Jim Iyke was everywhere when ‘Sin’ came together—New York, Lagos, Paris. Meetings, games, business. But somehow, amid the chaos, he wrote a film.
“Sometimes you don’t wait for the stars to align,” Iyke says, reflecting on the years-long process of bringing ‘Sin’—a two-part Prime Video Original crime thriller—to life. “It’s not your job to figure out the hows and whens. That’s the God factor.”
The first part, ‘Sin: First Blood’, is now streaming on Prime Video. The second chapter, ‘Sin: Total Blackout’, arrives August 22. The two films follow a tangled web of family, addiction, betrayal, and ambition, all revolving around a single location: a club called Sin.
And that’s not just set dressing. It’s the heart of the story.
Producer Joy Grant-Ekong doesn’t mince words about the role of the club in the film. “It’s the centrepiece,” she says. “Everything comes together here.”
She’s speaking on set during the filming of one of the film’s most complex sequences—the reopening of Club Sin. Over 250 cast members were crammed into one space, from background extras to major characters, with more than 70 crew members working behind the scenes.
“This is our biggest day,” Grant-Ekong says. “We’re not compromising when it comes to performance. We’re trying to make this a reality—something we can share with the world.”
At the centre of that reality is Tosin, played by Toni Tones. Introduced as a housewife, Tosin is forced into the world of crime and business when her husband hands her the reins of the club—and then disappears from her life.
“We started with a character that’s laidback, nurturing,” Grant-Ekong explains. “But what emerges is a woman who’s fighting for her family, her life, her name. It’s a total transformation.”
That evolution is mirrored in the setting. “There’s a takeover,” she adds. “A total rebranding of both Tosin and the club.”
Tosin’s younger brother TJ, played by Chimezie Imo, brings a different kind of chaos into the club. An addict masquerading as a man trying to get clean, TJ manipulates those around him to get what he really wants: access to drugs.
“He acts like he’s here to work,” Imo says. “But he just wants to get to where the drugs are. He’s fooling everyone right now—and they don’t know until later.”
His sister—boss, guardian, and reluctant enabler—becomes his primary obstacle. “She’s the mother figure,” Imo adds. “We’re orphans. But TJ is the stubborn head who always ruins things.”
While the siblings battle their demons, Olumide Oworu, who plays the club manager, just wants to keep things running.
“They have a good relationship,” Oworu says of his character’s connection with Tosin. “She trusts him to make the club the number one spot in Lagos.”
And he treats it like a business. “You only get one first impression,” he says. “My job is to make sure everything’s working—from the clients to the lighting. Be everywhere. Cover all the ground.”
But he also understands the kind of clientele Club Sin attracts. “People with money and power sometimes like to play rough,” Oworu says. “He knows how to manoeuvre around that.”
To get into that mindset, Oworu takes his time. Before takes, he puts on his headphones and walks the set—absorbing the environment, adjusting to the costume, and looking for ways to bring more authenticity into the performance.
“I have to feel good,” he says. “If I don’t feel good, there’s a problem.”
For Iyke, ‘Sin’ wasn’t just a personal project—the $2.5 million project was a departure from his usual creative process. Known for overseeing every detail of his productions, he had to relinquish some control this time. He co-wrote the script with two writers stationed in Nigeria and London, often exchanging drafts across a six- to seven-hour time difference.
“It was a different writing experience for me. I usually mastermind from beginning to end. But here, we critiqued each other, found where we went off-rail, and came to a collective understanding.”
The result, he says, is something more expansive—and more grounded. “To see all of that come to life in an even broader stroke… it’s surreal,” he says.
‘Sin: First Blood’ is now streaming on Prime Video. ‘Sin: Total Blackout’ premieres August 22.
