The Set Up is a crime thriller written by Chinaza Onuzo with direction by Niyi Akinmolayan from Nigeria’s Nollywood. It features a star-studded ensemble cast.
Chike (Adesusa Etomi Wellington) and Grace (Kehinde Bankole) are friends who have grown up in crime families. Chike’s deceased father was an assassin with connections to drug traffickers. Grace’s father plans to traffic his daughter into the Italian sex trade for one million Naira. Grace’s mother urges Chike to take Grace, leave, and never return.
Chike agrees to become a drug mule for one of her father’s connections in exchange for the money to pay off Grace’s father. Chike and Grace support themselves by dealing drugs until Saliu, the drug lord who employs Chike, is arrested.
Madam Enitan (Tina Mba) comes to the hotel room Chike and Grace share. She hands them an embossed card bearing the words “The Academy” and warns them to flee because they are about to be arrested.
Madam hires Chike and Grace to teach their methods to the girls who work for her at The Academy. The Academy provides corporate espionage services for those willing and able to pay the right price.
Uncle Edem (Jim Iyke), a down-on-his-luck businessman and socialite, seeks The Academy’s help with his scheme to marry heiress Motunrayo Elesho (Dakore Egbuson-Akande). Montunrayo is the daughter of Mrs. Elosho, the matriarch of the multimillion-dollar Daraia empire.
Madam plans to use Chike, Grace, and Uncle Edem’s scheme to avenge herself on Mrs. Elosho and then turn the two friends in to the authorities. Chike becomes suspicious and begins uncovering the layers of Madam’s plot. She and Grace successfully enact a plan to save themselves from prison by setting up Madam and Uncle Edem.
Watch the layers unpeel on Netflix.
