Now streaming on Prime Video. If you’re still recovering from Tyler Perry’s Last Straw, dry your eyes. Let’s take a trip to Ibadan, the new Nollywood crime capital — and dive into The Fire and the Moth, directed by Taiwo Egunjobi.
When the Sacred Becomes Stolen
Tayo Faniran takes the lead as Saba, a hustler hired to smuggle a sacred bronze Ife head not just any museum piece, but a spiritual symbol tied to destiny and the Ori. For those who know Yoruba cosmology, this already smells like disaster. And yes, disaster comes, but not in the way you expect.
Instead of a smooth heist-to-sell pipeline, Saba finds himself in a boiling mess. No tribute was paid to the ever-angry Opa Stephen (Olarotimi Fakunle), a corrupt police officer acting like the god of borders. And once payment doesn’t come through, the real trouble begins.
Enter the Moth — And Madness Ensues
Francois, the international art buyer who’s waiting to collect the Ife head, gets impatient. What does he do? He sends in the ultimate fireboy a nameless, terrifying assassin with a flamethrower. Played by Jimmy Jean-Louis, the Moth guy doesn’t talk much, he just burns and kills. Literally.
His scenes are a mix of madness and mayhem. He didn’t care who you were — if you had any link to the bronze head, you were either shot or set on fire. The character was chaotic, and honestly, quite entertaining to watch. He brought the only real tension in a film that otherwise moved like molasses.
Plot Holes, Confusions, and That Famous Bag
Now let’s talk about what didn’t add up, because this film asked a lot of questions and answered maybe two.
First off, the bronze bag. After the botched exchange with the assassin, we see Saba return home, drop the bronze in his room, and go to the bathroom. Yet somehow, Abike and her sister are seen passing the bag between themselves before the Moth guy shows up. So… when did Saba hide the original in the drum?
That whole switcheroo was so confusing, I had to rewind and I still didn’t get it. And please, can someone explain how the bronze head even got stolen from the museum in the first place?
Also, the assassin (a.k.a. The Moth guy) discards his phone after one dramatic call with his boss. Was that his way of ending the mission? A signal? A plot hole? We’ll never know.
The Good: Acting, Location, Cinematography
Let’s give credit where it’s due. The acting was solid across the board. Ini Dima-Okojie brought her usual grace. Tayo Faniran gave us grit. And Jimmy Jean-Louis? Pure madness. Even the supporting cast pulled their weight.
Ibadan, once again, proved it’s the new Lagos for filmmakers. The city’s raw beauty and quiet tension gave the story room to breathe. And the cinematography? Clean. Moody. Unapologetically Nigerian.
The Ending:
Saba lost his father. Arike lost her life. And guess what? They still didn’t manage to sell the bronze head. So really, what was all the running, killing, and betrayal for? Greed, pride, stupidity? All of the above.
Final Verdict: Smart, but Needs Fire in the Writing
This movie had the ingredients of a masterpiece: culture, politics, mystery, betrayal, art theft, and even spiritual undertones. But some parts moved too slowly. The tension dipped more than it rose. A lot of key moments were implied instead of shown, which left too many questions hanging in the air.
But still , The Fire and the Moth is a rare, daring attempt in Nollywood. It’s not perfect, but it’s refreshing. The story is rich, the characters are layered, and it dares to tell a new kind of Nigerian story.
If you can sit through some of the pacing problems, you’ll enjoy the journey. And you’ll probably argue with your friends about what really happened in that last scene.
7/10. Watch it after you’ve cried over Tyler Perry’s Last Straw. You’ll need the fire.
