Blossom Chukwujekwu is ruthless in this poignant tale of kidnappings in Nigeria

Movie title: Commerce

Publication date: January 13, 2023

Actors: Blossom Chukwujekwu, Stan Nze, Rita Dominic, Ali Nuhu, Nengi Adoki, Waje, Chiwetalu Agu, Uru Eke, Gideon Okeke, Denola Grey, Charles Inojie, Mercy Aigbe, Abayomi Alvin, Dr. Sid, Francis Odega, Chimezie Imo, Kelechi Udegbe, Yemi Solade, Francis Onwochei, Angel Unigwe, Emeka Nwagbaraocha, Stephanie Isuma (Calabar Chic) and Shawn Faqua

Duration: 2 hours plus

In the films written by the talented screenwriter Jade Osiberu, it is easy to notice a common feature: they examine the social vices that affect our society. In other words, the stories and characters are a mirror of what we see on local television, hear on the street and read in newspapers.

With hit movies like Gangs of Lagos and Brotherhood, projects associated with Jade Osiberu promise high stakes and thrilling action. However, after watching The Trade, which was recently released on Prime Video, one can’t help but feel the sharp pang of disappointment that it was such a letdown.

While it is quite understandable that a story like The Trade relies more on storytelling than action scenes, the 2023 film had several other shortcomings that could not be ignored. In addition to its inability to stir various emotions in the hearts of the audience, the story lacked complexity and underestimated the potential of many characters.

Hailed as being based on a true story, The Trade tells the story of a notorious kidnapper who has ravaged parts of Nigeria. The film tells us more about who he is, what his motivations are and provides a road map of the events that led to his arrest.

Despite the missed opportunity to start the year with a bang, The Trade is one of the few Nollywood movies which pays close attention to detail, includes a fairly realistic representation of the local language, and optimizes the capabilities of agents.

The land

In the opening scene, we see a man being held hostage. Unknown to the kidnappers, he has a close relationship with their boss and is a mysterious criminal whose identity remains a mystery to the police. After a phone call, he was released and went to his hideout, where he demanded a ransom from a relative of his victim.

In a meeting with his accountant, his accountant suggests seizing a wealthy client from his bank. Intrigued by Andrea’s wealth status, Eric agrees and begins preparing for the ambush.

The plan goes well, and they are able to kidnap her. Unfortunately, a member of Eric’s gang betrays him and lets the lady go.

Meanwhile, an assigned police officer and his boss are working tirelessly to unravel the mysteries surrounding the kidnappings. While things seem to be at their worst, the police stumble upon a lead and start tracking and questioning anyone who is working with Eric.

Erick is fully aware of the investigation and makes a bold move to flee the country. Before doing that, he decides to meet up with his side chick, who got threatened by the police before calling.

Long story short, the hands of the law finally catch him and arrest him.

good

The actors give great performances. Talents like Stan Nze, Blossom Chukwujekwu and Shawn Faqua stand out as they brought their A-game and were able to fully embody their characters, accents included.

Kudos to the crew as well, as the cinematography was on point, including the special effects. We found the locations used to be realistic and not exaggerated as we see in most movies. My favorite and ambitious scene in this movie has to be when Eric’s car flips over. Just genius.

ALSO READ: MOVIE REVIEW: Gangs of Lagos: Finally, a crime thriller that captures the reality of Isale Eko

The producers also paid great attention to detail. For a brief moment, it could easily be assumed that the police would suddenly discover Eric’s identity, but the writer built the facts on the spot. There is also the use of police equipment. It is good to see that there was no abuse in the way the Nigerian police acted.

Finally, the exploration of certain themes and the strong messages in this film are worth watching. At the core of The Trade are moral lessons about greed and betrayal, among many others.

Bad

First, they released the film. There were a lot of scenes that brought little development to the plot.

For a movie that initially seems to depict a smart and powerful kidnapper, the way to capture him was clichéd and simple. All it took was talking to witnesses, and they literally pointed the police in the right direction.

Frankly, he was looking forward to several “show, don’t tell” moments. It would have been great if there were subtle hints in each scene and the witnesses chose not to say anything or were killed. This would actually shed more light on the detectives and how they would use their intelligence to track him down. Just more elements of suspense!

The characters were also greatly underrated. There was only so much that could be done for Charles besides killing him. Eric could have been positioned in a more ruthless way. A surprise twist could show the boss, Bukar, working with Eric, and at the end, one of the gang members could escape, teasing an entourage.

The story was also predictable, and the outcome of a certain scene could easily be deciphered.

The Last Judgment

7/10 The story may seem married, but it offers good morals.

The Trade is streaming on Netflix.