Celebrated Nigerian filmmaker Kemi Adetiba has opened up about the emotional gamble she took in creating her latest film, To Kill A Monkey (TKAM), describing it as the boldest and most vulnerable project of her storied career.
Okay.ng reports that in a heartfelt message to fans, Adetiba shared how TKAM pushed her far outside her creative comfort zone, forgoing the grand spectacle of her previous hits for something more intimate — and more dangerous.
“TKAM is unlike anything I’ve ever done,” she wrote. “It was a crazy risk to take, but it was a story I strongly felt I needed to tell — no gloss, no theatrics, no grandiose characters to hide behind. Just a raw, human story.”
Known for cinematic blockbusters like The Wedding Party and the acclaimed King of Boys series, Adetiba’s latest outing strips away the spectacle to explore the quiet devastation of moral collapse. To Kill A Monkey dives into the psychological unraveling of a principled individual pushed beyond their moral threshold, triggering conversations nationwide about ethics, survival, and the cost of desperation.
“Everyone thinks they know what they’d do when faced with a moral crossroad,” she said. “But that answer often comes from a place of comfort and privilege.”
The film’s emotional honesty and narrative restraint have drawn praise from critics and audiences alike, with many calling it Adetiba’s most powerful work to date. But for the filmmaker, the most meaningful response came from viewers who embraced the risk she took.
“You all turned TKAM into a monster hit!!” she declared. “You validated this story. You validated me. And I will never forget this feeling.”
