The movie "To Kill a monkey" speaks greatly of a life we may have ignored to notice in search for wealth and fame. The movie is directed by Kemi Adetiba, and it's an ambitious crime drama.
Efe, a brilliant but hopelessly broke programmer, struggled under the crushing weight of hardship. For years he worked his way through pain and humiliation to make ends meet. Debts piled up and each day he questioned God's existence. However, one thing stood out: despite his poverty, he still enjoyed a happy home. His wife stood by him, always encouraging him to trust in God and the process.
However, when his desperation peaked, he crossed paths with Oboz, a boy he helped in the past, now a cybercrime boss. Out of desperation, he joined his group and supercharged their operations with his knowledge of AI manipulation. Soon he was trapped in a dangerous web of moral compromise and ego. What he felt would take him out of his misery became his nightmare. First, he compromised his faith, then gradually lost the peace he once enjoyed at home. Wealth wasn't the answer to all; worse, when it didn't come legally. Instead of peace, it gradually dragged him into a dangerous web that shattered everything he had built.
While many see a movie centered on crime and good performance, I see a movie that teaches us why possessions gotten from illegal means do not give us the peace we desire. Instead, it steals everything we have built in pain and sweat over the years. In the movie, Oboz grew so fond of Efe and trusted him, only to be betrayed by the very person he trusted. No one in the crime game can be trusted; there are always external forces that challenge trust among a group of people who have compromised their morals for gain.
What worked in the movie: the performance. The chemistry between Efe and Oboz anchors the entire movie production, and Oboz brought a quiet, tragic desperation to Efe. Oboz steals the show, and the actors played their parts well, bringing in every detail they held to transmit. The series is stunning; the style captures the contrast between Oboz's gritty survival and sudden wealth, and the movie captures a relevant section in this modern time—cybercrime known as "Yahoo Yahoo."
And here is where the movie falls short: The movie relies greatly on dialogue and less on action. The movie also skipped parts showing Efe's adaptation into the world of crime, rather it shows him already wealthy after joining the group in a short time.
It's one of the best Nollywood movies I've watched over the years, and I recommend it, not just for someone who enjoys drama but to everyone who wants a movie that focuses on life and man's desperate quest for wealth and its dark sides.
