Known for redefining Nollywood’s landscape with The Wedding Party and King of Boys, Kemi Adetiba is back. Her latest project, To Kill A Monkey, is a male-led, crime thriller that steps away from her usual mix of political sagas and romantic spectacles. It’s her first major work without longtime collaborator Sola Sobowale. Instead of political power games or bridal chaos, we’re entering Nigeria’s digital underworld. A space where loyalty is traded and silence is deadly.
Over the years, she has carved out a space in Nigeria’s entertainment industry as a bold, visionary storyteller with an eye for spectacle and a heart for authenticity. Whether she’s behind the camera directing a blockbuster or producing a genre-bending thriller, Adetiba continues to prove that her genius lies in her ability to blend style, substance, and unforgettable characters. Premiering on Netflix on July 18, 2025, TKAM is already stirring buzz across film circles and social media timelines.
So what exactly makes this series so special? Here are seven reasons TKAM is the most talked-about Nollywood series of 2025.
Kemi Adetiba’s Boldest Shift Yet
In To Kill A Monkey, Adetiba trades her crown for full-blown chaos. Known for building a franchise around Sola Sobowale’s unforgettable Eniola Salami. This time, she lets go of her familiar tools, female-led narratives, political chessboards, even romance. And leans into the rawness of male desperation, greed, and survival.
As the plot surrounds a man who finds himself stuck on a treacherous path all in the need to try to survive the impending poverty. So many may think it’s a creative risk, but maybe one that signals Adetiba’s growth into a genre-bending.
Cybercrime Meets Moral Drama in Eight Episodes
This isn’t your average criminal tale. The story follows Efemini (played by Willam Benson), a down-on-his-luck man who finds himself drawn into a world of cybercrime and betrayal. What follows is a tightly constructed eight-episode journey through desperation, loyalty, supernatural whispers, and the transactional nature of survival in modern-day Nigeria.
Many feared that the next time Adetiba dropped a meal, it wouldn’t be enough. But the eight part series structure makes it promising for a filling watch.
The longest Suspense Filled Wait
This marks the longest gap fans have had to endure between Kemi Adetiba’s projects since she kicked off her Nollywood journey in 2016. Viewers had grown used to a predictable two-year rhythm between releases. So, after King of Boys: The Return of the King dropped in 2021, many expected another project by 2023. But that year came and went in complete silence. In 2024, hope was briefly reignited with announcements about King of Boys 3 and To Kill A Monkey, yet no release dates, no trailers, no plot teases—just silence.
Netflix Backing and Global Release
As part of a three-title deal between Kemi Adetiba Visuals and Netflix, To Kill A Monkey is positioned as a global showcase of Nigerian talent. The July 18 release isn’t just for Nigerian audiences — it will stream across multiple territories, introducing Nollywood’s new wave to a worldwide audience. It’s currently being positioned as a major release—one that could reignite the kind of global momentum Nollywood experienced with The Black Book in 2023.
Powerhouse Cast That Demands Respect
The cast includes veteran actors like Stella Damasus, Bimbo Akintola, Chidi Mokeme and Ireti Doyle. And also features growing faces like Lilian Afegbai, Teniola Aladese and Sunhine Rosman. Indeed, an ensemble that knows how to anchor drama with lived-in realism. A fusion of generations, talent, and styles — all under Adetiba’s meticulous direction.
Adetiba’s Visual and Narrative Signature
Even in a completely new genre, Adetiba’s voice is unmistakable. The trailer already gave us her signature — tight scripting, rich symbolism, stunning cinematography, and dialogue that bites. The visual is grittier, the lighting moodier, and the world even more stylized than King of Boys, yet every frame feels intentional.
Themes That Resonate With the Society
To Kill A Monkey isn’t just a crime story — it’s a mirror and thats something Adetiba always spices in. In a Nigeria where survival often means crossing moral lines, the series explores urgent questions: Is breaking the law okay in a country where the law imporvishes? What does it cost to protect family? Is silence complicity? Can good men make bad choices and still be good?
TKAM starts streaming in less than 24 hours, and fingers are crossed to see what it unravels.
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