“The Herd” hits Netflix like a slap you didn’t see coming. A car with wedding celebrants, a line-up of vehicles with travellers, gets hijacked by “herdsmen” on a lonely road. What starts as a familiar Nigerian nightmare quickly spirals into something darker, twistier, and uncomfortably real.
The good: this film is tense as hell. The kidnapping sequence is brutal and chaotic in the best way. No heroic slow-motion, just panic, screaming, and the sickening sound of gun-butts meeting skulls. Once the victims are in the bush, the movie refuses to let you breathe. Every small decision (should we run? should we fight? should we pray?) feels like it could get someone killed. And it often does.
The social commentary is sharp and unapologetic. In one heartbreaking thread, the bride’s mother insists on “just a few more pictures”, and that would have saved them from the kidnappers. Moral? Listen to Nigerian parents… or don’t and experience the consequences.
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Another subplot drags the ancient Osu caste system into the middle of a life-or-death crisis, proving some prejudices die harder than people.
And the biggest gut-punch: the mastermind behind an organ-harvesting ring isn’t who you expect at all. Let’s just say the film has zero chill about how evil sometimes wears anointed robes on Sunday mornings.
The twists keep coming. Some clever, some convenient. A Yoruba woman deeply involved in the gang, a “breakout” crew of terrorists, a praying session. There’s even a random shootout among the bad guys because, of course, no one in this country can share money peacefully.
The not-so-good: the film occasionally trips over its own ambition. How did all the families end up at the same random police station so fast? How did the police track the kidnappers’ location with Marvel-level speed? Why are we seeing Abeokuta danfos and Abeokuta buildings when the criminals explicitly demand ransom delivery in Kogi? The geography is pure Nollywood alchemy. Ekiti division, Ogun locations, Kogi destination. Suspend disbelief or go mad.
A few characters also vanish in the third act without explanation. Survivors? The pastor’s entire network? The Mama who came to warn her boys? Proof. Erased like they offended the editor.
Yet somehow these flaws almost add to the chaotic charm. “The Herd” doesn’t feel polished or focus-grouped; it feels like it was made by people who are angry, scared, and tired of the nightly news. It’s not perfect, but it’s alive.
Verdict: If you want a sleek, logical thriller, watch something American. If you want a movie that feels like it was ripped from Nigerian group chats at 2 a.m., arguing about insecurity, religion, and why we can never just do the sensible thing, stream “The Herd” tonight.
