To Kill A Monkey

This film delivers a powerful punch from start to finish. The storyline is deeply engaging, layered, emotional, and full of tension that keeps you glued to the screen. What truly elevates it, though, is the cast. Every actor brought their A-game. Oboz (F. Bucci) and Efemini (William Benson) both delivered raw, believable performances that gave life to their characters. It's rare to see such across-the-board excellence in a cast.

This isn't just a film you watch, it's one you feel. Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates strong storytelling and exceptional acting.

Nigerian movies have always excelled at storytelling, but lately, many Nigerian Netflix films have struggled when it comes to telling stories that feel relatable or grounded in our lived realities. To Kill a Monkey was a refreshing change. Its attention to detail and high relatability, backed by a solid cast, are a testament to the effort of the cast and crew and I must applaud them.

The unending travails of poor Efemini, truly embodying the saying, "when it rains, it pours", were both heartbreaking and captivating. Oboz da Boss gave an outstanding performance. The character's lack of social awareness, red eyes, hairstyle, long nails, and loud fashion sense were spot on. As someone who has lived in Benin, I can say it accurately captured a very real archetype.

To avoid spoilers, I won't delve into the plot, but I will say this: while the film was compelling, a few scenes felt a bit too slowly paced, and at times, the music overpowered the scene when it should have stayed in the background.

I'm giving this movie an 8 out of 10. It rises above the kind of movies that have lately flooded the Nigerian market, over-polished, under-connected stories, and instead offers something bold, grounded, and culturally resonant.

Finally we got to watch 'To Kill a Monkey' after waiting for a very long while😃 Kudos to Kemi Adetiba for always coming up with original stories, it's fascinating how her brain works!

DELICIOUS

-Hats off to the production designer for a job well executed: from the costume and set designs to the props, every detail was meticulously crafted with the script and characters in mind!

-We didn't have any concern about William Benson (Efe), Bucci Franklin (Oboz), and Teniola Adelese (Ivie) because they ALWAYS deliver😊Stellar performances!!

-'To Kill a Monkey' is another proof that Kemi Adetiba is growing. There were major production improvements noticed compared to her beginning stages with 'Wedding Party' in terms of sound engineering, direction and cinematography

BLAND

-The title was more poignant than the actual story...You think the series was all about trying to kill "the monkey", when on the contrary, it centered more on Efe. Leaving us in total confusion.

"The monkey" should have been designed as a terrifying character due to his mask and renown, but unfortunately, he never uplifted the story with any powerful influence

-Chidi Mokeme's role was not quite necessary as it did not add much depth. Which notorious gangster only requires 30% off a deal😳 He was not intimidating, and was constantly "falling short" of his goals

-Many scenes were stretched or repetitive without providing new insights, especially the Oboz-Efe moments in the restaurant and Efe-Amanda moments.

-How did the opening scene affect the whole story? It was fearful and spicy but had it been omitted, it wouldn't have made much difference as it had little impact🙁

Overall, great initiative from Kemi Adetiba and team, and we wish them the best as they continue improving their skills!

Nigeria cinema and television is rapidly approaching the highs and lows of Western entertainment, and this is evident within this series. However, To Kill A Monkey's biggest problem is that it wastes a lot of time to tell a story that could've been cut down by an episode or two. It's a great crime thriller, but not that great at character drama. Ask yourself this; what does this show have to say about society and Nigerian society? In a series about a man being brilliant and poor being forced into life of crime, coming out at a time where many Nigerian citizens are in dire economic situations, it says shockingly little about the nature of the systems that lead people to do evil, and instead turns into a power fantasy about money before delving into a very predictable crime thriller. The moral of story is not anything you haven't heard before. 8 episodes to say, while wagging your finger at you, "Crime doesn't pay". Boring and predictable. Especially the last episode is hamfisted and overly explicit with the messaging.

Brilliant performances. Great editing. Good cinematography for the first 2 episodes, but it quickly falls off.

This was an interesting watch. Loved how they incorporated several Nigerian languages in different scenes, it made it more relatable.

Loved the character of Amanda; she carried herself with so much charisma in every scene she was shot. The cinematography must be commended as well.

In the pilot episode, the hospital scene to be precise; where the lady asked Efe to go with her into the office; the lighting was poor I must say. The office could pass off as an interrogation room rather than an office due to the poor lighting. I am guessing the night scene was shot during the day.

I also understand that Nosa wanted the mum to give them some space at the hospital but asking her mum to go buy cold pure water seemed out of place for someone who just went through CS.

Chidi Mokeme's daughter lost her children in the car blast; wished there was a grieving scene of her which also shows her blame her father Chidi for the demise of her kids.

Despite these drawbacks, I must say the acting was above average as the actors delivered their lines effortlessly. I enjoyed their performances; especially that of Oboz and Ms Sparkles. It was an interesting watch but the ending was pretty rushed in my opinion.