Blood Vessel

Play Network Studio’s first Netflix original movie, Blood Vessel, follows six young villagers who must flee their home in the Delta State village of Nembe during a police raid. The raid targets insurgents Boma (Jidekene Achufusi) and Degbe (Levi Chikere) who attacked an oil rig. The backdrop depicts a region fallen from its former glory and diminished by oil drillers ravaging the land after crude was discovered.

We first meet Abbey, a young romantic who unlike other youths is unwilling to fight back against the forces depleting his town. Instead he focuses his time and energy on his love interest Oyin (Adaobi Dibor). Oyin is ready to risk all for him, although her father would rather send her off to Warri than allow their romance. Subsequently we meet the brothers Tekena (Sylvester Eka Nem) and his brother Olotu (Obinna Christian Okenwa) who come from a nearby village and are on their way to meet a Mr P.(Francis Duru) in Nembe to help put them on a ship to go abroad. Their travels carry them directly into the violent raid’s chaotic fallout in Nembe, forcing interaction with Abbey’s group as they desperately avoid being swept up by the police.

These six end up hiding from the police together. When Tekena and Olotu tell the others about their plan to sneak onto a ship heading overseas, the rest decide to go with them. But the future they dream about on the ship might not happen as they get on this “Blood Vessel.”

With impressive sweeping visuals that give personality both to the beleaguered village and to the main characters while supported by a consistently striking musical score, Blood Vessel begins on an undeniably high note. Performances also shine despite the predominantly novice main cast: David Ezekiel as Abbey demonstrates particular magnetism, wordlessly emoting profound depth with just his bodily expressions. Jidekene intriguingly captures militant leader Boma’s forceful strength, even if the character’s underdeveloped backstory limits the audience’s full understanding of his stoicness. While Adaobi Dibor’s Oyin conveys suitable defiance, her portrayal lacks enough nuance to fully sell critical emotional moments. The rest of our six main actors uniformly deliver with enough competence to keep the screen time ticking by.

The writing’s lofty aspirations are clear. Stark juxtapositions between the six’s plight and slavery’s era are apparent, from Oyin’s grandmother’s Igbo Landing-esque tale to the main characters being black stowaways hiding below deck while the white ship owners revel in splendor above. Antagonist Igor (Alex Cyr Budin), stealing crude from Black lands to enrich his white homeland, makes the motif plain. However, finesse tying these themes into a cohesive, moving whole is sorely lacking.

The ingredients for greatness exist without actualized final synthesis. Director Moses Inwang has aspired toward masterful filmmaking since early in his career. Yet his vision still outpaces execution; shots and angles in action scenes gesture toward unspeakable grandeur but cannot reach it. While highly aspirational overall, skimping on details undercuts emotional payoff, making the score work overtime without narrative investment to support catharsis. It’s almost comical watching the last emotional scene on the ship as the writer tries to cash in on an emotional investment that was never initially deposited