Lizard

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Akinola Davies Jr. directs. Shabier Kirchner behind the camera. Tim Dewit scores. Kit Jennings cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom, Nigeria. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 1Tight 19-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
• 2Released 5 years ago.
• 3International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, Nigeria.
• 4Directed by Akinola Davies Jr., shot by Shabier Kirchner. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 5Original score by Tim Dewit. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 6Editor Kit Jennings shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 7Naomi Akalanze and Lala Akindoju and Pamilerin Ayodeji carry the top of the cast.
• 8IMDB entry: tt13029028 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
• 9Only 6 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography

Shabier Kirchner

Original score

Tim Dewit

Editing

Kit Jennings

Sound

CJ Mirra

Runtime

19 min · 0h 19m

Status

Released

Original language

EN

IMDB

Lizard (2021) ↗

Also by

Akinola Davies Jr.

• 
  My Father's Shadow

  2025 · ★ 7.2
• 
  X US

  2022
• 
  Spirit

  2026
• 
  Rituals: Union Black

  2026

Community reviews

What people are saying

• CinemaSerf2024-02-08
  ★ 6/10

  "Juwon" (Pamilerin Ayodeji) has a sort of danger-radar that annoys her pastor, so he ejects her from her Sunday school at her local Lagos church. Ordered onto her knees outside, she espies and then finds herself following a lizard that was crawling along the ground and out into the streets. Encountering a familiar policeman, she is told to go back inside - that it isn't safe. She's a charmer, though, and manages to get him to go buy her some food - he can "keep the change"! Her wanderings take her to the city's massive "Mega Church" where she and her aunt (Rita Edward) both become victims of the real violence of the city that shocks them both. Ayodeki is quite engaging as the innocent eight year old, and the story has a potent message about the indiscriminate nature of the lawlessness that exists in this massive city. There are two contrasting societal scenarios presented here, one of a more Christian nature; the other of a more a venal one - and though that works well enough, I felt this to be a rather disjointed effort that wasn't telling me everything. Perhaps there was a complicity between the church and the criminals? Perhaps not? It's a big story to cram into twenty minutes and maybe it needs a longer, better developed version?

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• 

  BBC Film

  GB

• 

  Potboiler Productions

  GB

Key crew

• ProducerRachel Dargavel
• ProducerWale Davies
• Co-ProducerNick Hayes
• Co-ProducerFunmbi Ogunbanwo
• Executive ProducerAndrea Calderwood
• Executive ProducerGail Egan
• Executive ProducerDionne Farrell
• Executive ProducerEva Yates
• Line ProducerLucy Drury
• EditorKit Jennings
• Sound DesignerCJ Mirra
• First Assistant CameraMairead Albiston
• Second Assistant CameraCristina Cretu
• Chief Lighting TechnicianChristian Epps
• Additional MusicCJ Mirra
• Title DesignerMartin Huntford

Release history · US

When it landed

• Digital2021-08-01· Criterion Channel debut