‘Lobola Man’ Netflix Movie Review - A Worthy Rom-Com

Lobola Man is based on the life of a man who fakes his identity to be a mediator in Lobola and brings down the price. Ace, the male lead, is a lobola negotiator and helps to decrease the burden on the groom's family by reducing the money they've to pay the bride's family. This tradition has its loopholes and Ace aced the game. He didn't have a stable personal life and due to his childhood traumas, the poor man found it hard to believe in the institution of marriage.

When he was just a kid, his father used to take him in his car while he was busy making out with women other than his mother. When Ace gets enrolled in a new project where he has to negotiate Duke’s lobola, destiny has something else in mind. Zandi (Duke's fiance) is the woman Ace liked at the first meet and he wasn't aware that soon she's going to be her project. It's fun and sweet watching them wanting to come close to each other but stopping themselves from falling into the depths of what we can call love. And, when they finally realize it, there's no stopping them.

It's after a very long time that I've liked a romantic comedy movie as it contains all the ingredients in the right quantity. We all know how these usually follow the same formula and end at the airport. When the moment came and Ace rushed to the airport looking for Zandi, I silently prayed that it shouldn't be what I was thinking. It's a common trait of rom-coms to end like this and for a change, I wanted a different ending. It's as if the makers knew a better way to portray the last scene. I loved it when he slipped some currency notes to airport staff and entered the aircraft Zandi was sitting in. People usually propose with a ring and here's our hero on his knees, with chocolate in his hands asking for a second chance. Extra points for this lovely and unexpected ending.

The actors were a perfect fit for their characters and brownie points for Lawrence Maleka as he played Ace in a manner that made the audience connect with him. The man from spending every night with a different girl went on to being a loyal lover. The concept behind lobola being a tradition in some countries has an added charm to it. Unlike India where dowry is paid and a girl is considered a burden, there are countries where the groom's family pays the bride's family for raising their daughter. Hats off to this tradition and congratulations to the writers as they used this key piece of information to a successful title.

Spanning over a duration of approximately 100 minutes, it's a perfect escape from the chaotic life. The audience will be able to predict what's going to happen next yet still there's an itch to watch how it'll be carried out.

Final Score – [7.5/10]
Reviewed by - Riya Singh
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Publisher at Midgard Times