Blood Vessel – Netflix Review (3/5)

BLOOD VESSEL on Netflix is a new thriller about trying to escape a world of brutal circumstances. It’s from Nigeria but the cast is very international and the plot is a universal survival story. Read our full Blood Vessel movie review here!

BLOOD VESSEL is a new Netflix thriller from Nigeria. It’s a survival thriller that takes place on a vessel at sea for most of the runtime. However, the title also reveals that this vessel will be one that also features a lot of blood.

The runtime is just shy of two hours, but as it’s a very character-driven plot, it doesn’t feel too long. Much of the time is spent on introducing the characters and how they relate to one another. One of the characters is Russian and you do not want to meet him.

Continue reading our Blood Vessel movie review below. Find it on Netflix from December 8, 2023.

Survival of a brutally realistic kind

Blood Vessel is a movie that deals with survival in a way most of us are fortunate enough to never know. It’s a Nigerian original film with mystery, crime, and thriller as genres and plot drivers. It all begins in the Niger Delta region.

We meet six individuals who are brought together by chance. All six end up on a ship as a final resort as they must escape for different reasons. What they do have in common is escaping a town devastated by oil pollution.

As stowaways on the mysterious ship, they feel like they’ve scored the jackpot. However, they will soon learn that a brutal nightmare has just begun. What comes next is a fight for survival that will test friendships and family bonds resulting in betrayal and chance.

A character-driven story with a Russian villain

In Blood Vessel, you get a character-driven survival story. The characters Abbey, Boma, Degbe, Olotu, Tekena, and Oyinbraekemi all leave their small island village in the Niger Delta region behind for very different reasons.

Tekena and Olotu are heading to the Americas for a shot at a better life. Boma and Degbe are brother trying to escape the military after a protest gone wrong. And, finally, we meet the young couple Abbey and Oyinbraekemi. The star-crossed lovers must escape to be together.

All six characters fighting for survival are ones we get to know and understand.

And then there’s the Russian villain. If you think he’s bad, then you’re seriously underestimating him. His methods are clearly inspired by the most brutal of serial killers.

Watch Blood Vessel (2023) on Netflix now!

Blood Vessel is directed by Moses Inwang and is another impressive example of why Nollywood is so big. Nigerian filmmaking is impressive and this movie is a good example of why these films should be watched by international audiences.

Also, the fact that both Nigerian characters and Russian (among others) are part of the story means it’s in English a lot of the time.

While Blood Vessel is a thriller about escaping one’s circumstances, it turns into an actual horror story. If you start watching this and can’t figure out why we’re covering it, then I assure you, it will be obvious before the end credits.

Blood Vessel (2023) is out on Netflix from December 8, 2023.

Details

Director: Moses Inwang
Writer: Musa Jeffery David
Cast: Adaobi Dibor, David Ezekiel, Jidekene Achufusi, Sylvester Ekanem, Levi Chikere, Obinna Okenwa, Alex Cyr Budin, René Mena