By iWay Thrills | August 2025
“You kill a monkey, you better pray the jungle doesn’t come looking for you.”
That one line sums up everything this gritty new Nigerian Netflix series stands for — betrayal, survival, and a slow descent into moral chaos.
Released in July 2025, To Kill a Monkey isn’t just another African crime series. It’s a loaded gun. A slow-burn story about choices, consequences, and the brutal price of desperation. If you’re wondering whether to stream it or skip it, here’s everything you need to know before diving into Lagos’ dark underbelly.
Quick Snapshot
- Title: To Kill a Monkey
- Platform: Netflix
- Release Date: July 18, 2025
- Genre: Crime Drama, Thriller
- Episodes: 8
- Language: English (with Yoruba & Pidgin influences)
- Country: Nigeria 🇳🇬
- Creator/Director: Kemi Adetiba (of King of Boys fame)
THE PLOT: When Survival Meets Silence
Meet Efemini (Efe), a Lagos father scraping by, living life one moral compromise at a time. When a charismatic old friend re-enters his life with promises of big money through cybercrime, Efe makes a choice. A quiet, desperate choice. The kind that poisons everything after.
What begins as a way out soon turns into a downward spiral. Efe finds himself entangled in:
- A ruthless cyber syndicate
- Police surveillance
- Shady double-crosses
- And a life-threatening game where the real cost isn’t money — it’s trust.
And the worst part? Efe still thinks he can come out clean.
THE CAST: Heavy Hitters, Gritty Performances
William Benson delivers a raw and emotionally torn performance as Efe. You’ll root for him, hate him, and want to slap him, sometimes in the same scene. That’s the magic.
Bucci Franklin plays the snake-oiled friend, charming on the surface, but with eyes that don’t blink when blood spills. The supporting cast — including Bimbo Akintola, Chidi Mokeme, and Stella Damasus — adds depth and firepower to an already loaded narrative.
THE DIRECTION: Kemi Adetiba Does It Again
If you’ve watched King of Boys, you already know Kemi Adetiba doesn’t play when it comes to layered stories, powerful visuals, and unflinching realism.
In To Kill a Monkey, she trades political chessboards for digital crime and street-level betrayals — but the emotional weight? Still heavy. Still human. And still hits.
Expect:
- Dark, cinematic visuals of Lagos nights
- Long, tense silences that speak louder than dialogue
- Symbolism that leaves you thinking two episodes later
THEMES: More Than Just Crime
This isn’t just a cybercrime drama. It’s a mirror. These are the themes that hit hardest:
- Survival vs Morality: How far would you go for your family?
- The Psychology of Guilt: Watching Efe unravel is both painful and fascinating.
- Masculinity & Shame: The unspoken war men fight in private, especially in African societies.
- Trust: It’s a luxury no one in this story can afford.
WHAT VIEWERS ARE SAYING
“I never saw Efe as a victim. He was a straight-up hypocrite.” — Reddit
“Dialogue was insane. This show cuts with a blade and laughs while it does it.” — Twitter/X
“So Nigerian, so raw, so real.” — iWay Thrills 😉
What Doesn’t Work?
Let’s be real: no show is perfect. Here’s what might throw you off:
- Slow start: Episode 1 takes time to build, but don’t bail — the payoff is real.
- Some subplots feel undercooked, especially the law enforcement angle.
- Efe’s arc may frustrate you because his decisions are human, not heroic.
But maybe that’s the point.
👀 Final Verdict: Watch or Skip?
🔥 Verdict: WATCH IT.
If you love morally grey characters, slow burns, and stories that linger long after the credits roll, To Kill a Monkey is worth your time.
It’s not just a Nigerian crime drama, it’s a story about what we become when no one’s watching.
✨ Bonus for Storytellers
If you’re a screenwriter, filmmaker, or fiction writer, To Kill a Monkey is a case study in:
- Character degeneration
- Subtle foreshadowing
- The slow-burn thriller format
- Writing tension without relying on violence
Take notes. Kemi Adetiba is schooling us.
📺 Where to Watch
👉 Streaming now on Netflix: Watch Here
(Available globally. Local language subtitles available.)
💭 Your Turn
Have you watched To Kill a Monkey?
What did you think of Efe’s choices?
Would you forgive him… or finish him?
Let’s talk in the comments. Or better yet, share this with someone who loves layered African thrillers.