This is the tale of Efemini Edewor, a graduate from Benson Idahosa University (BIU), smart and determined to provide for his growing family despite a lack of white-collar jobs. He lands a small-time role in a hotel, working as a waiter/kitchen staff.
His wife, Nosa, gives birth to triplets, but due to the lack of funds and complications, one of the babies passes away. His mother-in-law hates him for not having enough money to take care of her child.

The movie, To Kill A Monkey, is based on a growing problem in Nigeria — cybercrime, and how some young men and women see it as the only escape from a life of hardship.

Let’s go back to the movie plot for a moment: Efemini (who will be referred to onwards as just Efe) meets an old acquaintance in the person of Oboz (Oboz the Bozz), who is now wealthy and a stark contrast to what Efe remembers. Oboz, now living in a mansion and owning multiple properties, is thrilled to see his brotherly Efe and offers help — just not the type he expected. You see, Oboz is into cybercrime and scams for a living. He tells Efe what he does and extends an invitation to come work with him. Being the person he is, Efe rejects this proposal but is ultimately forced back due to an unfortunate string of events, including his older daughter returning home. He challenges Oboz’s business model and introduces a modern, revolutionary solution — AI deepfakes.

And that’s it! In a 4-year time jump, we now see that Efe is a multimillionaire and his family is living well. Even his mother-in-law, who had always been against him, suddenly likes him (no surprises, because he now showers her with gifts).

But as the saying goes, there’s trouble in paradise.

You see, Efe and Oboz have amassed wealth together, but there’s trouble lurking in the background. A new character, referred to as Teacher, is an old-timer in the cybercrime world, but with leaps in technology, he’s no longer as productive as he once was. So his plan is to tax Oboz and Efe’s business a 30% cut monthly. Obviously, this enrages Oboz, who doesn’t want to share a dime of his money with an unknown character.

This whole issue escalates when Teacher briefly abducts Efe’s daughter, so Oboz blows up Teacher’s car — which unfortunately kills his grandchild. And so a turf war begins. But even worse, there is a gradual rift between the two friends, Efe and Oboz, who can’t seem to see eye to eye on the matter.

Eventually, Efe betrays everyone — his family and ultimately Oboz — conspiring with Teacher to eliminate the man who gave him everything. Inspector Mo, another character who lost her family the same day Efe was at the hospital, makes an incredible comeback to investigate this cybercrime syndicate — ultimately putting Efe behind bars and ruining his marriage.

The movie concludes with one of Oboz’s trusted men, Ozzyboy, gunning down Efe in the courtroom.

My thoughts

I loved this movie! It touches on several topics many Nigerians can relate to: the harsh reality of daily living with a declining economy and the unavailability of opportunities and jobs.

It also delves into themes such as friendship, trust, loyalty, and family — important virtues that we see challenged in the movie when life turns upside down.

One thing that grabbed my attention was Efe believing that his life of crime was somehow already atoned for by his suffering of the past. He also started seeing Oboz as a criminal while putting himself on a pedestal, even though they both do the same thing.

Who can you really trust?

This movie also showcases what misplaced trust looks like — in the workplace. Motunrayo, a determined woman, comes back from a psychotic breakdown due to the traumatic passing of her family. She accepts being demoted due to her time away and begins working on a case that eventually leads to Oboz and Efe. She befriends a male coworker, Onome, who cheers and supports her on her quest to prove herself. We later see that Onome, in reality, was working against her, planted as a mole by Oboz and Efe to silence any case the law enforcement might have against them.

Et tu, Brute?

These were the words Julius Caesar said to Brutus as he was being assassinated. It conveys a feeling of disbelief, especially when the person you hold so dear ends up betraying you.
I had the same thought while watching the scene in which Efe betrayed Oboz. Until his last breath, he defended Efe and was ready to give his life for him, clueless to the fact that his brotherly, Efe, orchestrated the assassination.

Efe went from a man struggling to provide for his family to one who had everything — but lost it all due to greed, lust, and a never-ending void of want.

The actors played their parts perfectly, each embodying the characters they portrayed. Personally, my favourite actor in the series is Bucci Franklin, who played Oboz the Bozz.

And did I mention the music choice in this movie? It’s the icing on the cake — each chord meant to convey the exact feelings in every episode.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Have you seen To Kill A Monkey? If you haven’t, it’s on Netflix. And if you have seen it, what are your thoughts? I’d love to hear them in the comments below.

Until then, ciao 👋