MOVIE OF THE WEEK September 18, 2026: THE FISHERMAN
A tradition-loving Ghanaian (Ricky Adelayitar) who scoffs at the idea of electronic fish finders and turns up his nose at social media and smartphones learns that the modern world isn’t all bad in writer-director Zoey Martinson’s charming feature debut The Fisherman. And the fact that he does it with the help of a cheeky talking fish and a trio of energetic young people makes his journey all the more whimsical.
Atta Oko Sackey (Adelayitar) has spent his whole career on the water, learning the time-tested ways of catching fish and working his way up through the ranks of an old-school boat crew. With his boat chief (and longtime friend) finally ready to retire, Atta is confident that his own time has come: He just knows he’ll be elected the next chief. But, to the villagers’ surprise, the chief names his son as his successor, claiming the younger man is the best choice to lead the crew members into the new age. Atta begs to differ, storming off and claiming that he’ll somehow find way to get his own boat and continue the traditions he loves and values.
Atta finds unexpected support in the form of crew misfits Shasha (Endurance Dedzo) — whose good instincts are dismissed because she’s a woman, even though she’s the only one in the village with a nautical degree — and joined-at-the-hip wisecrackers Kobina (William Lamptey) and Emmanuel (Kiki-Romi), who dream of becoming their own bosses. And then there’s Koobi (voiced by Abdulazeem Dulo Harris), a rare, valuable fish who finds his way into Atta’s basket and proceeds to talk the old fisherman’s ears off, sharing his strong opinions on everything from Beyonce (he’s a biiiig fan) to how to win at cards. As the group ventures from their sleepy village to the bustling city of Accra, Atta must listen to the fish and learn how to navigate both the wider world and his role as the father to a daughter who seems determined to leave her roots as far behind her as she can.
Martinson depicts the tension between tradition and progress with loving affection: Over the course of The Fisherman, almost every character learns how to see some issue or situation though another’s eyes, building empathy both between the characters and within viewers. No one here is all good or all bad; they all have flaws, and that makes them all the more lovable and relatable. That, plus Koobi’s diva attitude and the movie’s colorful production design and lovely setting, make The Fisherman a modern fable that’s as easy on the eyes as it is soothing for the heart. — Betsy Bozdech
Team #MOTW’s comments:
Loren King A sumptuously shot escape into a tiny, vibrant seaside community in Ghana, The Fisherman drops a dose of magic realism into a tale about stubborn traditions slowly giving way to the new. Writer-director Zoey Martinson crafts a love letter to Ghanaian culture through memorable traditional fisherman Atta Oko Sackey (Ricky Adelayitar) who, after many years, is finally poised to become “boat chief” of the dozens of men who fish the sea at the edge of their village. Atta is old school, dismissing “smartie” phones to check the weather and resisting allowing women to fish despite the eagerness and knowledge of accomplished local college graduate Shasha (Endurance Dedzo). Martinson deftly blends a story about social change and Atta’s personal journey with fairy tale touches such as a talking fish that becomes Atta’s guide. The Fisherman is colorful, literally and figuratively, as it combines the whimsical with substantive messages about caring for the environment and honoring personal and communal dreams.
Leslie Combemale The Fisherman is pure technicolor joy, with a plot line that trundles along, a strong arc for the wrong-headed, behind-the-times lead character, an interesting and sympathetic female co-lead, and a wonderful soundtrack including songs by cutting edge Ghanaian artists Worlasi and Wiyaala. Folks should seek this celebration of Ghanaian culture, which rightly has been wowing audiences on the festival circuit around the world, and is finally coming to arthouse screens across the US.
Jennifer Merin The Fisherman, a charming first narrative feature from writer/director Zoey Martinson, is a fable-like, thoroughly entertaining foray into the real life and wish-filled dreams of an aging Ghanaian village fisherman who is forced by circumstances and oppotunities to reconcile his conservative attitude and traditional beliefs with the obvious benefits that come from modern scientific knowledge and current technology — all with the help of a talking fish. Yes, a talking fish!!! A particularly bougie talking fish, at that. The captivating story explodes off the screen with humorous sequences, superbly sympathetic performances, coloful costumes, clever cinematography and editing, engaging special effects… all supported by great sound design and hand-clapping, toe-tapping music that’s judiciusly applied. And, by way of encouragement (without spoilers), it’s so nice to have a happy ending!
Liz Whittemore Before the title card appears in Zoey Martinson’s Venice Film Festival winner, The Fisherman, audiences are completely enamored. The battle between tradition, technology, environment, folklore, and the future is as riotous as it is charming. Atta and his joyous band of perceived misfits journey out of their fishing village to seek a loan to buy their own boat. Atta’s spirited version of Jiminy Cricket, a talking fish named Koobi, guides him through trials of identity and stepping into a new life.Adam Carboni’s delivers a beautiful mix of handheld camerawork and mesmerizing underwater shots, capturing the glorious spirit of Ghana. The dialogue is laugh-out-loud funny, and performances are stellar across the board. The Fisherman overflows with enchantment and heart, reminding audiences to follow their passion regardless of age or the fear of failure.
Sandie Angulo Chen: Ghanaian filmmaker Zoey Martinson’s The Fisherman is a humorous and touching story about tradition, ambition, and learning to embrace change. Veteran actor Ricky Adelayitar (Beasts of No Nation) is phenomenal as Atta Oko, an old-school fisherman who has spent his life dreaming of becoming boat chief, only to be passed over for the position. When a motley crew of younger fishermen—including a young woman determined to challenge tradition—invites him to join them, Atta must reconsider his ideas about leadership, hierarchy, and what it means to be part of a crew. Whimsical and warmhearted, The Fisherman is a feel-good intergenerational story about finding a new way forward.
Monique Jones Directed by Zoey Martinson and produced in part by Yvonne Orji, The Fisherman is a delightful film about how change can be hard, but ultimately rewarding. The film’s main cast, including Ricky Adelayitar, Endurance Dedzo, William Lamptey, Kiki-Romi and the voice of Abdulazeem Dulo Harris, have a charming (and in case of Harris’ fish character Koobi, sometimes humorously raunchy) adventure in Accra to acquire a boat to achieve their dreams. But the boat is just a vehicle for finding truth–everyone begins to understand each other’s pain points and struggles, and they all learn to accept each other and themselves. Adelayitar’s character Atta, who overcomes his obsession with tradition and becomes more open-minded, has the biggest arc of growth in the film. But Dedzo’s Shasha also has just as big an arc, finally conquering her anxiety about not fitting in with the village and having ambitions traditionally frowned upon for women. A touching scene with Shasha and Atta’s daughter Naa (Adwoa Akoto) lovingly gives audiences a clear understanding about why accepting others is important. The scene didn’t need to beat you over the head with explanation; it just showed bare emotions at play, and if more films could do that, I would be happy. I did feel like the middle of the film lagged a little bit. But that’s truly my only nitpick. I think The Fisherman is a great film to watch to explore more of African cinema and to connect with universal lessons that connect all of us together.
Cate Marquis Funny, playful, warm and wise, The Fisherman has something of the charm of another old hit set in Africa, The Gods Must Be Crazy, although a much different story. In writer/director Zoey Martinson’s Ghana-set comedy, old traditional fisherman Atta Oko is unhappy with modern life, particularly irritated by things like “smarty phones” and everybody being on social media. He is constantly talking about tradition and grumbling about lack of respect, although actually his life isn’t really so bad – he has a loving wife, a comfortable home, and even has a daughter who is a lawyer in the big city of Accra. When Atta is not named the new “boat chief,” the leader of the village’s fleet of traditional fisherman, and the position can go to a younger man who is big on technology but knows little about fishing, Atta loses his temper and storms out, saying he is going to buy his own boat, an old dream never fulfilled. But he takes with him a big fish he was given as a sort of consolation prize. Turns out, the dead fish is magical – it can talk and it tells Atta it has a message for him. But first the fish has certain demands: a nice luxury tank, some extra comforts and bling – because this is a fish accustomed to the better things in life. The film’s demanding, wise-cracking, bougie fish is hilarious, and a ragtag bunch of young misfit traditional fishers also join Atta on a comic quest to find the money to buy a boat to fulfill his old dream. Naturally, only Atta can hear the talking fish which causes all kinds of trouble, and the three young people who tag along have their own crazy ideas, but the result is a charming, funny, warm film that combines the best of this kind of crazy adventure, a story with humor, heart and realizations that change can also be good and that maybe you had more than you thought you did to begin with, as well as a surprising and affectionate portrait of a Ghana fishing village and even the city of Accra.
FILM DETAILS:
Title: The Fisherman
Director: Zoey Martinson
Release Date: September 18, 2026 (theatrical, limited)
Running Time: 107 minutes
Language: English
Screenwriter: Zoey Martinson
Lead Performers: Ricky Adelayitar, Endurance Dedzo, William Lamptey, Kiki-Romi, Abdulazeem Dulo Harris
Distribution Company: Smoke&Mirrors
AWFJ Movie of the Week Panel Members: Sandie Angulo Chen, Betsy Bozdech, Leslie Combemale, Monique Jones, Loren King, Cate Marquis, Jennifer Merin, Nell Minow, Liz Whittemore
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Edited by Jennifer Merin
