KPIANS the feast of souls is a surreal delight. It is uncompromisingly articulate right from the storytelling to the eventual rendition utilizing great cinematography, well crafted lighting and beautifully rendered special effects which are mostly the product of practical filming rather than post production CGI and Computer based Visual Effects. The overall feel of the movie is humid and eerie and this feel adds to the buildup of tension and uncertainty all through the movie. The Characters are carefully revealed within the first couple of minutes and it is not difficult to guess each person's character traits the moment they are seen. The decision to adopt pidgin English as spoken in most west African countries and Nigeria to be specific pays off as the character are able to attain an added dimension of fluidity end expressionism while they converse – without the rigid set back of a foreign language that might not capture the precise intents of the characters; especially when all hell is let lose. The story telling mechanism is gradual but the sense of impending danger is carefully crafted into the formation of every scene – even those that might have otherwise been perceived as relaxed and sensual in different occasions. The acting is believable – not assuming and not forced. Each character's emotion drenches the viewer from scene to scene, compelling the viewer to become an active member of the story telling. The gore is truly gory and the scare factor is not over flogged towards an impressionistic end. The director was clearly not bothered about ratings; neither did he try to play safe in any way. He was undoubtedly just expressing something that was innate and intense – something from the sub conscious realm; something beyond entertainment. The story curve is smooth and builds up as each new scene unfolds. Another attribute worth mentioning is the fact that the antagonist is hard to decipher till the very last scene in the movie hence, everyone is a suspect till the director decides to reveal. Finally, upon the revelation of the person behind all the deaths, the director still goes ahead and blackmails the viewer into a state of empathy towards the Character – something I find extremely commendable. Kpians the feast of souls represents convincingly the strength and skill set of film makers outside Hollywood. With a production crew of just nine persons and a very small budget, the visuals and special effects defy the boundaries of budget as regards to attaining believable and commendable visuals, special effects and overall picture. This is definitely the best movie of its genre coming from Africa in recent times; especially from Nigeria and its Nollywood Film Industry. In a nutshell, Kpians the feast of soul is groundbreaking in its effective use of an unimaginable budget to achieve something that is nothing short of extra – ordinary.
