The Trade

Pleasantly surprised by this crime thriller that is set in the kidnap for ransom underworld. Blossom shines through as the charismatic lead supported by a cast of heavy hitters and newer faces come together to make the third act worth it. The story is one that isn't foreign to the nigerian experience with highlights of culture and religion in the background. Stan Nze and Shawn Faqua continue to show their versatility and Ali Nuhu gives an award-worthy understated performance as a relatable police investigator. The large cast is really good, the suspense feels real and the pacing was just right. My one problem was that with a couple of characters the accents were a bit inconsistent and sometimes too exaggerated. I don't think that was helpful.

Jadesola, your brilliance as a director is truly exceptional. Your wealth of experience places you firmly among the elite in African cinema. I have no doubt that this remarkable movie has the potential to earn you well-deserved nominations and awards this year.

Your dedication and hard work have shone through in every frame of this film. The storytelling, direction, and execution are nothing short of outstanding. It's clear that you poured your heart and soul into this project, and it has paid off beautifully.

The characters felt incredibly real, and the way you brought out the best in your actors is commendable. The cinematography was breathtaking, capturing the essence of every scene. The music added a captivating layer to the narrative, enhancing the overall experience.

I am genuinely excited to see where your career as a director takes you next. You have left an indelible mark on the world of cinema with this masterpiece. Congratulations on your incredible achievement, Jadesola. I eagerly anticipate more cinematic wonders from you in the future.

I Love your experience Jadesola 🤗

Excellent movie! We all had an idea of how the movie will end but the execution was top notch. Very good acting (down to the accents and mannerisms of the area) by everyone.

There are learning point here: the pitfalls of greed (on the part of the kidnappers and their accomplices, and the bent policemen), no honour amongst thieves, dangers of polygamy, the risks associated with overt career ambition, the government only acts when the upper class begins to feel the pain of poor governance/insecurity, etc.

If only Nigerian police had the resources and organisational structure to pull out the policing we were shown in this movie.

Omo, the casts all played their roles very well!

It was really good to see actors that have never acted these kind of roles acting new roles beautifully well!

The picture quality was superb not to talk of the sound!

Definitely not the typical nollywood movie!

My favorite actor was definitely Blossom, better ibo man.

Followed by Shawn Faqua with his good ibo accent, nice one.

Disregard any bad reviews, if you're into crime, action and thriller movies, this is definitely the right one.

I was hooked, there were no dull moments at all and honestly speaking, I couldn't guess what was next.

Kudos to Jade for this movie!

I just got to watch this, I guess the marketing could have been better. Despite my relative late viewing, it kept me up and engaged all night. The acting of the main character Blossom Chukwujekwu aka Erik was amazing. The story line delved into an issue that needed to be brought to light. Amazing cast. I hope this movie gets it deserved flowers.

The director and her team were able to showcase the direct influence and impact Eric had on so many lives and yet highlight his ability to shroud his true self from his closest associates successfully was impressive. It shows that all being said we play a major role on the information about ourselves we allow to get out. This was a great movie worthy of an Oscar nomination.