6.5/10(Not to be confused with Tchidi Chikere’s 2003 Blood Sisters staring Genevieve Nnaji & Omotola Jalade Ekeinde)
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬.
Blood Sisters is a 2022 internationally released Netflix Crime Thriller.
It appears to pay tribute to the adventure in Thelma & Louise. A 1991 Ridley Scott crime thriller. Thelma accompanies her best friend Louise, a waitress, on a short fishing trip. However, Louise murders a man who attempts to rape Thelma at a club. The two women decide to escape to Mexico.
Like T&L, Blood Sisters has its unique identity and twists. It doesn’t dwell on fugitive tales alone. But it is the beauty of two friends on the run for their lives, and as they run they discover the bond they never knew they had cultivated since childhood. It is the bond and the promise of loyalty that keeps them ahead, and ties them to almost every character in the film.
There are positives and negatives regarding the mini series, I will stick to the positives. Starting with the character development, and arrangement of themes.
It displays the strength of the director and the commitment to seizing directional risks. The cinematography is simple, plain, and interesting with each frame. Taking us on a journey through familiar trips, if you’ve ever gone on road trips in Nigeria and you’ve visited places away from the celebrated fancy places. You will enjoy the frames.
It is in these offerings and engagements between sounds and pictures, that we appreciate most of the storytelling. An impressive display of culture and tradition, bold nude scenes without seaming redundant, realistic self-defensive reactions, etc. Of course, you cannot praise the film without the cast. The casting director “understood the assignment” like many would desire, and assembled stars with an unrivaled history of performances, although all performances are not equal. Some performances are great, some are terrible. But I have promised not to dwell on the negatives.
In following the cinematic details, one can learn more about the characters from their choices of fashion, cars, words, speaking styles, etc. Something I assume was done intentionally and also sketched from other pictures. Because the traces are there, elements that can be totally said to be common. Well, we all imitate, but we try not to groom imitation.
However, some things might seem over-dramatized but in portraying Nigeria, nothing can be overdramatized. Everything you see is possible except for a few things:
W̶h̶i̶c̶h̶ a̶r̶e̶ n̶e̶c̶e̶s̶s̶a̶r̶y̶ t̶o̶ t̶o̶u̶c̶h̶ o̶n̶,̶ a̶n̶d̶ p̶r̶o̶b̶a̶b̶l̶y̶ b̶a̶s̶h̶ f̶o̶r̶ l̶a̶c̶k̶ o̶f̶ r̶e̶a̶l̶i̶s̶m̶,̶ a̶n̶d̶ f̶u̶n̶d̶a̶m̶e̶n̶t̶a̶l̶ e̶n̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ t̶o̶ c̶h̶a̶n̶g̶e̶ t̶h̶e̶ c̶o̶u̶r̶s̶e̶ o̶f̶ t̶h̶e̶ f̶i̶l̶m̶.̶
T̶h̶i̶s̶ i̶s̶ w̶h̶e̶r̶e̶ I̶ w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ h̶a̶v̶e̶ b̶r̶o̶k̶e̶n̶ d̶o̶w̶n̶ t̶h̶e̶ i̶s̶s̶u̶e̶s̶ t̶h̶a̶t̶ m̶a̶k̶e̶ t̶h̶i̶s̶ f̶i̶l̶m̶ p̶r̶o̶b̶l̶e̶m̶a̶t̶i̶c̶.̶ H̶o̶w̶e̶v̶e̶r̶,̶ a̶s̶ a̶n̶ e̶x̶h̶i̶b̶i̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ o̶f̶ a̶r̶t̶ a̶n̶d̶ l̶i̶k̶e̶ m̶o̶s̶t̶ p̶r̶o̶m̶i̶s̶i̶n̶g̶ a̶r̶t̶,̶ w̶e̶ s̶e̶e̶ t̶h̶e̶ i̶m̶p̶e̶r̶f̶e̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ b̶u̶t̶ w̶e̶ e̶m̶b̶r̶a̶c̶e̶ t̶h̶e̶ m̶e̶a̶n̶i̶n̶g̶f̶u̶l̶ s̶t̶a̶t̶e̶m̶e̶n̶t̶s̶.̶
This mini-series grinds on these issues:
Physical & Psychological Abuse, Poverty, Illegal Organ Harvesting, Police Corruption, Paternity Fraud, Murder, Drugs, Rehabilitation Center Problems, and Family Secrets.
𝐀 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
1. Everyone is vulnerable. Blood Sisters shows different levels of vulnerability. The vulnerability of women, poor families, rich families, law enforcement, etc.
2. Abusive children often become abusive adults.
3. Abusive partners never stop.
4. Sometimes justice belongs to the wealthy.
5. A shallow grave is a noisy grave..
6. Nothing is a secret.
7. Rich abusers use gifts and public displays of affection as an observable seed of evidence should they be accused of abuse in the future.
8. Marriage has historically had the problem of being a financial transaction for the benefit of families over the benefit of those who get married.
9. Fear and Anger are not good directors but are good indicators of larger issues.
10. Many religious rehab centers are problematic.
11. There is always a root cause of addiction.
12. Addicts are humans, being an addict doesn’t make a person bad. Proper access to humane treatment remains the best route to take.
13. Killing can be a mistake twice or more.
14. The movie also pays tribute to Macbeth and all the other wife influences husband cliches.
Blood Sisters was created by Temidayo Makanjuola. You can watch it on Netflix.
Now that you have read this blood sisters review, you can add your insights in the comment section.
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