Common Sense Media Review
By Jose Solis
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Romantic drama with drinking, sex, and language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Umjolo: There Is No Cure
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In UMJOLO: THERE IS NO CURE, we meet Thoko (Londeka Sishi), an openly lesbian beauty queen who loses her title after being involved in a scandal. Hoping to restore her reputation, she hires a popular writer to pen her memoir. She meets the author's assistant, Nana (Busisiwe Mtshali), who has a big secret, and as the two realize their relationship might turn into something else, they must come to terms with whether they want to live in freedom or continue keeping appearances for society.
Is It Any Good?
Although the films in the Umjolo series have not been the best in terms of overall quality, the fourth installment breaks the cycle and is a lovely and deceptively smart romantic drama. It seems it took the series' creators some fine-tuning and experimenting to deliver the refreshing Umjolo: There Is No Cure, which repeats many of the same formulaic elements of the other films (their obsession with social media, vapid dialogues, impossible loves, etc.) but subverts them through a nuance the other films lack.
This might be due to the series' exploring its first queer relationship, as it does through the story of a disgraced beauty queen who tries to restore her reputation in a memoir, for which she hires a famed writer. This leads to a Cyrano-like dynamic between the beauty queen and the author's assistant, who holds a big secret of her own. Although the film follows some of the tropes of previous installments, particularly its obsession with social media and easy celebrity, the central love story is filled with delicate moments elevated by the sensitive performances of Sishi and Mtshali.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Thoko shows courage as she apologizes for her past behavior. Why is it important to make amends for past mistakes?
How do the characters show the importance of honest communication?
If you were to write a memoir, would you write it yourself or ask someone else to write it for you? If so, who would you want as the writer?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : February 14, 2025
- Cast : Nombulelo Mhlongo , Busisiwe Mtshali , Yonda Thomas
- Director : Mthunzi Dubazana
- Inclusion Information : Not Applicable Movie Director(s) , Black Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , African Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s) , Black Movie Writer(s) , African Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Romance
- Character Strengths : Communication , Courage
- Run time : 78 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : March 16, 2025
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