What Is Love Without Tough Conversations? "The Bar" Explores the Crossroads of Life and Relationships [#TAFM24]

When failure and self-doubt collide, a young couple must navigate tough choices in life, love, and law.

THE BAR is a short film, about 18 minutes long, directed by Hope Eniayekan. It was screened at The Annual Film Mischief 2024.

When I first saw the poster for The Bar, I immediately assumed it was about, well, a bar where people go to drink. Without reading the synopsis, that was my default assumption. So, imagine my pleasant surprise when I discovered that the film was actually about the bar—the one law students struggle to pass.

In The Bar, we follow Nnamdi, a 26-year-old law school graduate, whose future is thrown into turmoil after failing the bar exam. The story delves into the emotional aftermath of this failure, as he’s forced to question the career path he once thought was set in stone. As Nnamdi grapples with whether to reapply or carve a new path, tensions arise with his girlfriend, Ladi, who passed her bar exam and wants him to face the reality of the situation. She urges him to tell his father the truth, but Nnamdi clings to the hope of trying again—leading to a heated argument that pushes him toward an unexpected life pivot.

This short film centers on the dynamic between this young couple, both of whom are on a similar trajectory—only now, they’ve hit a crossroads. Ladi’s blunt approach to Nnamdi’s dilemma can come off as harsh, but it’s clear that she has his best interests at heart.

“That's another year of your life wasted for something you don’t even particularly love,” she argues.

“It’s called Law. I’m not supposed to love it,” Nnamdi fires back.

The tension in this exchange is palpable. The topic is heavy and real. While Ladi's words may sting, the heart of the issue remains — Nnamdi must figure out if he’s truly committed to the law or if it's time to forge a different path.

However, despite the clear tension and meaningful conversations, there came a point where the back-and-forth arguments between Nnamdi and Ladi began to feel forced. Their exchanges dragged on to the extent that I started questioning whether they were arguing just for the sake of it. It felt as though the conflict was being unnecessarily prolonged to push the narrative forward, even after the story had already made its point. When characters seem to be speaking more for dramatic effect than for genuine storytelling, there’s a risk of losing the audience’s engagement. This is where The Bar stumbled. While the core message remained profound, a bit more brevity in the execution would have enhanced the overall impact.

That said, The Bar succeeds in highlighting the importance of having tough conversations, particularly within relationships. It captures the emotional weight of navigating disappointment, fear, and self-discovery. Nnamdi's struggle to stand up to his father mirrors a broader theme: sometimes the person we most need to confront is ourselves. Only when we take ownership of our own paths can we begin to move forward. It's a strong message from Hope Eniayekan, and despite the film's little hiccup, it’s one worth taking to heart.