in silk pyjamas with a matching scarf, reclining on red pillows atop a dark-coloured sofa, ankles crossed, arms tucked between her legs, weeping profusely.

The combination of the wailing and sombre music score is quite sad. One wonders what brought about this melancholic display. Did someone die? Did she lose a parent? A child? What induced this great sorrow?

All the questions are soon answered when a young boy interrupts her brooding with the announcement, ‘Mummy, I’m hungry’. This angers her, and in between bouts of weeping, she relays the reason for the histrionics: another promising relationship failed as a result of her status as a single mother.

This first scene expresses everything wrong with the relationship between little Romade (Chidi Bright Onwuama) and his mother, Titilayo (Mary Jeremiah).

Titilayo is a beautiful young lady who works as an air hostess. On paper, she has a great life, but in reality, she is embittered because her son’s father seemingly abandoned her to raise their son alone. She desperately desires marriage, but that dream seems like a spectre because she hasn’t met any man who is willing to take on a woman with a child.

Therefore, she pours out her anger on poor Romade. She constantly hurls insults at him and mocks him relentlessly, thereby turning him into a timid kid.

He can do nothing right in her eyes, and no matter how hard he tries to obey her, to shrink himself, to stay out of her way, the verbal attacks keep coming.

Despite having the finances necessary to take adequate care of him, she routinely starves him of food, abandons him at home for days on end, and neglects his health.

This state of affairs continues till she luckily meets a man who proposes marriage to her. She then decides to send Romade to a boarding school and abandon him there because her new catch has no interest in playing stepfather.

As life sometimes goes, this decision turns out to be a positive turning point in young Romade’s life, as fate brings him into contact with Mr Akande (Jude Chukwuka), whose love and patient care, despite all odds, nourish his soul and bring him back to life.

This is the coming-of-age story of Romade, a boy born to an unwed mother, unloved, unwanted and regarded as a burden by his mother.

The movie shines a light on childhood trauma, including how it shapes our interactions and worldview even into adulthood.

In a country like Nigeria, where corporal punishment and harsh verbal upbraiding are normalised, this is a reminder that these actions could be harming the children more than we know.

Additionally, it highlights how positive male role models can shape a boy’s life for the better.

Mr Akande, with his positive outlook on life, his philosophies and moral instructions, took on the care of the broken boy who had been dumped like an afterthought by his own mother.

His kind presence was instrumental in building him up, calling him loved, cherished, and chosen and giving him a home despite the high personal cost. Nurturing him till he became a successful young man, full of verve and confidence, yet grounded in good morals and a sense of duty.

Despite all this, the memories of the abuse he endured as a boy didn’t fade. They shaped him into a man who associates women with hurt and abandonment. This sentiment got embedded so deeply within him that he saw all women as inherently bad and refused to engage with them romantically.

The film starts with the story of young Romade, then moves to adult Romade, and both parts continue simultaneously until the climax.

The score and soundtracks perfectly capture the movie’s quiet mood.

I enjoyed the cinematography, particularly the scene after Romade attempts suicide. In it, he is sitting in his bedroom, while Mr Akande is in the living room, yet both fit in the same frame. It depicts two souls at a crossroads– one abandoned by his wife, the other abandoned by his mother, weighing the gravity of their individual challenges before deciding to move forward together.

On the other hand, there were some ambiguities. How did Iya Romade(Tina Mba) move into Romade’s home? This was quite confusing.

The chemistry between Eronini Osinachi and Jude Chukwuka was palpable. There was an ease between them that could make you believe that they’re indeed father and son. Their acting was effortless.

Chima Bright Onwuama shines as Young Romade. His tone, expressions and quiet energy make this role believable. You cannot help but be emotional while watching him.

Tina Mba fits the role of the spurned mother seeking reconciliation without repentance. Her face is full of arrogant entitlement because she believes that, having birthed him, he is duty-bound to forgive her wicked actions and let her back into his life.

Mary Jeremiah plays the young Romade’s wicked mother so well that I was stressed on his behalf while watching her.

This is a moving story. The storytelling was excellent. It has many lessons, especially for parents who believe that being overly harsh with their children is a form of care and home training.

Teachers Boy premiered on 13 May 2026 and is now streaming on Biodun Stephen TV on YouTube.