Netflix’s latest release, Blood Vessel, tells the heartbreaking tale of six individuals who sneak onto a ship to escape their village devastated by oil spillage. They once lived happily in their tranquil village, but the discovery of an evil mineral changed everything. Driven by greed and capitalism, the government installed an oil pipeline, polluting the river’s freshwater. Frustration led to riots against the government and army, resulting in the deaths of many civilians. Despite promises from oil companies to clean up the pollution, they never fulfilled their commitment. This failure caused widespread discontent among the youth, turning peaceful protests into a violent uproar. To seek better opportunities and provide for their families, some decided to travel abroad, while others had their own reasons to leave the country.
Spoilers Ahead
Why Did Abbey, Oyin, And Others Want To Leave The Village?
They all had their own reasons. For instance, Abbey and his paramour, Oyin, wanted to escape their village because Oyin’s father was out to get him because he didn’t approve of them being together. The old man’s hatred was so vile that he even framed Abbey as a rioter so the army could execute him. Moreover, he also wanted Oyin to abort the child she had been carrying. This left Abbey and Oyin no choice but to skip town. On the other hand, Boma and Degbe became wanted men when they accidentally killed a soldier while setting an oil pipeline on fire. The duo were rebels who had taken a stand against their corrupt government and oil companies. The General planned to make an example out of these two and had his soldiers scour the entire village for them.
Tekena and Oluto’s reasons were the last of the bunch, who were neither running from the wrath of a furious relative nor the army. The brothers hoped to move abroad for better opportunities so they could provide for their family. Chance brought all of them together, and in distress, they all joined forces. Oluto told them about Mr. P, who had promised him and his brother, Tekena, that he’d smuggle them out of the country in exchange for some money. Hesitant at first, Mr. P eventually agreed to smuggle all six. Mr. P led them to a box-like compartment that housed no bathroom, meaning they would have to relieve themselves in a bucket. To add insult to injury, the group was told that they would only get a single meal per day. Either accept the arrangement or leave the ship at once, as Mr. P stated. Beyond that, they were instructed to remain silent. The room was littered with bullet holes, and the walls were painted with blood, which indicated that the ones who were in the room before them weren’t that lucky.
How Did Things Get Messy For The Degbe And Others?
The gang’s good fortune has been on vacation since the film began. Therefore, the man who was supposed to look after them and feed them suffered a mild heart attack and was escorted off the ship. In addition, the ship was also stopped by the Nigerian Navy and wouldn’t set sail; the man in charge, Igor, provided the receipts for all the cargo onboard. Igor tried to bribe the officer, but sadly, he wasn’t a sellout like his predecessor and refused. However, the ship soon set sail when Igor called in a favor from his friends in the Nigerian government. While all of this was going on, Degbe and the others were starving. When it became unbearable, Degbe left the room to look for Mr. P. Abbey also followed suit and left the room to fetch medicines to treat his sick girlfriend. Abbey also assured Boma and others that he would find and bring Degbe back.
Unfortunately, Degbe was caught while snooping through the ship’s pantry. Degbe informed Igor about the others when he was promised a nice bath and a decent meal. Boma, Oyin, and others confessed that it was Mr. P who allowed them to board the ship in exchange for a decent sum. However, when Igor called Mr. P to confirm their story, the latter backed out and stated he hadn’t let anyone on the ship. Believing them to be Nigerian spies, Igor shot Degbe from point-blank and captured the rest. The situation escalated, and Boma accidentally killed Anya, Igor’s associate and sister. In retaliation, Igor peeled the skin off Boma’s body while he was conscious and breathing. At first, Igor wanted to protect his smuggling operations, but after his sister’s death, he was taken over by a personal vendetta. Igor tossed the knives to Tekena and Oluto and promised to spare the one who would emerge victorious, but this was a lie, as Igor shot and tossed Tekena off the ship, even after Oluto sacrificed himself. Of the six, only Abbey and Oyin remained alive at this point.
Did Abbey Survive Igor’s Murderous Rampage?
Igor held Oyin at gunpoint and coerced Abbey into surrendering himself, ultimately leading to his girlfriend’s death. Soon after, Abbey found himself in a storage room, where he was to suffer the same fate as Boma. Fortunately, Oyin escaped when Boma gathered his last remaining strength to kill one of Igor’s guards. Abbey blamed himself for Oyin’s death and reminisced about their time together. No matter how hard he tried, Abbey couldn’t shake the thought that Oyin would’ve still been alive if their paths had never crossed. As established earlier, Oyin was pregnant with Abbey’s child despite her parents’ warning against it. But why? In reality, Oyin’s mother, before she had Oyin, bore another child, but it died after drinking the polluted water.
Oyin’s mother prayed to the water god that she would marry her daughter to him if he blessed her with another child. Soon after, the woman became pregnant and gave birth to Oyin. However, it was prophesied that Oyin would die if she ever loved a man or bore his child. This was precisely why Oyin’s father was against her marriage to Abbey, because they feared that love would cost Oyin her life. Regrettably, the prophecy came to pass. So, did anyone survive Igor’s killing spree? Yes, Abbey did! Igor tried to skin him as he did to Boma, but the latter turned the tide and beat him in his own game.
How Did Tekena Survive?
After the dust settled, Abbey returned to his village and distributed the money he found on the boat to the family members of his deceased friends. While Abbey was visiting his friends’ families, he found out that Tekena had also survived despite being shot and thrown from the boat. However, he lost a limb because of the infection caused by Igor’s bullet. As Blood Vessel drew to a close, Abbey also came clean to Oyin’s father and asked for his forgiveness for not being able to protect his daughter. However, the very next morning, the old man bought a gun with the intent to kill him, but Abbey’s mother had already sent him away, fearing for his life.
Abbey, Oyin, and others believed that once they left the village, they would be out of harm’s way. Abbey and Oyin planned to start a new life someplace else and raise their kid once Oyin gave birth. Boma and Degbe intended to return to the village and contribute to the protest once the chaos died down. As for the brothers, Tekena and Oluto, they were moving to the white man’s land (probably America) so they could earn more and send money to their family back home. Unfortunately, none of their plans materialized, and they found themselves in Igor’s crosshairs, who tortured them for fun. Blood Vessel isn’t just the story of these six unfortunate people but also those who flock abroad because of the lack of opportunities in their native country, which is plagued by corruption, violence, and greed.
