The Black Book Review: Watch It or Skip It?
The Black Book on Netflix is all about crime, dirty scumbag politicians, journalists, and a couple badass assassins…
- written by Joy Onu
- 6 min read
- 27 Sep, 2023
If you’re wondering whether to give The Black Book film which was recently released on Netflix a go, you might want to stick around because this review is going to get down to the nitty gritty of the crime thriller.
Directed by Editi Effiong, The Black Book follows the story of a deacon, Paul Edima, who has just lost his son to the corrupt hands of the police force. He sets out to get revenge or at least justice for his son, Damilola who was framed for a crime he didn’t commit. As he goes on this journey, you will learn a lot about the deacon that will surprise you. Is the death of Damilola his karma?
If you love a good revenge story, this will cut it for you, it has all the elements of a good crime film. From the very first shot of the film, you can get an idea of what its like to be in Nigeria. From the backdrops to the scenery and even the soundtrack, this netflix crime thriller has all the ingredients for a good revenge tale set in the corrupt political landscape of Nigeria
In Nigeria, we know the proverbial tale of corrupt leaders and the men in uniform who do their dirty bidding, we know this story all too well, and The Black Book film is filled with characters that ultimately paint a bloody picture of revenge as well as justice.
For one, the storyline is compelling, the first half of it will have you hooked to your seat, and it will also leave you sobbing if you’re a softie like me. It’s a true reflection of the dark side of Nigeria, however exaggerated the work of fiction is, there is a semblance of reality that might just awaken the most horrible truths about how one country can be knee deep in injustice and corruption.
It is important to mention that The Black Book on Netflix isn’t based on a true story, but we would be remiss not to say a few scenes might be a blast to the past of some of the most historic events in Nigeria.
The crime thriller will take you back to the EndSARS movement, a time that will forever be etched in the minds of Nigerians everywhere. Paul Edima played by the iconic Richard Mofe-Damijo is dealt an unfortunate card when his son is profiled by a corrupt police force that’s a lot like SARS. The movie does a great job of bringing this ordeal to life, as you watch Damilola Edima get shot for a kidnapping crime he knows nothing of, the emotions and pain will run through you like a ton of bricks.
The star power in The Black Book needs to be studied, every single actor played their role beautifully, From Richard Mofe-Damijo, to Ade Laoye as his trusty sidekick, to Olumide Owuro who played Paul’s son, to Shaffy Bello, Ireti Doyle, Alex Usifo, Bimbo Akintola, Denola Grey and a lot of other stars. All we can say is, the casting director ate so hard when they chose this star studded cast and the characters they played.
While this movie is an emotional rollercoaster, there are a few scenes that would provide you with a sense of relief, whether comic or just plain, it’s up to you. Let’s not even talk about when they had little spy kids on the street of Lagos trying to locate the corrupt police officer who shot Damilola, talk about a dark retribution.
The woman empowerment in this film is top notch, Shaffy Bello plays Big Daddy, a mastermind gangster-boss lady type, when she said “I am a woman and no one controls us” we all felt it in our bones.
The best part of The Black Book lies in the storytelling and how they use various cinematic elements to put the story together beautifully. It is a great step in the right direction for Nollywood action films, it was a realistic look into what could be the center of Nigerian politics, and the acting scenes aren’t as half assed as you would expect.
Honestly, The Black Book is definitely worth the watch, the storyline and the characters mesh perfectly together, you will feel the pain and emotion Paul feels after the death of his son, and the pain Victoria feels about the loss of her mother. There is some sort of dark twist of fate going on in The Black Book, every scene and every character is somehow intertwined.
In our opinion, if you want to know a good movie, just notice how well it makes you feel every emotion it tries to portray. The Black Book did just that, and it did it well. Itdidn’t fall prey to predictability, you’ll be rooting for justice to be served all the way through, because we all know how hard it is to find a good happy ending these days.
The ending wasn’t so happy, but a win is a win, there will be a lot of revelations toward the end that might blow your mind, and some that might bring a tear or two in your eye. All in all, we definitely think you should watch it!
The Black Book is currently streaming on Netflix, and has been rated top 4 globally on the streaming platform.