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My Father's Shadow

Play trailer 1:59 Poster for My Father's Shadow 2025 1h 34m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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98% Tomatometer 82 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
The UK's Best International Feature Film entry to the 98th Academy Awards® and recipient of the Caméra d'Or Special Mention at Cannes, Akinola Davis Jr.'s MY FATHER'S SHADOW is a poetic, tender portrait of father-son bonds. Framed by the political landscape of 1993 Lagos, the film follows a father and his two young sons as they journey into and around the vibrantly rendered Nigerian metropolis, quietly reckoning with their relationship while navigating a city on the precipice of democratic crisis. Brothers and collaborators Akinola Davis Jr. and Wale Davies bring us a groundbreaking feature debut -- centering an award-winning performance by Sopé Dìrísù (Slow Horses, Gangs of London) -- that reveals the profound depths of what families leave unspoken.
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My Father's Shadow

My Father's Shadow

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Critics Consensus

Weaving high-stakes political commentary with rich personal dynamics that are bolstered by Sope Dirisu's commanding performance, My Father's Shadow casts a highly promising light on feature-debut director Akinola Davies' future.

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Critics Reviews

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Tim Cogshell FilmWeek (LAist) May 7
This is an absolutely beautiful and mesmerizing film. Go to Full Review
Jacob Oller AV Club Feb 13
B+
The story two brothers tell themselves about their father, and about their childhood in Nigeria, My Father’s Shadow is as well-loved and well-worn as a lucky charm. Go to Full Review
Alissa Wilkinson New York Times Feb 12
It’s that sharp contrast of beauty with an undercurrent of pain that makes “My Father’s Shadow” so bittersweet, and it’s why it cuts to the quick. Go to Full Review
Filipe Freitas Always Good Movies May 22
4/5
Filmed with great empathy, the work is as visually captivating as it is emotionally resonant. Go to Full Review
Beandrea July FilmWeek (LAist) May 7
Tender and sweet. Go to Full Review
Sarah Vincent Sarah G Vincent Views May 3
feels like a cinematic scrapbook of fractured memories told from children’s perspective, but retroactively this autofiction film will feel like a ghost story Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Tom F @RT55173143 3d A slow going but highly watchable look at boys learning to understand their father just a little bit. See more Wayne M @Wayne93 Jun 30 My Father's Shadow is a unique and fascinating film. It's heartfelt and authentic and very true to itself. The film marks the feature debut from Nigerian-British director Akinola Davies and is set in Nigeria in 1993. The country is contolled by the military and elections are around the corner. We follow two young brothers in Akin and Remy in the countryside. Their father Folarin collects them and takes them to Lagos, where he works. So sets off an adventure for all three, with turmoil and chaos around them. The film is effectively told through the eyes of the two young boys and how they see their father and also the troubled country, it is very effective at this. The film does a superb job of capturing the feeling of the times and the sense of place. Sope Dirisu is very good as the father, whilst the real life brothers are superb as the brothers in the film. An assured and impressive debut film. See more MB C @MB.Cinema Jun 20 My Father’s Shadow is a heartfelt drama that turns a simple journey into a powerful story of family and memory. Set in 1990s Nigeria, it follows two boys reconnecting with their distant father during a single transformative day. The film blends personal emotion with political unrest, seen through the innocent lens of childhood. Strong writing and intimate performances give the story authenticity and emotional depth. Its slow pacing and occasional over-explanation of the political backdrop may not work for everyone. Quiet yet moving, it’s a touching reflection on fatherhood, absence, and the moments that shape us. See more Vincent S @Vin_E_At_The_Movies May 14 This is a beautiful, harrowing, emotional and powerful drama about family. It is one of the most perceptive and heartbreaking family dramas in years. The performances by Sope Dirisu and especially the kids are magical and extremely strong and natural. See more Nicholas T. @TaylorNC17 May 8 Hard to muster the words after seeing… a beautiful and poetic meditation on life, family and freedom, profound in its simplicity. See more Jamey M @Unicycle6869 Apr 28 I thought it was boring tbh. See more Read all reviews
My Father's Shadow

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Movie Info

Synopsis The UK's Best International Feature Film entry to the 98th Academy Awards® and recipient of the Caméra d'Or Special Mention at Cannes, Akinola Davis Jr.'s MY FATHER'S SHADOW is a poetic, tender portrait of father-son bonds. Framed by the political landscape of 1993 Lagos, the film follows a father and his two young sons as they journey into and around the vibrantly rendered Nigerian metropolis, quietly reckoning with their relationship while navigating a city on the precipice of democratic crisis. Brothers and collaborators Akinola Davis Jr. and Wale Davies bring us a groundbreaking feature debut -- centering an award-winning performance by Sopé Dìrísù (Slow Horses, Gangs of London) -- that reveals the profound depths of what families leave unspoken.
Director
Akinola Davies
Producer
Rachel Dargavel, Funmbi Ogunbanwo
Screenwriter
Wale Davies, Akinola Davies
Distributor
MUBI
Production Co
British Film Institute, BBC Film
Genre
Drama
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 21, 2025, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA)
$105.9K
Runtime
1h 34m