Gone Too Far! 2014

Nigerian-born Yemi moved to the UK with his mother when he was three, and now, as a teenager in Peckham, south London, he’s living with his mum while his older brother Iku stays behind in Nigeria. The family dynamic centers on balancing daily life, chores, and the pull of football with friends. Their mum has finally secured a visa for Iku to join them, and she asks Yemi to ready his room for his brother’s arrival. While their uncle prepares to collect Iku at the airport, Yemi is distracted by the urge to play football, despite his mum’s earlier instruction not to.

At the park, Armani and Paris sit on a bench watching the young players and trading news. Armani is hoping to see Razor, with whom she has recently broken up. Yemi notices them and goes over to chat, launching into conversation as Razor and their friend Ghost pass by. Razor’s mood tightens with jealousy, and in a moment of embarrassment for Yemi, their mum appears and drags Yemi home by the ear.

When Iku arrives, Yemi’s disappointment surfaces in his brother’s fashion sense, especially his socks and sandals. Mum plans to cook, but a missing okra item becomes a problem. She sends Yemi back out to fetch more, insisting Iku accompany him.

Outside a shop, Yemi asks Iku to wait behind. Iku hurries ahead, hoping for crisps and chocolate, and sneakily hides some items in Yemi’s hoodie. At the checkout, Reema frisks Yemi and finds the extra item, and the brothers leave without the okra. They decide to source okra from the market instead, but their errand becomes a string of mishaps. Iku keeps losing sight of Yemi, and their journey is punctuated by chances to spot Armani and Paris. Throughout this stretch, Yemi tries to talk to Armani, navigating the tension of past and present.

Back in the neighborhood, Razor and Ghost linger in a car, listening to a radio show that debates whether Black British rappers with African heritage can use West Indian slang in their lyrics. The discussion reveals Razor’s pro-Jamaican, anti-African stance, highlighting a rift over cultural identity.

Yemi searches for Armani’s whereabouts and learns from others that he was looking for her. Razor and Ghost’s path intersects with Armani’s younger sister, and a bike is stolen as part of a chaotic chase to find Yemi. The encounter with Armani grows tense: she persuades Yemi to fetch a Peruvian hair extension to prove his commitment, but Iku intervenes, pulling Yemi away from the shop.

Razor and Ghost soon spot the brothers again, and a chase ends in a scuffle. Iku delivers a decisive fly kick to Razor and Ghost, and the brothers escape. For the first time, Yemi feels impressed by Iku, and he resolves to “deal with Razor and his batch.” Iku, however, later regrets the kick, calling Armani a “foolish girl” and revealing that he had previously asked Razor for directions when they were lost. The moment deepens the brothers’ tension, and their argument erupts again.

Meanwhile, Paris criticizes Armani for trying to use Yemi to provoke Razor, and reveals she herself has feelings for him. The two girls fall out, and Razor contacts an older friend, Blazer, who’s at a radio station to help sort things out. Rez (a rapper) and the DJ urge Blazer to claim his African roots, adding another layer to the already tangled dialogue about heritage.

After another clash between the brothers, during which Iku proclaims pride in being Nigerian, Yemi seeks out Razor. Armani explains she wasn’t genuinely interested in Yemi, and a heated exchange about cultural heritage follows. Armani, who has a Jamaican father and a white mother, voices a resentment toward Africans for their role in the slave trade, intensifying the rift.

Desperate to set things right, Yemi searches for Iku and runs into Paris, who offers support. Night falls, and Iku is found resting against a wall. He refuses Yemi’s help and tells him he’s ashamed to call him brother, though Yemi accepts responsibility and promises to “make it right.” Yemi ultimately locates Razor, Armani, and Ghost, and intends to talk with Razor, but Razor immediately engages in another fight. Iku arrives with Paris, and he and Ghost join the fray. Paris questions whether anyone truly understands what they’re fighting about, and Ghost admits he doesn’t.

Radio station guests arrive and probe the conflict further. Rez asks which side is truly on this African-West-Indian war, and Blazer asks if anyone realizes he’s African too. Rez contends that the “black on black” conflict has to stop, but Razor announces he’s leaving the area for Jamaica. Iku’s quick Yoruba line earns a knowing smile from Rez, who understands, and the two brothers form a bond through language and shared culture. Rez invites them to his studio, but their mum intervenes, furious, and makes it clear they are not going anywhere.

The following day, the brothers train together in the front garden as a form of parental punishment. Yemi asks if Iku has forgiven him, and Iku’s warm response—“Of course”—helps ease the tension. The film closes with a tentative note of reconciliation: Yemi says, softly, that it’s been “cool, you being here,” signaling a hopeful, if fragile, sense of family unity amid the complex web of identity, loyalty, and belonging.