My Father's Shadow
Two brothers' brief journey through crisis-stricken Lagos becomes an intimate reckoning with an absent father's sacrifices and the fragile bonds of family.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- tense
- intimate
- quiet evening
- international cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly acclaimed the film's politically charged humanism, vivid Lagos setting, and Sope Dirisu's commanding performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The two brothers experience Lagos and the 1993 election crisis while trying to understand their estranged father.
Political unrest directly threatens the family's journey while exposing the father's personal struggles.
The brothers explore Lagos and witness both its magnitude and the pressures of everyday life there.
Folarin's sons spend time with him despite his long absence from their upbringing.
Films like My Father's Shadow, and why
Timbuktu
shared intimate father son drama, political tension, and richly observed African social setting
The Rider
shared emotionally restrained family conflict, urban precarity, and social realism
Shoplifters
shared child-centered perspective, estranged parent dynamics, and humanist drama
The Battle of Algiers
shared political unrest rendered through personal relationships and immersive city portraiture
Movie Details
- Director
- Akinola Davies Jr.
- Release Date
- 2025-09-19
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (54)
Cast
- Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù
- Chibuike Marvellous Egbo
- Godwin Egbo
- Akereli David
- Owa Orire Jeremiah
- Efon Wini
- Olarotimi Fakunle
- Greg 'Teddybear' Ojeufa
- Tosin Adeyemi
- Martha Ehinome Orhiere
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is My Father's Shadow about?
- Two brothers' brief journey through crisis-stricken Lagos becomes an intimate reckoning with an absent father's sacrifices and the fragile bonds of family.
- What is My Father's Shadow like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of My Father's Shadow as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is My Father's Shadow violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in My Father's Shadow as mild.
- What did critics think of My Father's Shadow?
- Critics broadly acclaimed the film's politically charged humanism, vivid Lagos setting, and Sope Dirisu's commanding performance.
- Which films are like My Father's Shadow?
- Films with a similar feel include Timbuktu, The Rider, Shoplifters, and The Battle of Algiers.
- How long is My Father's Shadow?
- My Father's Shadow runs 93 minutes.
- Where can I watch My Father's Shadow?
- In United States, My Father's Shadow streams on MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel.
