Blood Sisters review: Netflix’s Nigerian mini-series will have you hooked with its dark and thrilling narrative

3.5/5

Story: Sarah Duru (Ini-Dima Okojie) and Kemi Sanya (Nancy Isime) are best friends who are on the run after the disappearance and death of Sarah’s fiancee, Kola Ademola (Okanlawon). With hellfire raining down on them, we follow the two women in a story that is rich with subplots and mysteries. 

Review: First things first. I will try to keep this review spoiler-free because one of the biggest strengths of this limited series from Netflix is its story and how we as the viewer, experience it all playing out. No, the show is not a whodunit, but what it does brilliantly is have us on our toes, ready to drop the shoulder and run along with the two ladies, Sarah and Kemi. 

Sarah and Kemi are on the run after Sarah’s fiance is found dead. The impressive bit about the story starts from the very start. While this is the crux of the four-episode show, we are slowly thrown into the midst of many lives. Experiencing and meeting these people, we are also given a lot of information to store, but in a good way.

Also, the most refreshing aspect of the series is where it is set. After having seen content from the US, Europe, India and South America, following two women across Nigeria is something that you did not know you needed. 

From the language, costumes and the setting, which is immaculately captured by impressive cinematography, the show is a breath of fresh air. There are bright colours and vibrancy in some scenes while there are also shots and sequences that are literally and figuratively dark. From flamboyance to the more classy, the show features all sorts of attires as well. 

Blood Sisters are in many ways, a story about relationships and this offers mixed feelings for us. From smiling and having a good time with family and friends, the show can suddenly change to dark places with domestic abuse and more. And, this is another standout point of the show’s writing. 

The characters in the show are something to closely observe. While I would not call it perfect in any way, they get the job done and even have you forget your space in the real world. A lot of credit for it goes to the acting performances of the cast. While this again is not a straight graph up, the fluctuations can be given an easy pass because the four hours you spend watching the show will have you focused on other aspects of the story with its many subplots. The story being set in Lagos is yet another thing that will have you keep your eyes firmly on the screen. 

Another strong highlight of the show is its pacing. I am not vouching for it because I enjoy a good slow burner, but it is not a common feeling. While this is not your classic slow burner, the way it uses the first two episodes to slowly build a world for us right in front of our eye, filled with many lives who have their own stories and problems, was good to see. While one could argue that the show starts off slow, there is no denying that it ends strong. With a lot of positives and just a few negatives, this is the perfect show to binge watch, with just around four hours of runtime. 

Verdict: Blood Sisters work on so many levels and has a solid story at the base of it all. With its setting, cinematography and pacing, the show adds elements of suspense, action, drama and more. With the perfect runtime of a binge-worthy limited series, I would recommend viewers to give it a watch.