Cartel: A Comedy of Errors Disguised as A Crime Thriller

Cartel is a Nollywood movie that premiered nationwide in cinemas on March 7, 2025. Produced by award-winning filmmaker Elvis Chucks, the film looks into themes of drugs, power struggles, betrayals, drug trafficking, and family violence.

It features a stellar ensemble cast, including Bolanle Ninalowo, Broda Shaggi, Clarion Chukwurah, Eniola Badmus, Chika Ike, and Nkechi Blessing. Oscar Award-winning cinematographer Lance Gewer handled the cinematography.

The Premise

Cartel follows Amanda Bankole in her quest to dismantle a powerful drug cartel that is after crucial evidence compiled by her late father—documents that could bring the entire operation crashing down. Her father had unknowingly worked at a firm fronting for the cartel, which is controlled by two notorious drug lords: Don, who oversees operations in South Africa, and Madam Segi, who dominates the trade in Nigeria.

Desperate to recover the documents, Madam Segi frames Amanda’s brother for murder, hoping to pressure him into revealing their location. When Amanda visits him in prison, he confides in her, convinced that Madam Segi orchestrated the setup. Determined to clear her brother’s name, Amanda devises a daring plan to infiltrate the cartel and gather enough evidence to bring them to justice.

Recruiting her cousin and his friend, Amanda secures a job at the front company. Despite suspicions—especially from Ego, Madam Segi’s employee and Don’s close confidant—she manages to establish herself as an asset and eventually earns an invitation to join the cartel. Working from the inside, she uncovers damning evidence of their operations, including the highly sought-after documents. She secretly sends everything to the police, who use the information to dismantle the cartel and arrest its leaders. In the end, her brother is exonerated, and the cartel’s reign of terror is brought to an end.

Cast and Performances

Rosemary Zimu takes on the lead role as Amanda, a determined woman on a mission to take down the cartel. Despite the film’s weak storyline and disorganized plot, Zimu manages to deliver a commendable performance, making the most of the material she is given.

Clarion Chukwurah shines as Madam Segi, the film’s standout performance. A seasoned Nollywood veteran, she embodies the role of a ruthless drug lord with ease, portraying a character that exudes both power and menace. However, her strong performance is ultimately undermined by the film’s shaky plot, which fails to do justice to her talent.

Ninalowo Bolanle plays Don Malaika, a charismatic and unconventional drug lord. While his portrayal deviates from the stereotypical crime boss, it feels like there was room for more depth in his character. Whether this shortcoming lies with the script, directing, or his performance itself remains debatable.

Chika Ike returns to the screen as Ego, Madam Segi’s employee and Don’s occasional lover. Her performance is reminiscent of her past work, bringing a familiar presence to the film. Though her character doesn’t have much depth, her acting is a nostalgic reminder of her earlier career.

Broda Shaggi plays Amanda’s street-smart cousin who uses his connections to help her recruit muscle and gain Don’s trust. Alongside his gang of toutish friends, he provides the movie’s comic relief. While there are a few genuinely funny moments, one might question whether the comedic elements were necessary in a film of this nature.

The cast also includes Norbert Young, Nkechi Blessing, Eniola Badmus, Mr. Macaroni, and Josh2Funny, who collectively form the comedy ensemble of the film. While their presence adds humour, it further blurs the movie’s tone, making it unclear whether Cartel aims to be a crime thriller or a parody of one.

What I liked About The Movie

The concept of Cartel was undeniably intriguing. While the execution fell short, the idea of an African-stylized drug cartel movie is a genre worth exploring further.

The film’s biggest strength, however, was its cinematography. With an Oscar-winning cinematographer behind the camera, the visuals were crisp, well-framed, and professionally executed—one of the few aspects that truly met expectations.

What Did Not Work

It’s hard to know where to begin. Let’s start with the movie poster—it was anything but professional. A half-baked, amateurish design that lacked cinematic quality, setting the tone for what was to come. Unfortunately, the same lack of effort extended to the storyline, which felt lazy, disjointed, and an insult to the very idea of a cartel organization. If anything, the only things this movie successfully smuggled were Nollywood veterans, comedians, a cinematographer and ultimately disappointment.

There was no real depth or insight into the cartel world supposedly controlled by Don and Madam Segi. The film never convincingly established the power, influence, or operations of the cartel, making the entire premise feel hollow. These drug lords lacked leverage, power, and connections—just an inflated ego and a handful of paid-off minions. Madam Segi, for all her supposed ruthlessness, could only muster enough influence to bribe a single prison warden. In reality, these weren’t crime lords—they were glorified street thugs playing cartel dress-up, running their “empire” with the same level of influence as a neighbourhood canteen owner trying to bribe their way out of a health inspection.

Nollywood must prioritize quality—forcing comedy into every genre shows creative laziness and weakens the impact of serious storytelling. Intended as a thriller, the film instead prioritizes comedy, with too many characters focused on jokes rather than advancing the plot.

The inconsistencies were glaring. Ego discovers Amanda’s true identity but does absolutely nothing with that information. Don, a supposedly paranoid and calculating drug lord, conveniently trusts Amanda without any solid reason. Amanda’s brother shares a cell with an inmate whose role is pointless, contributing nothing to the story except unnecessary and misplaced comedy. A group of touts appears important in one scene but sets up a misleading expectation that ultimately goes nowhere in the film.

Broda Shaggi and Flaky assisting Amanda in her plan? That never really materializes, thanks to poor writing. And perhaps the biggest misstep—Amanda goes undercover without so much as a backup from her police friend, Betty, whose role in the story… well, let’s just say you’ll have to watch the movie to see how that plays out.

The writers and production team had a promising concept but executed it woefully. It’s frustrating to see Nollywood aim for something ambitious and miss so spectacularly. Even the title Cartel feels misleading, tricking viewers into expecting a gripping crime drama. But hey, credit to them for that one.

Final Thoughts

Cartel had the potential to be a gripping crime thriller but ultimately fell flat due to poor execution. The film’s concept was promising, and with an Oscar-winning cinematographer, it visually stood out. However, a weak storyline, inconsistent character motivations, and an unnecessary comedic angle diluted what could have been a compelling narrative. Instead of delivering a hard-hitting crime drama, Cartel stumbled into a confused blend of action and forced humour.

Nollywood has the talent, but Cartel proves yet again that storytelling and script development must be taken more seriously. A film about drug cartels should be intense, suspenseful, and engaging—not an excuse to pack in as many comedians as possible. Nollywood must prioritize depth, character development, and storytelling over cheap laughs and star-studded yet underdeveloped casts to succeed globally.

At the end of the day, Cartel promised a thrilling underworld saga but only delivered cinematic confusion.