My Movie Review: Into The Badland

Watching Into the Badlands, the first time around, I did not have a clear idea on what the show entailed. The hint of deep battle, pain, and survival was already presented by the poster, and indeed, the series brought all these and much more.

The movie is not just like any ordinary films I have watched. It is a combination of martial arts, survival, betrayal and the everlasting pursuit of freedom within a world that feels broken and unrewarding in so many ways. When I was watching this as a Nigerian woman I identified with the aspect of fighting regardless of what you are going through in life.

The plot is that, in some weird future theres no guns, only knives, swords and martial arts. People live with strong rulers known as Barons and these Barons own land, money and the lives of ordinary people. The thing I found to be really heartwarming in the movie is the fact that only the strong survive and mercy is so seldom. The world is cruel and it is the fittest that survives. However, even in such a heartless world people strive to live in freedom, peace, and a better life.

The protagonist who is Sunny is a warrior who has fought numerous battles. His eyes reflected the weight with which he had to cope since the inauguration. He is faithful to his Baron, but deep inside him, he is bored of killing. He has a different life that he desires to have and brings to other people around him. I always admired his strength, but more than that, I admired his humanity. We may believe that such strong people never feel pain, but the Sunny story teaches us that even the strongest warriors are slaves of the invisible wounds.

There is one thing that I really adored about Into the Badlands and which is the fighting scenes. I have never witnessed such pretty action, as a kind of dance almost. The martial arts are quick, swift and stunning. All the fights entailed some emotion, not violence. Sometimes, I would be clapping as if I was in the theatre yet I was in my home. The dance, the slowness of the proceedings, the thud of swords being clashing against each other, it was art. It also taught me that fighting isn't only about being strong; it is also about being skillful, patient and being focused.

The deeper story that really tugged at my heart was the following one. It is not a simple battle against the enemies with swords in which Sunny runs around. It is destiny versus destiny He wants to get out of the Badlands and get some peace, but the world keeps pulling him right back into war. It brought images of how our lives are at times. We want to go forward, to become happy, but circumstances continually come to blow things up. Nevertheless, as with Sunny, we need to remain fighting to the end.

I also liked the theme of betrayal. In the badlands, trust is near to impossible. People change their affiliations in a matter of night and time and loyalty can be severed by avarice. This reminded me of the society we live in where people betray each other so that they can get higher. However, despite all the dark moments, there were still times of love, care and sacrifice. That kind of balance was real and cogent to the story.

The poster of the kneeling man with the sword puts it so well, it is not only about the war but also about giving up, suffering, and strength to stand back up. I could tell the burden of every choice that Sunny had to make. The expression Fight to the End never left me.

The other thing that I observed in the movie is that the movie intertwines culture and philosophy. The story contains a lot of lessons. As an illustration, absence of compassion destroys everything with power. Love can provide strength and at the same time weakness. There is a payment to be made after every decision and the payment can be greater than we anticipate. This made me really examine my life, and the choices I make.

The performance was good, the attire was to die for and the scenery was breathtaking. The Badland world appeared to be dangerous but at the same time attractive in some strange way. It demonstrated that there was such a thing as a beauty and cruelty that existed together. The music was so much more emotional as well. There were instances that I almost cried not through sadness, but because of how the story moved the soul.

Finally, Into the Badlands is not a mere serial with fighting elements. It is the tale of survival, liberty and the human spirit. It has taught us that no matter how bad life becomes we should continue to push on. The path that we see Sunny takes replicates our lives as well. We have battles within us but it only counts that we go on till the end.

As a Nigerian woman watching this I was inspired. Our lives may not be as rough as the Badlands but we struggle too on a daily basis. The lesson of inspiration to be courageous, persevere to the end and be hopeful is one that I will always remember. Indeed into the badlands is not just a mere show. It is a reminder that despite us living in a brutal world we can still uphold the hope of humanity and continue on until we have our breakthrough.