Movie Review: Masinga – The Calling
One-liner: While atmospheric, visually-arresting and timely, this dark psychological drama thriller struggles to connect the dots.
Masinga: The Calling is a psychological crime drama thriller about an African-born detective who returns to his homeland from the United Kingdom to investigate a Russian child trafficking operation. It’s here that he must confront the ritualistic murder of his Albino brother, whose spirit guides his quest. Hakeem Kae Kazim takes on the title role of Masinga, a detective haunted by unresolved trauma from his childhood.
Directed by Mark Engels, Masinga: The Calling is a visually-compelling thriller that assembles some of South Africa’s finest acting talents. Led by Hakeem Kae Kazim, who is best known for his role as George Rutugunda in Hotel Rwanda, as well as blockbusters such as Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Godzilla vs. King Kong.
Adding natural gravitas and a soulful presence to every project, it’s easy to see why Kae Kazim is in such high demand. Having played Robert Mugabe in the self-titled biopic Mugabe and Moise Tshombe in Hammarskjöld: Fight for Peace more recently, the international actor has remained loyal to African stories.
In Masinga: The Calling, Hakeem Kae Kazim’s presence and the fine local supporting cast are a highlight, supported by Shamilla Miller, Abdul Khoza, Fana Mokoena, Brandon Auret, Adrienne Pearce, Warren Masemola and Sean Cameron Michael. As stellar as the local ensemble is, the performances are somewhat restrained and scattered by a choppy edit and lightweight characterisation. Unable to connect with Masinga’s quest, the storytelling remains at arm’s length.
“…the money’s always dirty.”
Much like the casting, settings and accent work, Masinga: The Calling attempts to land an international feel in terms of its quality and scope. The artful design, unsettling atmosphere and stylish cinematography maintain the thriller’s momentum, remaining both fierce and visually-captivating. The film’s setting furthers this ambition from United Kingdom to Mozambique and South Africa, giving Masinga: The Calling a global scale.
Engels wields some intriguing overarching African themes around the diaspora. From Russian sex trafficking to Asia’s expansion into the continent and spiritual warfare, Masinga: The Calling swathes the detective story in some thought-provoking and timely subjects.
Unfortunately, as promising as some of these individual elements are, Masinga: The Calling struggles to lace it all together. Unable to establish a direct emotional connection with Masinga, the fuzzy distance with the character numbs the overall efficacy of the picture. Juggling so many characters and themes makes it even more difficult to follow. Then, the disconnect is further aggravated by stylish yet frequent flashbacks.
Masinga: The Calling is a textured crime drama thriller with a fine cast that summons up intrigue, spirit and style but is too ambitious in its quest to perform at an international level. Coming in breathless at 75 minutes, the dark psychological thriller culminates in a contrived and rushed climax that sweeps everything into its storytelling whirlwind and leaves with more questions than answers. Starting with promise, it has a strong concept but gets bogged down by trying to do it all and having too many moving parts.
The bottom line: Unwieldy
