‘Unclaimed’, the new crime drama from acclaimed director Biodun Stephen, revolves around the death of a husband and the woman accused of killing him. But beyond the central mystery, the film explores trust, emotional abuse, and the fragile dynamics between friends, partners, and the people caught in between.
In this recorded conversation, Nollywire sat down with Elma Mbadiwe (Mary), Teniola Aladese (Detective Rose), Omowunmi Dada (Tejiri), and Yemi Cregx (Chima) for a raw, no-holds-barred conversation about betrayal, emotional violence, and the quiet chaos that unfolds when the people closest to you are also the most dangerous.
The thriller also stars Kunle Remi, Timini Egbuson, and Michael Ejoor.
Mbadiwe, who plays the accused, describes Mary’s arc as a journey between “redemption or conviction”, pointing to the frustration of being unheard—a feeling that, she notes, began to affect her even off camera. Aladese, as the sarcastic and sceptical detective, reveals that she was directed to lean into her character’s unlikeability: “I want people to be annoyed by you,” she recalls Stephen telling her on set.
Dada, playing a best friend unsure of what to believe, points to the thin line between love and suspicion in intimate relationships. “If you cannot trust that your friends will not do certain things”, she says, “why exactly are you friends with them?” Cregx, cast as the victim’s closest friend, discusses how uncertainty shaped his character’s grief and confusion.
But what begins as a conversation about performance quickly deepens. The cast also touch on emotional and psychological abuse, the complexity of manipulation in close relationships, and the quiet forms of harm that aren’t always visible. While the film centres on a death, the conversation shifts focus to the emotional conditions that precede it—gaslighting, doubt, and power.
This discussion offers a look at how actors think through character, morality, and discomfort—on and off screen.
‘Unclaimed’, a collaboration between Sam Ochomma-led The Hook Ent and Kayode Kasum’s Film Trybe, begins showing in cinemas nationwide on June 20, 2025.
Watch the full conversation now.
