The Girl in the Yellow Jumper review: This first Ugandan film on Netflix tells a gripping tale with very few actors

4/5

Story:

The film follows the story of a man named Jim who escapes a hostage situation and returns home only to share an unbelievable story.  

Review:

What is notable and highly appreciative of this Ugandan thriller film is that they managed to tell a gripping tale with minimal actors, oozing with talent. The film also uses a bit of animation amid a serious story, which is a fun experiment but might seem a little over the top.   

The story opens with a news anchor narrating crimes against families in a very brutal manner. The media had nicknamed the serial killer, a cigarette butt killer as he leaves the cigarette butt next to the bodies. He also leaves a witness in his crimes but only to kill them later. It then follows a man who is seen sleeping on his couch, watching the news, getting drugged and tortured by a woman in a yellow jumper, wearing a mask. Cut to, an aerial shot of a beautiful landscape on a highway with a car driving by.  

Most of the story is shot in the car with Patrick and Jim engaging in some storytelling sessions. Jim asks for a lift on a highway from the police officer Patrick who agrees after doing a basic body and bag check. Patrick tells Jim that he has a similar bag and asks him to get in the car, keeping the bag in the back seat. Patrick was on the way to take a witness in a serial killer case to the police station when he's stopped by Jim. The two get on talking and injured Jim tells him that he was kidnapped by two religiously extreme women and buried alive. He however manages to escape and kills one of the girls (Dorothy, the girl in a yellow jumper) and tries to shoot at the other girl who was waiting in the car but she manages to flee. Patrick finds it really strange but asks Jim to go with him to the police station so that he could help create the sketches of these girls. But they decide to stop over at Patrick's house first as his pregnant girlfriend needed some help. 

Jim overhears the conversation between Patrick and her and realises it was Patrick's sister and girlfriend who had tried to kill him. He tries to escape but all in vain. Patrick then realises the truth about Jim and every lie he had told him. Jim is accused of impregnating a 12-year-old girl and trying to perform an abortion on her himself to avoid taking her to the hospital. Dorothy learns the truth when the girl is finally brought to the hospital where she is working and decides to take revenge. But the story of the film takes a turn entirely with a major plot twist in the end.

The film is well-edited. With a perfect run time of about 1 hour 20 minutes, it manages to grip you and keep you engaged. The story is intriguing and can sometimes get you to wonder what is happening on screen but only to surprise you with its plot twists. Ugandan films are known to be made on low budgets but yet they come out with great productions. One such example is The Girl in the Yellow Jumper. 

The cinematography and direction are exemplary. The tone used throughout the film reminds you of a film of the '70s from Western cinema. The thrilling background soundtrack adds to the story and amplifies the suspense element in the film. It keeps you at the edge of your seats for most parts. The use of animation to explain some situations in the film might, however, feel over the top but it is negligible. The twists in the later parts of the story will make you let that go. 

Verdict:

The film is a recommended watch if you are a fan of thrillers. It is intriguing and keeps you engaged throughout the story.