In 2016, Seun Opabisi, the producer of The Odds, created a Google Doc to jot down random ideas — one of which would later evolve into the film. His collaborator on the document, Kewa Oni, would go on to direct this initial concept. For a film that began as a rough idea in 2016 and was developed between 2018 and 2023, it is a timely production that vividly captures the rise of sports betting and the mindset of a generation shaped by it. It examines a subject that has quietly embedded itself into everyday life, revealing how deeply it influences personal choices, relationships, and societal norms.

Screened recently for the first time to a private audience in Lagos, The Odds dares to ask urgent questions: What does it mean to be lucky in a society that leaves so many behind? How far would you go to escape poverty? And what is the true cost of fortune and favour? The film is a beautifully shot portrayal of today’s survival mindset and its far-reaching effects on society.

But where does the idea of exploring luck and fortune come from? “The idea for the screenplay, just like our other scripts, came from an imagined image or sequence of images. “What would it look like if this crazy, sudden thing happened to that character? How would his day pan out? How would he get out of it?”, then we bounced the idea between us a bit. Early on I had a fairly clear idea of who the lead character is and how the other characters come into the story,” the filmmakers tell Get Unruly.

“It then became a task for me to explore themes and pick the thing the antagonists are trying to get their hands on. Money would be the straightforward option but I’ve come to be inspired by stories where the conflicting characters are all after a valuable thing which isn’t itself plain cash, yet is something you imagine they would all convert into money ASAP,” they explain further. “Thus avoiding making actors have to repeatedly say the line: “where’s the money?!” And judging by reality, it didn’t take much hunting to pounce on the elements of sports betting.”

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A Snapshot of the Plot

In modern-day Nigeria, poverty & resilience intersect in a world ruled by fate and chance. This bold, gripping new feature film written and directed by Loup Garou’s Oni, set against the vivid backdrop of Lagos in an incredibly intense 24-hour period, tells the story of Sule, a young man whose life is irrevocably altered by a single, fateful encounter in a nightclub bathroom. It’s a high-stakes journey through sudden fortune, lurking danger, and fragile hope. Sule stumbles into unexpected wealth, but with it comes the wrong kind of attention. To survive, he must navigate a city that offers no mercy, relying on an unlikely friendship as his only lifeline. The film is a raw and unfiltered portrait of contemporary Nigeria, where many people turn to gambling, not merely as a pastime, but as a means of survival.

It offers a raw and unfiltered portrait of contemporary Nigeria, where many turn to gambling not just as entertainment but as a daily ritual—a last resort in a system that has failed them. In a country where economic collapse has left millions scrambling for opportunities, sports betting has mushroomed into a cultural phenomenon. It has become a way of life, a religion, a flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, today will be the day everything changes.

Expanding the plot further, the filmmakers share, “Actually sports betting isn’t the central theme of the movie. The central theme of the movie is the nature of fortune in the human condition and how it shifts through experience of life. Oddly enough (excuse the pun), shifting fortune is at the core of sports betting. Sports betting in ‘The Odds' is more of a plot device which leads to a major turn in the story, which sets each of the characters on the dangerous paths they respectively take.”

The creators chose sports betting as a focus due to its rapid growth in Nigeria and global appeal. “It's a booming business with a lot of eyeballs on it and as a form of gambling its relevance reaches beyond simple games of chance and into forms of entertainment beloved globally for over a century. One of such pastimes is soccer, which is huge in this part of the world and by association–sports betting; the high-risk/high-reward nature of the protagonist's multiplier betting stake compliments the ever increasing stakes in the movie, through each scene you’re on edge as things switch up unexpectedly just like in a big football match with millions of punters’ money on the line,” they explain.

Behind the Camera: The Team That Made It Happen

Lagos-based filmmaker Oni served as the writer and director, while Nigerian filmmaker, producer, and entrepreneur Opabisi produced the film. Ré Olunuga, the Nigerian composer known for his multi-genre orchestral and experimental music, composed the film’s score. Pat Ada Eze was the costume designer, and cinematography was helmed by Fẹ́mi Awójídé. Additional producers include Sean ‘Famoso’ Mchnicol, Jamiu Shoyode, and Phiona Okumu, who also served as music supervisor.

The Odds is a collaborative production between Loup Garou and Kids Against Cubicles. Founded in 2016 by Nigerian Filmmakers; Opabisi and Oni, Loup Garou is a media and production company known for bold, boundary-pushing storytelling, with a strong track record in creative storytelling.

Kids Against Cubicles is the film division of LVRN—the pioneering American label behind some of the most influential breakout acts in R&B and hip-hop over the past 13 years. LVRN is home to genre-defining artists like 6LACK, Summer Walker, TxC, and Odeal.

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The Cast

The Odds balances stunning performances by a talented cast of veterans including Osita Iheme, Victor Osuagwu, Ngozi Ezeonu, Afeez Oyetoro Kelechi Udegbe, and Tomiwa Tegbe. They are joined by a fresh set of new acting talents like Molawa Davis, Ejiro Asagba, Gbemi Akinlade, and Folaranmi Oladaye, whose portrayals breathe life into the gritty underworld of an African megacity, exposing the hidden layers of corruption and crime from dirty cops to street hustlers.

These days filmmakers are broadening their cast list to include veterans and fresh talents, making it a gathering of different generations of Nollywood. For Oni and Opabisi, their aim with the cast was to pick actors who would be memorably impactful. “Well before pre-production, when ‘The Odds' was only a script, Seun thought we should cast the veterans the way we did. Each of them are dear and memorable to the audience, fittingly as each of those characters needed to be memorably impactful in their scenes. And we’re inspired by filmmakers using familiar faces in unfamiliar ways,” Oni explains.

“We feel there’s a wholesomeness to the way the cast sort of stretches across generations from the originators to the new talent; and the casting of the new talent was straightforward. At script level I do not describe characters by physical appearance–I make an exception when the physical characteristics are relevant to the unfolding of the plot (and there’s one in this movie which upturns expectation but I won’t spoil)–so when it comes to auditions I’m focused on the spirit of the character so-to-speak. This makes decisions relatively simple,” he states.

The Film’s Soundtrack

Equally compelling is the film’s meticulously curated soundtrack. Blending Nigerian classics with an original score by award-winning composer Olunuga (Disney’s Rise, Iwájú), the music acts as a narrative force of its own, mirroring Sule’s emotional journey and the chaos that surrounds him. With Okumu serving as music supervisor and Olunuga composing the original score, it’s clear that music was a vital part of the film, crafted with relatability in mind.

“Whilst youth and youth culture is at the centre of the movie, the relatability of the story is wide open for everyone. We had this in mind as we worked with every department, not least sound. The score and the soundtrack fit hand-in-glove with the movie in a way that if you’re younger it all sounds like it belongs, like it would work in your headphones as you jam your playlists; and at the same time, if you have more conventional expectations it meets the standards you demand from a fast paced caper. The blend is timeless. It holds your hands through difficult to watch moments and spurs you on in excitement,” the filmmakers share.

Speaking further about the roles Okumu and Olunuga played, they comment, “With Ré, our shared sensibilities meant that communicating these needs was easy and they were completely fulfilled; he became as fluent in the story as we were and wrote music which reflects that with scarcely any cliche. Phiona’s diverse palate for music is such that she can pluck a song choice seemingly out of thin air, much fun was had bouncing ideas back and forth with her, experimenting through the process. The combination of skill and experience they each have makes it possible to have the film sound like the superposition in two quantum states we required it to be—simultaneously gratifying and sinister.”

What the Filmmakers Want the Audience to Feel

As viewers enter the world of The Odds, Oni and Opabisi hope the film leaves them feeling like they’ve been on an intense journey—one that sparks relatable conversations while capturing the underlying anxiety and desperation of everyday life.

“At the very end we want you to feel like you’ve been on a crazy intense journey with these characters. The story invites you to talk about the characters and their interactions almost as if you’re talking about drama at your workplace or gist in your class at school. But underneath it all, there’s an awareness of the heightened anxiety and desperation now permeating every aspect of our culture, our daily lives; I don’t want us to shy away from that,” they highlight.

While describing the film, the filmmakers say they would describe it as unpredictable with a finale that will be both surprising and attention grabbing. “The movie is designed to outmanoeuvre your expectations at every turn, right from the opening shot, starting every scene, ending every scene; I’ve repeatedly observed people try to guess outcomes early in scenes only to see them lean forward, unsettled as predictions they’ve just made are cancelled out. It’s built into the structure of the plot, the appearances and fortunes of the characters; all the way to the final moment. It surprises you as it rewards your attention,” they reveal.

What’s Next for The Odds

Speaking after the screening, Opabisi stated that theatrical release is not the immediate goal. Instead, the team plans a festival run and is considering streaming options. Early reactions to the film have been overwhelmingly positive, with audience members praising its honesty and emotional intensity.

As sports betting continues to blur the lines between desperation and hope, The Odds asks us to confront a haunting question: In a country where everything feels like a gamble, what does it truly mean to win?

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