To Kill a Monkey (2025) — Netflix Movie Review

Premise & Pacing

Kemi Adetiba deserves all accolades for delivering a perfectly tightly woven, emotionally charged Nigerian crime saga with interesting turns and twists. To Kill A Monkey (TKAM) is a movie that I watched with my eyes glued to the screen, not wanting to miss out on the tiniest detail. The first scene captivated my attention with the mind-thumping soundtrack and perfectly shot angles and scenery that passed the intended message of ritualistic heaviness.

The first two episodes stall with ritualistic heaviness, but once cyber-heists begin, tension, betrayal, and moral collapse tighten like a noose. At its heart: survival versus integrity in a system built to fail the vulnerable. The following episodes tackle very relatable happenings in our society regarding unemployment, job frustration, meagre earnings, family pressure, marriage crisis, cybercrime, ritual, lack of accountability, lack of communication skills, entitlement, betrayal, insecurity, corruption, and crime. I wouldn’t want to give a spoiler, so your best bet is to watch it if you haven’t. Lest I forget, the actors and actresses did a good job of embodying their characters perfectly. Some of the characters are highlighted below with their significance.

Character Profiles & Representation

Efemini “Efe” Edewor (William Benson)

• A bright tech graduate turned desperate husband and provider.
  
• Benson layers Efe with simmering grief, frustration, and moral decay manifested in micro-gestures and painful restraint.
  
• Represents countless Nigerian men: intelligent and gentle, but forced into compromise by poverty.

Obozhuiomwen “Obozz-da-Bozz” Ogbemudia (Bucci Franklin)

• Charisma and menace rolled into one magnetic figure.
  
• A university dropout who built a cybercrime empire. His Edo accent, swagger, and emotional complexity embody urban ambition and its toxicity.
  
• Franklin excels at making us feel both drawn to—and wary of—his energy.

Inspector Mo Ogunlesi (Bimbo Akintola)

• A cybercrimes officer scarred by personal tragedy.
  
• Driven by grief to seek justice with moral clarity. She mirrors Efe’s collapse with emotional steadiness.
  
• Her determination vs. personal pain makes her chase more than a case—it becomes redemption.

Teacher (Chidi Mokeme)

• A ruthless fixer who sees Efe and Oboz as revenue streams.
  
• He demands between 30–80% taxes, representing exploitation within the criminal underworld.
  
• Mokeme’s physical stillness and gravitas make him an understated but potent threat.
  

Nosa (Stella Damasus) & Others

• Nosa—Efe’s wife—alternates between love and betrayal; her comment “I loved you more when you were poor” crystallizes theme of conditional relationships.
  
• Sparkles (Lilian Afegbai), Efe’s side chick turned betrayer, represents shifting loyalties and twisted survival tactics.

 Themes & Cultural Realism

• Language as Identity: The blend of Pidgin, Urhobo, Edo, and native dialects roots the series authentically in Nigeria, making it feel vividly local—and globally distinct.

• Morality vs. Poverty: Efe didn’t wake up planning fraud—he was pushed. The series interrogates integrity as privilege. Can a good person survive a corrupted system without succumbing?
  
• Betrayals All Around: Trust ratchets up and snaps. Efe betrays Oboz. Nosa betrays Efe. Even Mo’s colleague is revealed complicit in corruption.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Final Thoughts

To Kill a Monkey isn’t just crime-based entertainment—it’s a moral mirror. Kemi Adetiba uses masterful visuals, powerfully minimal dialogue, and layered character arcs to ask: How do you survive honorably when the system is rigged?

Don’t watch for clean endings or easy justice. Watch for the truths it forces you to feel—and question long after the credits roll.

Rating: 8/10 — powerful, painful, and thoroughly Nigerian

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