In The Fire and The Moth, the western town it is set in is presented with a sweeping calmness. There are gorgeous aerial shots and expert framings that keep the town rested but not docile. This lays a foundational contrast for the story that unfolds in this film: chaos and violence follow the theft of a rare Ife bronze head by Saba, a hired smuggler.
The space and calmness curated in this film, directed by Taiwo Egunjobi and written by Isaac Ayodeji, exist as some sort of canvas for the story and themes to be painted on. On first observation, it is the perfect town for smugglers to operate: close-knit, surrounded by dense forest and controlled by a corrupt police force. This is the framing of the deceptively simple narrative that anchors the other thematic aspects of the film.
The film begins with a white man, Francios (they couldn’t have picked a more French name), far removed from the town, giving an order that complicates a routine operation that had already hit some snags on the way. This mirrors the way colonial violence has evolved to a kind of puppetry where acts of aggression are no longer performed by the white man but by their proxies as seen with the nameless contractor played menacingly by Jimmy Jean Louis—it’s also worth adding the extra layer of hiring a black man who can infiltrate this community with no second looks.
This angle further ties into the subtle spiritual thread that traverses most of the film. The history behind the bronze head is clouded by covetousness and violence, as mentioned by Francios early on. Almost as if the bronze head exists as a harbinger of doom, as it is constantly changing hands throughout the film. The men who first give it to Saba immediately face their share of doom and then it continues to wreak havoc till it culminates in a tragic end. It makes one wonder if the bronze head should have ever been moved in the first place and how every horrible circumstance around it is a glaring warning and instruction to return it to its home.
These many metaphors or themes are built on a simple story that sometimes lacks the verve of an action thriller. Tension is built and deflated by wonky pacing—the final chase lacks the thrill of a build up—and the many character motivations are sometimes not enough to justify the story’s progression. Despite this, The Fire and The Moth is proof that Taiwo has an eye for a shot. So many frames stop you in your tracks and you see the way he has gotten more comfortable behind the camera and the creative risks he takes, especially with the lighting: the bathroom lighting in Abike`s house is so vibrant and different from the rest of the film. He sells the repose of the town with convincing expertise and a scene towards the end of the film proves this. A man on a motorcycle comes to meet Saba for the exchange, the camera is not tense and the scene is almost relaxing—you can even hear the sounds of nature— but it is in stark contrast with what the characters are there to do.
These characters, often motivated by greed, are played to varying levels of success. Saba, played by Tayo Faniran, exists in a constant state of exhaustion and his face communicates it effectively, even though his Yoruba lines are often awkward. He shares many scenes with Abike (Ini Dima-Okojie), whose relationship with him is at first as her under a threatening presence and then a symbiotic, financially motivated friendship. Ini-Dima is great in her role, able to balance playfulness with Saba`s stoicism. Teriba Bello (played by William Benson) is the only character looking to bring a sense of justice and captures the double work of fighting against a rotten system while trying to bring criminals to heel. Olarotimi Fakunle as Opa Stephens, a corrupt policeman, is fidgety and crass, bringing his signature effects to the role.
The Fire and The Moth concludes in a somewhat messy fashion that still works. The characters have met different fates changed by contact with the bronze head and the small idyllic town that has served as a backdrop for the chaos will forever whisper stories about the bronze head that passed through.
The Fire and The Moth premiered at NollywoodWeek (NOW) Film Festival 2025.
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Side Musings
- The way Opa Stephens says God punish you when he’s in the forest with Teriba Bello is so funny.
- Jimmy Jean Louis using a flamethrower as his weapon of choice was unreal levels of aura farming.
- There will be an easy comparison of this film with films like The Figurine but I think that’s a bit too simple.
