Moses Inwang’s Blood Vessel attempts to weave together themes of moral obligations, social injustice, and the darker aspects of law and order. However, the result is a poorly executed narrative with an even weaker screenplay. The film initially presents a promising premise highlighting the destructive impact of oil on water and people’s livelihoods. Yet, it swiftly veers into an unrelated survival story driven by an entirely different motive. Despite the potential for being a noteworthy Netflix release, it regrettably falls into the ‘skip it’ category on the streaming platform. Spoilers Ahead!
Blood Vessel (2023) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
The Nembe community is solely dependent on sea water which is destroyed by the Axis Oil Company. Now, the people from the community are fiercely protesting as the soldiers arrive to take control of the land. Meanwhile, the lives of six people are about to change amidst such volatile conditions. We meet the protagonist of the story, Abbey, and his lady love, Oyin. Oyin has been locked in her house since she was meeting with Abbey, which her father doesn’t like.
Later, when Abbey comes to meet with Oyin, she tells him that she is pregnant with his child. Oyin’s father, knowing that his daughter is pregnant, has gone to find Abbey. Abbey, on the other hand, escapes with Oyin, and right then, a military vehicle chases a group of people. They all run for their lives, and Oyin and Abbey hide in a boat. The boat accidentally goes into the sea, and together they swim their way out of the trouble for now.
Why does Oyin’s father disagree with her relationship with Abbey?
Oyin’s parents waited a long time for a child. Her mother would pray numerous times to the river goddess so that they could have a child. Until one day, her prayers worked, and they finally had Oyin. Since they consider it a gift from the Goddess, they decide that Oyin will never get married let alone being pregnant with a child. Because of the superstition, they think that Oyin is too pure to have any sort of relation with mortals, perhaps. So, knowing that she is pregnant with Abbey’s child makes her father very angry.
Why is the military chasing random people?
Boma and Degbe are two desperate souls who are trying to protest against the government in a more vigilant manner. Their approach is more direct rather than diplomatic. So, one night, they attack the military camp only to show that the community would hit back if necessary. But, accidentally, one of the soldiers died in a fire that they started. They didn’t want to harm anyone, but since the accident happened, they run for their lives.
Now, the commander tells his troops to search the whole town to find the culprits who are responsible for the attack. Boma and Degbe somehow manage to secure themselves from the military search operation. They find themselves with Abbey, Oyin and two brothers who can help them pass the borders and make a living in the outside world. They start helping each other out so that they can all start fresh with their lives.
How do the six of them get into a ship?
We meet with the brothers, Olotu and Tekena, who are about to get themselves out of the Nembe community and earn good money. The atmosphere of the community is changing rapidly since there is not much opportunity because of the military takeover. So, Olotu decides to go abroad and earn for his family. However, his younger brother Tekena wants to join him, too, as he has his own ambitions rather than just being stuck here within the community.
But since Olotu lost his phone while running away from the military, he has no way to contact the person, Mr. P, who promised to help them get past the border. However, Boma and Degbe say that they know Mr. P, but in return, Olotu has to make terms with Mr. P and allow them as well in crossing the border. Abbey and Oyin join the journey as well, as they, too, want to get away from the place that does not want them anymore.
What happens when they get into the ship?
Mr. P, as promised, finds them shelter inside the ship and tells them that no one must get out until he says so. But later, Igor, the owner of the ship, arrives, and Mr. P suddenly gets a stroke of some sort. He leaves the ship leaving the six people behind. They have no clue what is going on outside of the cabin they are in. As time progresses, they start to get worried whenever the ship stops and feel excited once it starts again.
Soon their food runs out, and Boma dares to step outside the cabin and find food for everyone. He finds his way into the kitchen, and somehow Igor’s girlfriend sees him eating like an animal inside the kitchen. She puts on the alarms, and Boma is captured by Igor’s men. However, Igor offers him plenty of food and asks him how he has boarded his ship.
Boma accidentally confesses that there are others with him, so Igor asks him to invite them all. He tells him that they can all bathe and have plenty of food. Meanwhile, Oyin is suffering from a fever and since she is pregnant too, Abbey leaves the cabin as well to find some medicine. Right after that, Igor’s men bring all of them inside a different cabin where they see Boma eating. Boma assures them that there is nothing to worry about and to eat as much as they want. Abbey is not there as he is trying to find a way to get some medicine for Oyin.
What does Igor do after he meets with them?
If you have imagined Igor as a good human trying to help them, you have not seen his true side yet. Igor asks them the same question he asked Boma before. He wants to know how they have boarded his ship. Olotu tells him about Mr. P and the arrangements they had. Igor calls Mr. P to confirm the story. For obvious reasons, Mr. P denies his involvement in this matter. Now, Igor thinks of them as spies.
Igor runs all sorts of criminal activities through the sea and he carries a lot of cash with him. He has a strong contact, so he gets rid of any problem he faces. But, with such earnings comes an obsession of doubting everyone every time. This whole business runs on trust, and you don’t let anyone live whom you do not trust. So, no matter how many times they try to convince Igor that they are not spies, Igor ends up killing Boma by shooting him in the head. The rest of them are held captive by Igor while Abbey watches everything from outside the cabin.
Blood Vessel (2023) Movie Ending Explained:
Can Abbey Save Oyin?
One by one, Igor starts killing right after he shoots Boma. Degbe tries to run away at one point by holding a knife to Igor’s sister’s throat. However, when Igor’s sister attacks Degbe, the knife accidentally cuts her throat. Losing control upon seeing his sister die in his hands, Igor literally skins Degbe while he is still alive. Later, he instigates Tekena and Olotu to fight among themselves, stating that whoever survives will be free. Olotu sacrifices himself to ensure his younger brother’s freedom. Nevertheless, Igor shoots Tekena in the leg and throws him into the sea.
Meanwhile, Abbey manages to kill one of Igor’s men. Subsequently, Igor seizes Oyin and threatens to kill her unless Abbey shows up. Abbey surrenders, but Igor shoots her regardless. Abbey witnesses Igor tossing Oyin’s body into the sea. Determined to seek revenge against Igor, Abbey gathers all his strength. He succeeds in killing some of Igor’s men and eventually shoots Igor in the head. Finally liberated, Abbey gazes at the cabin where they initially arrived. He envisions the souls he lost during this ordeal. Later, he collects all the money there is on the ship and distributes it among the families of the friends he lost aboard.
Is Tekena alive?
Yes, fortunately, Tekena summoned the courage to survive and found a boat or a ship that could bring him back. However, he lost one of his legs due to Igor. Conversely, Oyin’s father learns from Abbey about his daughter’s demise. Believing that the superstition has finally come true, he seizes a rifle and sets out to kill Abbey. Just before his arrival, unaware of what might transpire, Abbey leaves the place for a larger city, pursuing new dreams. Abbey evades Oyin’s father’s vengeance and makes numerous families happy with the money before leaving the community, perhaps forever.
