Monkey No Fine… Adetiba’s Daring Venture Is Flawed but Worth the Watch

by 'Joba Ojelabi

“Monkey no fine but im mama like am”

“The monkey is ugly, but its mother loves it”

One of the enduring powers of storytelling is its ability to build emotional bridges from shared experiences. The best stories do not just recreate fictional or lived realities; they remind the audience of something deeply personal along the way. Riding on the success of The Wedding Party and King of Boys, Kemi Adetiba returns with another ambitious project that stays close to familiar territory.

To Kill a Monkey is an eight-part crime thriller released in July 2025. It follows Efemini (William Benson), a struggling family man who succumbs to financial pressures and gets drawn into the world of cybercrime after running into an old associate, Oboz (Bucci Franklin). While the first two episodes patiently outline Efemini’s descent and eventual choice, the remaining six explore the unfolding consequences of his choices as allies, enemies, and moral lines blur. Another pivotal character is Inspector Ogunlesi (Bimbo Akintola), whose journey of self-reclamation after losing her family in a tragic accident becomes another emotional pillar for the show.

To Kill a Monkey attempts to explore weighty topics: family obligations, friendship, power, greed, and betrayal. Its primary setting, like King of Boys, is present-day Lagos. This time, cyberfraud is the vice, portrayed almost as a coded underworld with its own rites and practices. Adetiba attempts to position her series alongside works like Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani’s I Do Not Come to You by Chance and Faraday Okoro’s Nigerian Prince. Yet this ambition soon becomes the flaw of the plot. The plot stretches itself across many targets, so its central idea becomes slippery; cyberfraud is present, but it is present only as a spectator theme. The impact of this creates a few plot holes across the story. It’s either that Efemini is not as skilled a computer programmer as the story suggests, or the script really needs him to be that poor and unlucky. The jump between Efemini’s grass and grace is also really sharp. One moment he is taking his first step into cybercrime, the next he is being threatened by his friend and business partner, only to receive a threat to his family in the next scene, introducing a new enemy.

Where the series shines is in the performances. Adetiba’s eye for casting remains impeccable. William Benson turns in a career-defining performance as Efemini, while Bucci Franklin brings an electrifying presence as Oboz. A notable moment from Bucci features Oboz facing off with Efemini at a restaurant. The scene almost reenacts Al Pacino’s “Good night to the bad guy scene” from Scarface, a feat that only a few actors dare to attempt. Veteran actors Stella Damasus and Chidi Mokeme provide solid support, while Sunshine Rosman and Lilian Afegbai steal moments with ease.

Cinematography is commendable, save for an imperfect CGI explosion that slightly distracts. The music, curated by Oscar-Herman Acka, adds emotional depth and elevates the show’s intensity.

Since the release of the series, its reception has been mixed. Many viewers surrender gladly to its daring story, picking the bits of it that remind them of themselves, while others stumble over its uneven beats and narrative excesses. Yet there is something undeniable about To Kill a Monkey: a restless creative spirit that refuses to settle for safe storytelling. In Adetiba’s imperfect canvas, shadows dance with light, ambition tussles with execution, and every misstep still brims with personality. Sometimes the offering does not arrive polished, graceful, or even fully coherent. Still, if you watch closely, you may find moments of sweetness within the chaos. In those moments, flawed and fearless and familiar, the audience assumes role of the proverbial monkey’s mother, who can only love it despite its imperfections.