Crime drama Black Mail is distributed by Evrit Film. Actor Ray Chinda (O.C. Ukeje) is mortified when he cyber-criminals start blackmailing him over something that could totally derail his career. What he does not realise though is just how big of a criminal organisation they actually work for.
PROS
- There is some genuine emotion to the narrative as Chinda struggles with the blackmail and fear of how it will impact his family, whilst blackmailer Vitali (Ivan Papovec) has emotionally-driven reasons for doing so, and Ivana (Natalia N.) goes through devastating experiences.
- A good lead in O.C. Ukeje, but the standouts are Ivan Papovec, who brings brooding intensity to screen, and Natalia N., who portrays Ivana with a raw vulnerability.
CONS
- An unfocused and tonally muddled screenplay, culminating in an unintentionally farcical climax that is illogical – Chinda and Vitali should not have fought so intensely given that one had recently lost a lot of blood and one starts having a stroke midway.
- There is a lack of characterisation amongst the supporting players, and the supporting cast are weak, with a number of very wooden performances.
- On a technical level this is messy at times, thanks to some sloppy editing in the farcical climax and also inconsistent sound quality thanks to poor use of boom mics.
VERDICT: 4/10
Pete Kirkpatrick's Reviews 