In South African comedy, Soweto Blaze, Mo is a drug dealer who is not particularly good at his job. Instead of selling weed in the park, Mo daydreams his life away (between occasional smokes), but needs to hurry up and make some money to appease corrupt local

police officer, Thibo.

But Mo’s problems go from bad to worse when two local stoners devise a half-brained scheme, and drag him into it. The scheme involves kidnapping the daughter of local loan shark, Lebo the Lion, holding her captive at Mo’s house, and then ransoming her off for a ridiculously high price.

Mo has no idea about the kidnapping, until he returns home and finds himself involved. From here, things escalate and the real trouble begins.

Image: ©33 Films/Netflix
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Directed by Brad Katzen, Soweto Blaze is a stoner crime comedy starring Matli Mohapeloa, Dimpho More, and Sydney Ndhlovu. The movie is new to Netflix and is an occasionally humorous picture, with some decent moments and its heart in the right place.

This isn’t to say it is particularly amazing, nor is it a must-watch film on Netflix, but it is to say it shows potential. The film includes a few creative flourishes here and there, which demonstrates some good ideas, and the script is playful enough to deliver some fun.

Image: ©33 Films/Netflix
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Soweto Blaze opens with a disclaimer informing the audience the best way to enjoy the film is by being as high as a kite. This disclaimer makes it pretty clear what type of film lies ahead, and how serious it takes itself, and to the credit of director Brad Katzen, he delivers what he promises.

Soweto Blaze doesn’t take itself too seriously and appears to simply exist for a few light laughs. There is a daft tone throughout, which works well enough to carry the central premise, and it does the best it can with its low budget.

Image: ©33 Films/Netflix

Soweto Blaze won’t be for everyone, and I expect it’ll prove to be an acquired taste, mostly for those curious enough to stick with it, but it’s not bad. The cast are strong, many of the right ingredients are there, and while it is rough around the edges, it can’t be faulted for doing its best with clearly limited funds.

Should you wish to check it out, Soweto Blaze is now streaming on Netflix.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

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Reviewer/film watcher

Alex Wiggan

Alex is the writer and editor of the It’s A Stampede! blog, and specialises in movies, TV, comics, retro toys, and general geekery. After graduating with a degree in film & television studies from the University of Derby, Alex went on to study journalism in Sheffield, before acquiring NCTJ accreditation. Prior to creating It’s A Stampede!, Alex was a magazine editor, a senior copywriter, and a freelance writer.

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Thank you for taking the time to read this review on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.

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