Written, directed and produced by Mary Lazarus (also starring as Lina), this comedy drama titled “Who To Marry” was released on the 1st of August, 2025. With a runtime of 1hour 39minutes, the film is currently available for streaming on the producer’s YouTube channel with same name.

SYNOPSIS: (MAY contain spoilers)

Lina (Mary Lazarus), desperate to find a man to marry seeks advice from her neighbour Jolomi (Rex Nosa). Subsequently, Lina is then placed under a series of spiritual exercises by two different clergy men simultaneously. The result of this sees chaos, confusion and a seemingly wild goose chase as Lina appears to have bitten more than she can chew.

MY TAKE:

Straight up, after Bimbo Ademoye’s RUSE of 2024, Uchenna Mbunabo’s “THREE’S A MATCH” and Uche Jombo’s “AFTER 25” released this year, this is another good comedy that I’ve enjoyed in recent times. It’s hilarious with very funny lines and sharp witted sequencing. 

The background sound provides the right ambience as it sets a befitting pace for the genre as well as mood for a relaxing and interesting watch. The cast ensemble is different here with a refreshing mix. Cinematography is impressive. Performance is great as the delivery and role interpretation from nearly all the actors is compelling. 

Rex Nosa was very much in his element in this movie, effortlessly dishing out lines that would make you chuckle, giggle or even have a burst of laughter. Mary Lazarus did her thing too. Oh she’s beautiful & incredible. My best act in this movie is Kalu Ikeagwu who took his role so much so that it appears he’s a Pastor for real. I don’t think Femi Branch was suited for that role as Revd Oloye. Pretty much like a mis-casting to be brutally honest but oh well, he did his best. No offence.

Story/Plot:

While the story isn’t new as we’ve seen movies along this storyline a gazillion times over now, the style of storytelling via comedy however makes it thoroughly enjoyable. No dull moments. No dragged scenes. Good & interesting dialogues. 

Be that as it may, the plot leaves some questions in the mind of a viewer like myself from observations that are too obvious to ignore:

  1. Characters: some characters seemed to have been forgotten. We don’t know what became of Lina’s brother and his wife Venita (played by Blessing Obasi-Nze). Did he eventually get back together with her? We don’t know. Blessing played a cameo role here. More of her screen time would have added more depth to the film and would have made the movie more fun as her character was a strong one. She had more to give. Furthermore, we’re made to understand that Lina’s younger brother didn’t approve of his friend as one of the suitors for his sister, claiming that his ways are dubious. Now, we didn’t get to see if his reputation was truly questionable or not. The movie only somehow favoured the taxi driver which then made it easier to guess.
  2. Lines: There are missed lines. Once when Rex Nosa (Jolomi) refers to Lina (Mary Lazarus) as Lilian precisely at time frame 9:43 in the beginning of the movie. Another missed line is from Mary herself (Lina) in the second act of the movie when she tells her brother “…get ready let’s go!” when we know she was asking him to leave her house.
  3. The ex we saw in the third act of the movie didn’t add up. The actor who played that role also performed poorly. In fact, that part wasn’t necessary. I get it that it probably must have been a tool for a plot twist but it didn’t exactly blend well into the story, in my opinion.
  4. Why was Lina that desperate for a man? Was it pressure from her parents, from friends, as a result of age, terminal illness or as part of a bucket list? We really didn’t have that much information into her personal life. We only just saw a young lady running from pillar to post like a headless chicken in search of a husband like her life depended on it. Well, maybe I missed that detail though.
  5. Did Lina not have female friends she could actually really ‘confide in’ or go to for advice? Why did she have to go to a male neighbour (Jolomi) who by the way was running from his own shadow? Now, this is not me being sexist. That aspect of the plot just wasn’t as believable. 

Outcome/Lessons to learn:

Although the movie sets out on the plane of comedy, it didn’t miss out on passing very salient messages whilst highlighting some core beliefs.

  • As desperate as Lina was to find a man, she knew what she wanted and held on to it firmly. She didn’t settle for less nor allow her desperation becloud her sense of self worth.
  • With the rate of divorce flying here and there in our modern day society, practicality should be placed over fantasies. Lina listed out what she expects of her man. Maybe somewhat over the top, she rides on feminism as subtly highlighted here.
  • Lina had her principles which she continued to hold on to whilst being ready to settle down. 
  • In the course of searching for what you WANT, you may be chasing away or losing what you NEED. Discernment is key.

Conclusion:

Irrespective of the lapses or loopholes, questions or observations pointed out here, one thing remains and that is the fact that this movie is entertaining. The transitions and editing are seamless. We could very well say it’s a film for a perfect ‘YouTube & chill’ weekend. In my opinion, this could pass for a Netflix or Prime Video movie actually. It wasn’t predictable. Although it could have been a lot more than it turned out to be, regardless, it was fun to watch! Absolutely loved the sense of humour. Oh least I forget, this movie can be enjoyed by the entire family as its use of language is kids-friendly.

Verdict: 6/10

Thanks for reading. Have you seen this? What did you think?

Out of a total of five stars, you can also give the number of stars you find befitting for this movie if you’ve watched it. Very many thanks again.