Ahasss

In the 2012 South African drama film Ahasile, a clever reimagining of Sophiatown's turbulent past, Jake emerges as the protagonist in a gritty, and uncompromising world. The film delves into the intricacies of human relationships and social inequality. Jake appears as a young and unemployed houseboy living off the charity of his landlord's wife. Fikile, the woman he develops feelings for, is trapped in an unfulfilling and toxic marriage, which rapidly deteriorates into violence. In an attempt to intervene in Fikile's troubled marriage, Jake not only develops romantic feelings for her but also seeks to help her escape the clutches of her cruel husband, Bongo. As Jake begins to form close ties with Fikile, their bond becomes increasingly intimate, resulting in the realization of Fikile's desires for a life free from abuse. The turbulent domestic life between Fikile and Bongo gradually gives way to intense confrontations, where these darker, raw emotions spill over into Jake's presence. Fikile begins to see Jake not only as a houseboy but also as an escape from her emotionally draining past. This, however, doesn't come without consequences. While Jake is working to free Fikile from the suffocating and hazardous marriage, Bongo discovers that Fikile has started an open affair, resulting in an unsympathetically dark fight between Bongo and Fikile. At the same time, Jake also seems to unknowingly encourage this development. Against the strong protests of Fikile, the separation that follows will only lead to catastrophic consequences, tearing apart a delicate balance and inviting Jake to face a complicated moral predicament. In a chaotic rage, Bongo does the unthinkable: chasing after Fikile's fleeing husband when they brutally open fire at Fikile as she struggles with the chaos she has created. Surprisingly though, Fikile starts to develop something deeper and softer for Jake - but the intensity of their developing emotions towards each other seems so out of place and wrong, considering the violence in which her husband brought them.