Onua Mekyea Wo O! I greet you, my people, as the people say in Twi!!

Welcome back to another lovely weekly Movie and TV Review.

The film under scrutiny this week is Tori and Lokita.

Unfortunately, I didn’t read the fine print again, so this movie falls firmly into the depressing category. I swear this world can really get you down if you let it.

Anypoops, Tori and Lokita follows two adolescent immigrants fighting to stay together in a world determined to pull them apart. I kept hoping their story would turn into some Disney-like adventure where things eventually got better, but nope.

So, if you’re looking for a heartwarming feel-good movie, keep looking.

Now let’s be getting it!! Lol.

Even after watching the film more than once, I’m still not entirely sure how Tori and Lokita first met. Somewhere along the line, the two crossed paths through the same human smuggling network that brought them to Europe.

Tori, a so-called “witch child,” was abandoned as a baby and eventually brought to a French-speaking European country. (Once again, this wasn’t made entirely clear, or maybe I wasn’t paying close enough attention.)

Lokita, meanwhile, isn’t technically an orphan because her mother is still alive, though she remains absent from much of Lokita’s life.

The story they tell immigration officials is that Tori killed his mother during childbirth and was subsequently labeled a witch. Lokita then claims to be his older sister and guardian.

While trying to convince authorities of their relationship, Tori and Lokita struggle to survive. They’re already hundreds of euros in debt to the smugglers, Justine and Firmin, and on top of that, Lokita is expected to send money back home to her family.

The Black Tax

Ask many Black Americans, immigrants, or first-generation professionals what the “Black Tax” is, and you’ll often hear some variation of the same answer.

One person gets an opportunity—a college education, a better-paying job, a chance to move up—and suddenly their success belongs to everyone.

The expectation is that the individual will help pull the rest of the family out of poverty.

Sometimes that’s done willingly.

Sometimes it’s not.

That pressure weighs heavily on Lokita.

As the primary breadwinner, she endures some of the worst forms of exploitation imaginable: emotional, psychological, and sexual.

It’s no wonder she’s constantly taking pills to manage her anxiety.

Tori and Lokita earn money selling drugs for Chef Betim, a truly despicable human being who sexually abuses Lokita in exchange for the fake documents she desperately needs.

Why?

Because he can.

Nobody is there to protect her.

The smugglers, Justine and Firmin, view her as little more than a source of income. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were the ones who introduced her to Betim in the first place.

Spoiler Alert

Lokita dies.

And honestly, that hurt.

I spent the entire film hoping things would finally improve for these kids. Every time they found a small victory, another obstacle appeared.

I kept waiting for the movie to become the uplifting story I wanted it to be.

It never did.

At least my girl Lokita is finally getting the rest she deserves.

But Tori?

Tori is alone once again.

And that’s what stayed with me long after the credits rolled.

Anypoops, I give Tori and Lokita 4 out of 5 rose petals.

Tell me what you think! Drop a like or leave a comment if you enjoyed the review.

Thanks for reading.