When was the last time you watched a Nigerian movie and thought “wow, this was actually good?”
The Trade follows Eric played by Blossom Chukwujekwu, a violent and notorious kidnapper who has terrorized southern Nigeria for 10 years. The movie explores his motivations, the three lives he lives (with two separate families and as a kidnapper), the relationships he has built to allow his empire to grow and how these relationships lead to his eventual fall.
The movie’s opening scene was a stunning visual of southern Nigeria with lush greenery and open roads, which in any other context, would be a comforting scene but the lighting tells you that something is amiss. You’re immediately thrust into the danger that is traveling by road in Nigeria when a lone car on a lonely stretch of road is waylaid, its tires shot up and its passenger kidnapped. Plot twist, the kidnapped passenger is Eric and we get our very first glimpse of the authority he carries on the streets.
We get such a layered view of Eric as a family man; with his wife, he is stern and unromantic but he caters to her financial needs and loves the three kids they have together. With his mistress, Nneka played by Nengi Adoka however, he is more open, approachable and loving and he still provides for her and their two kids. Importantly, a key decision which has helped him evade capture is that none of his family members have pictures of or with him and consequently, he is a ghost to the police. We get this heartbreaking scene where he erupts at his son for trying to take a picture with him and of course, as the audience, we know exactly why he’s so upset but that just makes the scene harder because his son does not.
There’s a striking scene where Eric comes back from a kidnapping job and is welcomed joyously and raucously by his excited kids who then trail up the stairs of their mansion and proceed to kneel down and pray. Ummm sir, you literally just kidnapped someone’s child, to whom are you praying and for what exactly? It was disorienting and appropriately so because we see the disconnect between the perception his family has of him and the reality we know of him. We also see that a key motivation for Eric is to avoid the poverty that his father, from his perspective, wallowed in. To the outside world, he’s a menace that’s making life in Nigeria unsafe but to him, he is a hardworking man who is doing what he needs to do to provide for his family.
The casting of this movie was wonderful, shout out to Deyemi Okanlowan for finishing work. Blossom Chukwujekwu absolutely ate, his accent, the brutality that undercut every scene whether it was at home with family or stabbing a member of his crew who betrayed him multiple times in the neck until he dies, his character is believable. Even in desperation as the noose of the police force tightens around him, you see him rationally make decisions and stay one step ahead until the end.
I’m also grateful that Rita Dominic, who plays a kidnapping victim, does not overstay her welcome. She showcases a range of emotions from self-assured, wealthy businesswoman to scared, blindfolded prisoner who is in danger of being raped by one of her captives. However in the grand scheme of the movie, she is the means that precipitates the fall of Eric’s empire and once her part is done, the movie moves on (all puns intended).
Were there some plot holes? Yes, like how the police force suddenly gets on Eric’s trail and knows where to find members of his crew or whether Nneka’s, his mistress, husband is still alive. Overall though, the movie is well-paced, the soundtrack went beyond the popular Nigerian songs but matched the energy we needed.
In conclusion, I recommend you watch this movie. I was rooting for a violent kidnapper, do you understand how well you have to set up a story, the character and his motivations for me to be like “OMG, I hope he makes it to Accra before the cops close in on him?”
