What sets a film apart in today’s saturated cinema market is the strength of its storytelling and the willingness to take bold creative risks, regardless of genre or style. In Nollywood, the resurgence of the crime drama and thriller has been marked by notable titles such as the King of Boys franchise, The Trade, Brotherhood, Gangs of Lagos, Tokunbo and Shanty Town. These films, while not without narrative flaws, attempt to resist mediocrity and push artistic boundaries, reflecting diverse realities that resonate with Nigerian audiences. King of Boys, for example, reinvigorates the genre with its focus on a charismatic and ambitious female protagonist who navigates risks and setbacks in her relentless pursuit of power. Gangs of Lagos, Prime Video’s first African Original, explores gang life in a corner of Lagos and even dares to depict the revered Eyo Masquerade in controversial circumstances. Unfortunately, this appetite for innovation seems absent in Sin: First Blood, a Prime Video crime drama that forms the basis of this discussion.
Sin: First Blood follows the story of Tosin Sina a.k.a Sin, a young woman played by Toni Tones, who, in the wake of the arrest of her husband Jide Sina (Yemi Blaq) for illicit drug trafficking and distribution, is coerced to join the same clandestine criminal organization, The Consortium, to aid money laundering and other related nefarious activities. While Tosin cautiously treads between forced loyalty and helping the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) bring down the cartel, including one of its masterminds Mr Black (Jim Iyke), the organization makes a successful attempt to assassinate Jide to cover their tracks. The film ends on an inconclusive note that hints at a sequel; Tosin meets the enigmatic Mr Black at the top of a luxury building where the man tells her that killing Jide was because of betrayal and reminds the recalcitrant lady of her new membership and responsibility in the organization. As Tosin screams in defiance and Mr Black, accompanied by an assistant, walks away, the camera gradually assumes a distant, aerial position, and a closing soundtrack seals the scene—but nothing really sticks or waters our anticipation.
Sin: First Blood is co-directed by Yemi Morafa and Dimeji Ajibola (of blessed memory) Morafa is most recently known for directing The Party, a three-part Netflix murder mystery limited series, while Ajibola is the man behind the popular Netflix crime thriller series, Shanty Town, whose sequel is in the works. Produced by Jim Iyke and co-written with Emil Garuba, Michael Garuba and Brenda Ogbuka-Garuba, Sin: First Blood also stars Kelechi Udegbe, Bimbo Manuel, Charles Okocha, Uzee Usman, Chimezie Imo and Gideon Okeke among others. Veterans like Chidi Mokeme and Shaffy Bello are mentioned in the cast, but we can only experience them in the anticipated sequel.
Like many previous Nollywood titles of this genre, Sin: First Blood addresses crime, violence, betrayal and also spotlights the underbelly of Lagos. That its themes coincide with those of other existing domestic films is not itself a problem. But Jim Iyke’s production lacks an original edge of its own. It feels like a jumble of ideas. The opening of the film evokes memories of an early scene in Shanty Town, a film series set outside Lagos, also directed by Dimeji Ajibola. In both circumstances, we witness the display of unclad women, notorious men, money and illegal drugs in a subterranean facility. Perhaps this, too, wouldn’t have been much of a problem for Sin, had the film taken more of its time to show us how The Consortium operated locally and internationally, rather than simply just telling us through its characters. The film mostly skims over the organizational arrogance of the criminal group, and the only moment that truly conveys their ruthlessness is the shootout scene, where, disguised as police officers, they exchange fire with DEA agents and kill Jide as he exits the courthouse.
However, Sin’s first sin and turnoff is an on-screen title “Sin: First Kill” that differs from the Prime Video label “Sin: First Blood”. If this is deliberate, why so? If it is a mistake, it tells badly on the editorial team and reflects the producers’ poor attention to detail. For a mistake, it is even more disingenuous considering that one of the producers and co-writers, Jim Iyke, is an industry veteran with almost three decades of acting experience. As the plot progresses, the narrative world and character arcs do not get the attention they deserve for the scale of a production based on a threatened drug-based empire.
Again, with Sin: First Blood, the Lagosification of Nollywood stories continues. Over the years, while providing a base for the efflorescence of filmmaking in the country, the metropolitan city has been milked and overused across different cinema projects. Whether it is the city’s chaos, serendipity, tense politics, criminal underworld or romantic attractions, Lagos finds expression in the heart of most creatives, not merely serving as location and setting for their works but also attesting to their successes. The Wedding Party, set against the backdrop of the culture of celebration in Lagos, announces a new dispensation in Nollywood. Films like After 30, A Lagos Christmas and A Lagos Love Story appeal to the city’s romantic sensibilities, whereas the likes of King of Boys, Gangs of Lagos and Baby Farm expose the city as a potential domicile for underground crime. For a production that is reportedly created with a $2.5 million budget, Sin brings nothing new to the table in style and execution. Even with its focus on Lagos, the film bows to mundane, weary ambition, passing on the opportunity to convincingly capture lush, eventful aspects of the city despite the story being woven around a supposedly interesting couple composed of a billionaire man and his socialite wife. A flashback that revealed glimpses of Mr. and Mrs. Sina’s past flamboyant lifestyle and engagements before Jide’s ordeals would have added meaningful depth.
The argument that Nollywood lacks adequate funding for quality storytelling compared to its international counterparts is valid. For example, the 1972 American gangster crime drama classic The Godfather, often regarded as one of the greatest films of the genre, was produced on a budget of $6–7 million, which amounts to about $46 million in 2025 when adjusted for inflation. More recently, American thrillers such as The Accountant 2 and Sinners were made with estimated budgets of $80 million and $90–100 million respectively. By contrast, one of Nollywood’s most expensive yet critically acclaimed films, ’76, was produced in 2016 with a budget of $3 million, equivalent to just $4 million today.
But it is not always about the money. Films with fairly decent budgets have stumbled with underwhelming stories. A good example is the Anglo-Nigerian historical drama film Half Of A Yellow Sun, an adaptation of Chimamanda Adiche’s novel of same title, which is ranked as the most expensive Nigerian film ever made, with a budget of approximately $8 – 10 million (as of 2009) that translates as $12.0–$15.1 million today. Not only did the film have an unsuccessful box office run but it also got crucified for characters “too simplified, robbed off of any depth”.
If a filmmaker does not have the right budget to execute the vision of a particular film, it is better not to proceed with a meagre budget that risks compromising the story. A wiser approach is to work with scripts that fit within the available resources, since knowing when to advance with a project, or when to hold back, is crucial for sustaining a culture of excellence across the industry. In the case of Sin: First Blood, however, narrative discretion seems absent. Despite having multiple individuals involved in its production, screenplay, and directorial departments, the behind-the-scenes collaborations fail to translate into on-screen quality. The result is a film that struggles to feel grand, populated by shallow, uninspiring characters and held together by a lazily conceived plot.
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