Jolly Roger Analysis: 5 Key Themes and Messages

5 key themes and messages in Jolly Roger (2022) are the consequences of greed, the power of karma, the complexity of romance, the reality of corruption, and the importance of choice.

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you crossed paths with two corrupt cops on a dark night? Jolly Roger is a 2022 Nigerian thriller movie directed by Walter Taylaur and starring Daniel Etim Effiong, Toni Tones, and Deyemi Okanlawon. The movie follows the lives of Brume and Najite, a young couple who get entangled in a web of greed, deception, and murder after a chance encounter with two crooked cops at a police checkpoint.

In this article, I will analyze and discuss the 5 key themes and messages that the movie conveys through its plot, characters, and cinematography.

The Consequences of Greed

One of the main themes and messages in Jolly Roger is the consequences of greed, as it drives the characters to make irrational and immoral decisions that lead to their downfall.

Officer Yaw and Officer Felix, who are supposed to uphold the law, are corrupted by their greed and abuse their power. They are used to extorting random people on the streets for money. They also do not declare most of the money that they seize in raids. On a random fateful night, the officers stop Brume and Najite to extort them. One thing leads to another, and in an event of violence, Najite loses her twins and ultimately, her life. This decision to stop them for extortion backfires on the officers and leads them to their ultimate fate of death.

The movie portrays greed as a destructive force that corrupts individuals and society. It shows how greed blinds people from seeing the value of what they have and makes them chase after what they don’t need. It also shows how greed leads people to hurt themselves and others in pursuit of money and power.

The Power of Karma

Another key theme in Jolly Roger is the power of karma, as it shows how the characters’ actions have consequences that come back to haunt them.

Najite’s betrayal of Brume results in her pregnancy and miscarriage, where she suffers from pain, guilt, and death. Dammy hides the fact that he was the one Najite slept with when she cheated on Brume. Because Brume found out, even Dammy gets murdered. Additionally, Officer Yaw’s and Officer Felix’s extortion and murder result in their death. The cycle of karma keep spinning in this movie.

The movie suggests that karma is inevitable and unavoidable, and that no one can escape justice in the end. It shows how karma works in mysterious ways to balance out the good and evil deeds of people. It also shows how karma teaches people valuable lessons about life and morality.

The Complexity of Romance

The complexity of romance is also explored in the movie, as it shows how love can be both a blessing and a curse for the characters.

Brume and Najite’s relationship starts off as a happy and passionate one, where they share their dreams and support each other. However, their relationship turns sour when Najite cheats on Brume with Dammy, where they lose their trust and respect for each other. Nevertheless, their relationship seems to end on a hopeful note when Brume appears to have forgiven Najite in the car for her mistake, until they are stopped by the police officers. Then. the disaster occurs. 

Through these examples, the movie explores the complexity of romance, and how it can bring both joy and sorrow, trust and betrayal, and hope and despair. It shows how romance can be influenced by external factors, such as money, power, and temptation. It also shows how romance can be strengthened by internal factors, such as forgiveness, loyalty, and honesty.

The Reality of Corruption

Another key theme in Jolly Roger is the reality of corruption, as it shows how the society in which the characters live is plagued by dishonesty and injustice. Even the word ‘roger’ in Nigerian relates to a payment or a bribe.

Officer Yaw and Officer Felix are examples of corrupt cops who abuse their authority and violate the law. They extort money from innocent drivers at a police checkpoint and are comfortable blackmailing them by planting evidence on them. The movie also highlights the themes of corruption from the play that Najite had been reading. The play highlights how people in power use it as a device to overwhelm people who come in between them and their money.

Through these examples, the movie exposes corruption as a widespread and systemic problem that undermines democracy and human rights. It shows how corruption affects different aspects of society and creates a culture of impunity and violence. It also shows how corruption erodes trust and confidence in institutions and leaders.

The Importance of Choice

Another key theme and message in Jolly Roger is the importance of choice, as it shows how the characters’ lives are shaped by their decisions and actions.

Dammy’s choice to sleep with his best friend’s woman causes all the stir that leads to the ultimate finale of the movie. His other choice to join Brume in his plans to kidnap the officers ultimately results in his death from the hands of Brume.

Similarly, Najite’s decision to stay with or leave Brume is a vital choice that affects her outcome. If she had stayed with Brume, she would have maintained her loyalty and love for him. However, she chose to leave Brume for Dammy, which led her to face infidelity, guilt, pregnancy, miscarriage, and danger. The officers, noticing a pregnant woman, had a choice to either let them go or still extort them. Instead, they chose to misbehave with Najite, leading to their ultimate demise.

Through these examples, the movie emphasizes choice as a crucial factor that determines one’s fate and destiny. It shows how choice reflects one’s character and values. It also shows how choice has consequences that can be positive or negative.

Final Thoughts

Jolly Roger is a movie that teaches us valuable lessons about life, society, and human nature. It challenges us to reflect on our own choices and actions, and how they affect ourselves and others. It also inspires us to resist greed and corruption, and to embrace love and justice.

While the movie is built upon a great idea and concept, there are still a lot of problems in the overall movie. But that’s a different topic that we will cover some other day.

What did you think about the movie? Are there any other themes and messages that you think I missed in this article? Do let me know in the comments below!