OORO: Hoping Enos Olik's Latest Directorial Effort Avoids Crime Drama Clichés

As a journalist covering art, culture and entertainment, I recently received a pitch from one of the many publicists in my contact list, about an upcoming Showmax crime drama show titled Jiji.

According to the publicist, the soon-to-be-released film is a fast-paced youth drama that follows the lives of four young girls in the streets of Jericho, a low-income settlement in Nairobi’s Eastlands, who are forced into a life of crime to make ends meet.

Enos Olik, the regionally-acclaimed music video director behind most of the iconic music visuals is following his directorial debut, Famous, with this new behind-the-camera project. Being still relatively new in film directorial roles, this must be another enchanting journey for him at the helm of Jiji. 

So, this is how the plot goes: 18-year-old Julz will do anything to provide for her family. When her younger brother is accepted into a prestigious international school, she and three friends take another job with Jericho’s kingpin, Makali, leading to tragic consequences that change their lives forever.

Poster for the crime drama series 'Jiji'. /HANDOUT

In his own words, director Olik aims to “capture the raw and authentic experiences of life in the ghetto, Jiji delves into the nuanced lives of four young women, each with unique strengths and vulnerabilities, as they navigate a world that constantly pulls them back into crime”.

Olik adds that the intense emotional and moral conflicts, combined with the dynamic setting of Eastlands, promise a gripping and heartfelt narrative that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Crime dramas are known for being full of suspense and intrigue, but can also be prone to recurrent cliches. Crime shows have been and continue to be a popular genre, with something for every viewer available, including thriller crimes, crime sitcoms, comedy-drama, sci-fi crime, crime mystery, and crime drama.

I've watched a lot of single movies and series with common crime tropes that are identifiers of the genre: filming techniques, character arcs, motifs, relationships, criminals, themes, locations, and story arcs. Sometimes the shows break the mould, providing a new take, and expanding the genre, and other times, they stick to what viewers know.

Many crime shows have a main detective who is paired with a consultant through curious circumstances.

They are the ones who often break the rules because they aren't held to the regulations police must follow. They connect to the suspects and have a unique way of investigating. They form a strong bond with their partner.

Examples include psychic Patrick Jane from The Mentalist (2008), crime author Richard Castle from Castle (2009), Dr Mark Sloan from Diagnosis Murder (1993), club owner and demon Lucifer in Lucifer (2016), and mathematician Charlie in Numb3rs (2005).

Locally, we have seen shows like Nairobi Half Life, Pepeta, Kina, and Cobra Squad contributing to the crime drama scene. While these shows have their unique elements, the genre’s high popularity calls for more originality from Kenyan filmmakers. 

There is nothing whatsoever wrong with most of these examples. But given the very high popularity of the genre, it would be nice if Kenyan film writers and directors could be more original more often, instead of similar themes and situations cropping up repeatedly. It can be done.

Filmmakers are finding it hard to balance the tried and true with the new, interesting and exciting. While appreciating that staple characters are inevitable, I don’t wish to watch again about the bitchy teenage girl or boy; the sleazy male boss; the alcoholic, cold society woman; the garrulous neighbour; prematurely adult child; hard-as-nails but secretly sensitive editor; snobbish matriarch; arrogant "dude" that the heroine nevertheless falls for; the wisecracking detective; and the town crazy.

I have come across them from time to time, of course, and not just in crime shows. However, there are certainly plenty of over-used situations and characters in the crime films I have binged on, and I hope Enos Olik's latest forthcoming project in the pipeline will be an exception, with an out-of-this-world plot twist. Fingers crossed!

Ooro George is a Kenyan journalist, art critic, digital stories, and cross-cultural curator. You can reach him via LinkedIn here, through email: oorojoj@gmail.com and on X @OoroGeorge