Is #BloodSisters just a piece of entertainment?

Blood Sisters

If you passed through secondary school, you must have been told, or you heard, that movies are a representation of life. You definitely thought how true that was seeing films telling stories of vampires and superheroes – not forgetting all the diabolism those witchcraft and demon series a certain religious film production house dished every other month.

You must have soon realised that movies do not exactly represent life. Maybe sometimes, but they are also fantasies or imaginations of good storytellers. At other times, it is just one good film marketer who knows what people love to watch and the kinds of imaginative stories people connect with.

Nigerian film, ‘Blood Sisters‘, directed by Biyi Bandele and Kenneth Gyang, has been the topic of discussion since it was released on Netflix.

You would have thought that Nigerians may have found something to resonate with, and the film would not receive the kind of criticism films like ‘Chief Daddy 2’ got when it was released on the same streaming platform.

The ‘likers’ have drawn out individual performances in the film, and almost member of the cast has received one digital plaque or the other.

You will see Genoveva Umeh as ‘Timiyen Ademola’, a new face in the industry highly commended for the outstanding way she played her part in telling the intended story. Her following on social media increased dramatically and you already know why.

Read also: Bringing back the conversation about black women bleaching their skins

‘Timeyin’ was one of the children from the rich Ademola family, a drug addict and a student abroad. The only girl-child in the family turned out to be instrumental in the end, where she killed her mother, who knew of Kola Ademola’s – her brother – patterned abuse of women, her other brother, ‘Femi Ademola’ and his wife.

Her performance, even when she was called ‘useless’, has been regarded as top-notch, and you may not find that with newbies as ‘Timeyin’ portrayed that character.

Timeyin in Blood Sisters
Genoveva Umeh as Timiyen Ademola

The other characters were played by movie stars already and you may not expect less if you are a Nollywood fan.

The cast:

  • Ini Dima Okojie as Sarah
  • Nancy Isime as Kemi Sanya
  • Deyemi Okanlawon as Kola Ademola
  • Gabriel Afolayan as Femi Ademola
  • Kehinde Bankole as Olayinka
  • Genoveva Umeh as Timiyen Ademola
  • Kate Henshaw-Nuttal as Uduak Ademola
  • Uche Jombo as Uchenna
  • Daniel Etim Effiong as Akin
  • Keppy Ekpenyong-Bassey as Ifeanyi
  • Ibrahim Suleiman as Kenny
  • Wale Ojo as Inspector Slo Jo Obasanjo
  • Maurice Sam as Blade
  • Segun Arinze as Superintendent Tijano Bell
  • Ramsey Nouah as Uncle B
  • Toke Makinwa as Abasiama
  • Tope Tedela as Dr. Adeboye
  • Wofai Fada as Princess

But, there are critics too.

‘Blood Sisters’ tells the story of two friends, Sarah and Kemi, who have to run for their lives after murdering the intending husband of the former. It continues with a chase that turns the best friends into fugitives. It ends with the death of most of the Ademola family, and the vindication of the friends.

Some of the arguments of the critics are that the film cannot be a true representation of a real-life scenario in Nigeria, especially with the murders that kept on throughout the film; has an assassin that was beaten by a ‘man in agbada and fila’ and killed so easily, and a bodyguard that was beaten and almost burned by a Digital Marketer who has zero experience in karate except her survival instincts.

The counterarguments are that the story itself is a possibility, and you will definitely find each character in real-life situations:

  • An abusive man that derives satisfaction from it.
  • Friends who stand together notwithstanding the situation.
  • An organ harvester.
  • A family of demons, running the country.
  • An abused woman who wants to go back to her abuser.
  • A corrupt police system
  • A black sheep in a very wealthy family
  • A power couple who only want to have sex, maim and kill.
  • Cultural practices in rural area…

We must know that though the main purpose of making movies is entertainment, they also influence our attitude, behaviour and outlook on life. Films can prove instrumental in bringing about change in society.

‘Blood Sisters’ presents its own story. It will not appeal to everyone the same way and as much as it may be just entertainment, it is also other things, and yes, its flaws.

However, we can all watch with an open mind and without known bias against Nollywood.

Also, we all just need a ‘Kemi’ in our lives.

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