Whatever It Takes 2025 – Nollywood Movie Review

April 29, 2025

Whatever It Takes is a 2025 Nigerian crime drama directed by Okey Ifeanyi and produced by Maurice Sam. It stars Maurice Sam as Emmanuel, a debt-collector turned small-time criminal, and Bimbo Ademoye as Amaka, his devoted wife. When Emmanuel’s only sister (and sole breadwinner for her own ailing child) is murdered, he spirals into a world of illicit deals, first petty theft, then drug running, trying to provide for Amaka and their unborn baby.

As his hunger for quick money grows, so do the stakes: alliances are forged and broken, bodies pile up, and Amaka must decide just how far she’s willing to go to keep her husband alive. The film builds to a violent, morally fraught climax in an abandoned warehouse, ending on a bittersweet note that underscores the costs of desperation.

Emmanuel (Maurice Sam) and Amaka (Bimbo Ademoye) live modestly in Lagos, looking forward to the birth of their first child. Life is hard but hopeful at first.

Emmanuel works as a debt‐collector for a local money-lender, sending repayments to his sister Rita, whose own daughter is gravely ill and dependent on costly treatments.

Rita is ambushed and killed in a drive-by shooting apparently a contract hit leaving her sick daughter destitute. Faced with mounting hospital bills and Rita’s funeral costs, Emmanuel is driven by guilt and rage. He approaches his employer, who offers him a chance to rise in the organisation by overseeing low-risk heists, then recruits two childhood friends, Tunde and Chidi, promising them quick money.

Their first job being a warehouse break-in, goes sideways, and the trio snatch an unmarked package, only to discover it contains kilos of hard drugs. Recognising a bigger payday, Emmanuel strikes a deal with Don Eko, a mid-level cartel boss.

Amaka, uneasy about the slippery slope, begs him to stop. Emmanuel insists it’s temporary, that he’ll pay for Rita’s daughter’s surgery and then quit.
Meanwhile, Tunde and Chidi grow greedy. Tunde secretly siphons off extra bags, selling them on the side and funding a lavish lifestyle.

As Emmanuel climbs the cartel’s ranks, he moves into a nicer apartment, distancing himself from Amaka’s modest home. A violent ambush leaves Chidi dead; Tunde blames Emmanuel, sowing distrust. Don Eko orders Emmanuel to carry out a high-stakes robbery of a rival gang’s stash.

Emmanuel realises too late that he’s been set up to take the fall. He and Amaka meet in an abandoned Lagos warehouse to exchange money for safe passage out of the cartel’s territory. Tunde appears with Don Eko’s henchmen: a gun battle erupts. Emmanuel kills Tunde but is wounded. Don Eko confronts him; Amaka intervenes, begging for mercy. Don Eko relents out of respect, but Emmanuel is left bleeding.

Police sirens close in while Emmanuel hands the drug money to Amaka and sends her away with Rita’s daughter in the back of a waiting car. The final shot shows Emmanuel collapsing as the police storm in; Amaka’s car pulls away into the night.
A title card reveals that Rita’s daughter survives, but Emmanuel is sentenced to life. Amaka vows to “do whatever it takes” to honour his sacrifice.

Cast: Bimbo Ademoye, Maurice Sam
Director: Okey Ifeanyi
Runtime: 102 minutes

Watch the movie here.