“Landline” by Dele Doherty is an exceptionally unique concept from what Nollywood viewers are used to. The movie centres on just three characters, Kola (Gabriel Afolayan), Shalewa (Zainab Balogun) and an assassin (Bucci Franklin), who deliver riveting performances in a recurring harrowing loop. In this torturous cycle, where love, compassion, and pain intertwine, we see two lovers creep into the refuge of each other repeatedly, as Kola strives to help his heavily pregnant wife, Shalewa, escape the cold hands of a masked assailant.
While we watch Shalewa die ten times across several loops, we see Kola evoke different emotions from the torment of hearing his pregnant wife die over and over again on the phone, without him being physically present to protect her.
Kola’s shifting reactions mirror both the resilience and vulnerability we all experience when forced to confront the same pain over and over again in our lives. This article closely examines how each of Kola’s reactions changes with every heartbreaking loss.
‘Mother of All’ in Decline: Students Decry Dilapidation in OAU’s Faculty of Education
(The exact time of Shalewa‘s passing in each loop is indicated in a bracket.)
First demise (3:55)
At this time, Kola is still unaware of the loop and the death of Shalewa, so he shows no emotions for her.
This is how we act when we are ignorant of pending problems, we keep living life normally because there’s no reason to be disturbed.
Second demise (23:24)
Kola‘s rush of emotions towards the safety of his wife set in right after the call from the landline, where he’s warned by his future self, ‘In less than two minutes, your wife is going to die, tell her to rush into the closet and hide.’ He gets puzzled when he calls her and she insists that they have not spoken in a while, despite just talking. His confusion turns to panic when she briefly falls silent, leading him to fear she’s already in danger. Though he’s unaware of her actual death at that moment, his visible tension and emotional turmoil highlight just how deeply he cares for her.
Third demise (31:11)
In the third loop, Kola is brought to the realisation of Shalewa’s death for the first time, as she’s killed over the call. He feels excruciating pain; fresh, genuine, hurting, agonising pain. Overwhelmed with grief, he breaks down in tears, shouting and pounding the bed in utter heartbreak.
Fourth demise (34:44)
At the beginning of another loop, Kola receives a call from Shalewa. Stunned to hear her voice after just grieving her death, he is thrown into a state of confusion. Struggling to make sense of the situation, he just lives through the moment in a daze, unsure of what is real. He later realises he is caught in a time loop, marking a turning point and setting the climax of the movie.
No Shame in Hustling: Untold Stories of OAU Students Redefining Campus Entrepreneurship
Kola‘s emotions this time are problem-solving oriented. They aren’t on a call when she dies, so he doesn’t feel any pain for it this time. He would rather await the beginning of another loop, as he believes he can save her by following the instructions on the landline.
This time, we see him transition from confusion to belief.
Fifth demise (39:47)
Kola is more invested in the survival of Shalewa this time. He believes he has the information that will save her, so he instructs her with full belief that she will make it. But when he hears the fear in his wife’s voice, he feels her pain and tears drop down his face. As she dies, he tries to calm her down and then gives up, saying, “I promise I will save you next time, I’m sorry.”
Belief, pain, then helpless defeat.
Sixth demise (46:51)
Kola begins to question everything, confused and frustrated that his efforts have failed, so when Shalewa calls this time, he is reluctant to pick up. He is tired of the situation and his inability to save her. Kola later clings to a renewed sense of hope, offering her new instructions in a desperate attempt to change the outcome. But once again, it ends in failure.
Seventh demise (47:23)
Kola doesn’t pick up the phone, and he is not shown at all. This symbolises the void in his heart and the position his unproductive efforts at saving his wife have left him.
Fact Check: OAU Management Made False Claim About Arrest of Students During Wike’s Visit
Eighth demise (55:07)
At this point, Kola is angry. He expresses his frustration at the whole situation as he rages at the stranger on the landline and demands answers. Fueled by determination, he convinces himself that with the right strategy, he can outsmart death. But once again, his plan fails. As Shalewa dies, Kola is overcome with agonising frustration at the cycle that continues to defeat him. “Again! Again, again!” he laments, frustrated by the relentless repetition despite all his efforts.
Kola‘s outburst is deeply relatable, it is a natural reaction anyone might have when faced with the countless blows life can sometimes deliver.
Ninth demise (59:43)
Kola is resilient. He returns with renewed determination, convinced that learning from the mistakes of previous loops will finally lead to Shalewa’s survival.
When Shalewa dies this time, Kola appears to have grown numb to the pain of hearing her die, and would rather use her lessons to the advantage of helping her survive in the next loop. “Let’s try this again, we will get him this time,” he says. A moment defined by resilience, belief, and unwavering optimism.
Tenth demise (01:06:39)
At the beginning of the tenth loop, Kola looks forward to the call. His pain is now buried beneath a fierce determination to finally break the cycle and save Shalewa.
Incessant Robbery Incidents at Moremi Estate and Beyond: A Call for Action
For the first time since this ordeal began, he experiences genuine joy, shouting in triumph when Shalewa tells him the killer is dead. He is so happy his plan worked. Unfortunately, his joy is cut short when Shalewa tells him she got shot in the process. He feels so much pain afresh. The fresh wave of pain hits even harder, like the sting of finally seeing the light at the end of a long, dark tunnel, only for it to disappear
He screams and yells in anguish and disappointment. His grief turns into misplaced anger, as he lashes out at Shalewa for not following his instructions exactly. He cries out and expresses the pain of hearing her die over and over again. However, when she gently reminds him she’s the victim and he should sympathise with her, his perspective shifts. He breaks down, expressing guilt and sorrow for not being there. He said, ‘I’m sorry I left you, I left our baby… I should be there protecting you, protecting our daughter.
It’s impossible not to feel for Kola at this moment. In minutes, he has endured unimaginable emotional highs and lows. We see him go from a hundred to zero, as he has his hopes smashed once again.
Relief:
More ambitious and strategic than before, Kola comes up with a plan to put an end to the painful loop for good. His plan works, and the killer is defeated. Kola shows a calm look with no extra emotions. He is relieved, and he assures his wife he will be home soon.
From romantically bonding with his wife moments before the time loop, to experiencing panic, pain, confusion, belief, empathy, concern, defeat, hope, failure, void, anger, compassion, frustration, hope again, joy, heartbreak, disappointment and guilt during the time loop, Kola endures what feels like an emotional electrocardiogram in a short period. Such that when he eventually triumphs, he doesn’t even get to celebrate with fanfare. He is simply relieved that everything is over now.