On Becoming a Guinea Fowl (2024) review

While heading back home after a party, Shula (Susan Chardy) finds her Uncle Fred (Roy Chisha) dead on the road as well as her intoxicated and obnoxious cousin Nsansa (Elizabeth Chisela) hanging around and making a scene - later on, when preparing for the burial and dealing with drama, she has to pick up Bupe (Esther Singini) from school, who doesn't want to attend the funeral ceremony.  The movie does make a very important point regarding families and the way many of them "cover up" (or outright dismiss) sexual abuse - Shula and Bupe were both victims of Fred's abusive behavior - and how their apologies sound hollow (because they are) ... but unfortunately the rest of the film is rather alienating: Shula, the main character, barely speaks and is emotionally unavailable, and the late Fred was a bad husband, a severe alcoholic and predator, so it's not like the world is losing a gem of a guy.  Director Nyoni flirts with surrealism at points, and sometimes it's effective - the scenes in the flooded dorms are visually interesting - although that last shot is a little too on-the-beak.