Black Mail’ Premieres on Prime Video

Ferdinand Ekechukwu

Action thriller, ‘Black Mail’ has premiered on Amazon Prime Video. Its entry on the American streaming platform followed its release in the United Kingdom cinemas.  Written and directed by Obi Emelonye, ‘Black Mail’ first screened across 100 UK cinemas in August 2022.

It tells the story of a struggling actor’s career and family being put in jeopardy when cyber-criminals attempt to blackmail him over his internet history. With nowhere left to turn, he decides to play the situation as if it was from one of his movies and goes after the gang behind the scam.

As the clock ticks towards zero hour, he (Chinda) blunders his way through Mighty Igor’s game of cyber cat and mouse. With his back against the wall, he must put everything he loves on the line, close ranks with the most unlikely ally, and confront Mighty Igor; at a very critical time when the Russian criminal empire is beginning to unravel from the inside.

The film’s stellar cast includes award-winning actor, O.C Ukeje, Alessandro Babalola, Nicolay Shulik, Julia Holden, Natalia Nyudyurbegova, Jelena Borovskaya, Tony Richardson and Emma Fletcher. One noted that with O.C Ukeje as the only Nigerian cast, how audiences engage with the picture is a thing of interest.

The executive producer Olatunbosun Amao,  said the feature film “Black Mail addresses pressing concerns around data protection and cyber security. We wanted to create a film that not only entertains but also highlights the vulnerabilities we all face in this digital age as the world becomes more dependent on online interactions”

Since its official outing at the British Urban Film Festival (BUFF) in 2021 where it screened as the opening film, ‘Blackmail’ has maintained a steady trajectory, with nominations and wins at international awards and festivals.