Gone Too Far Review

From my experience, it is rare that a comedy, whilst being funny, can maintain and capture a high degree of social realism. However, I think that this film achieves this goal extremely well. Gone Too Far is unlike any other "hood" comedy I've seen before and its uniqueness is what makes it so interesting to watch. This also allows for a meaningful message to be promoted without the film being too emotional and therefore retains both a laughing and thinking audience who may see things differently after having watched the film.

This film highlights "a day in the life" of a British Nigerian, Yemi who has grown up as an only child, in Peckham, despite having a brother who has been living in Nigeria until this day. Interestingly enough, the boys' act of fulfilling their mothers' request to purchase the vegetable, okra (lady fingers) for dinner, sets them up for many street encounters which are both funny and engaging.

Typically, most audiences would expect that this film would reinforce the same stereotypes as other films that may seem to be of a similar genre such as anuvahood, kidulthood, etc. However, I would argue that this film is quite distinct from its neighbouring films. I think that this could be largely due to the fact that it was initially written to be a play meaning it would have had a different goal and feeling to it for audiences who are watching.

Although screenwriter Bola Agbaje did highlight a few stereotypes of native Nigerians, Asians and British black people, she still ensured that she included real experiences that may have actually happened in Peckham. This, along with the natural lighting, standard camerawork and not over-the-top editing used within the film contributed to its realism. Therefore, the movie maintained audiences' perceptions of it being, perhaps relatable to those who may have a similar lifestyle. This allows audiences to focus more on the content of the film as opposed to any "special effects" which I believe fits well with the writer's intentions when creating the film as would be expected in its intended play setting. Anyone who is enjoys analysing but also appreciates lightheartedness would really enjoy this film.