In The Black Book, a man takes on a dangerous gang from his past as well as the corrupt police force to clear his son’s name after his death. The film is now streaming on Netflix.
Warning: This article contains heavy spoilers
Plot summary
Professor Stella Craig, the director general of the Nigeria Energy & Oil Company (NEOC), has been fighting corruption all her life on behalf of the common people of Nigeria. Due to this, her husband and baby are kidnapped by dangerous people.
The police apprehend one of the kidnappers, but they let him go when they find out that he is the son of Senator Dipo. Dipo and his boss, General Issa, are responsible for the kidnapping of Craig’s son and husband.
As Craig dared to fight corruption and go against powerful people like them, they teach her a lesson by killing her family. Furthermore, the new director general of NEOC is chosen by them.
Since the police let go Dipo’s son, they need to find a man who resembles his son and frame him for the kidnappings. The police stop an innocent man named Damilola on his way to the church and murder him.
Damilola is labeled a kidnapper after his death, and the police refuse to give his body to his father, Paul, as the case is still being investigated. In the past, Paul used to work for General Issa. He was involved in all sorts of illegal operations like assassinations and coups.
Paul made a deal with General Issa, who allowed him to walk away from that life after Paul gave him the Black Book, which contains an account of all of General Issa’s criminal activities. Paul changed after leaving the gang. He led a peaceful life with his son and became a deacon.
Paul believes that his son’s death is his punishment for his past sins. He is ready to accept the punishment, but he cannot let his son be labeled a criminal. A journalist named Victoria comes to know about the case and wishes to help Paul get justice for his son’s death.
Initially, Paul refuses to take Victoria’s help. He just wants his son’s body, but he is constantly mistreated by the police. One day, he gets arrested for fighting police officers, and that is when Paul decides to go back to his old ways to clear his son’s name.
Paul kidnaps the police officers who killed his son and records their confession, which is stolen by Victoria. However, Victoria’s editor also works for General Issa, so she destroys the recording instead of letting Victoria release it to the public.
Meanwhile, Dipo finds out that the police killed Paul’s son. He knows that Paul is one of the most dangerous men in the country, so he decides to get the whole police force to hunt Paul. To do that, Angelo, Dipo and General Issa’s right-hand man, kills a police officer and frames Paul for the murder.
After the confession is destroyed by Victoria’s editor, Paul and Victoria start working together. Angelo attacks them at Paul’s house. Paul subdues Angelo, who tells him that Damilola was killed to protect Dipo’s son. At the same time, Paul hides Victoria in a room, and she realizes that Paul has been keeping tabs on her.
Paul wants Victoria to stop investigating this case for her own safety, but Victoria starts looking into her connection with Paul. At the same time, Paul meets General Issa and demands that Dipo and his son confess their crime and that Damilola’s body be released.
Paul and General Issa fail to come to an agreement, as Dipo’s confession will affect General Issa’s oil and gas business. On the other hand, Paul is not going to stop until he proves his son’s innocence. General Issa then gets his best assassin to kill the police officers who murdered Damilola and pin the murders on Paul.
This results in Paul becoming the most wanted criminal. Paul goes to meet an old associate, Richard, to seek his help. Richard is now known as Big Daddy. Paul meets his girlfriend, who tells him that Richard was killed by General Issa and that she is Big Daddy, not Richard.
While hunting Paul, General Issa’s men attack Big Daddy’s people. Paul escapes and goes to the police commissioner’s house in the middle of the night. He tells her about how he has not killed any police officers and why his innocent son was killed. Additionally, Paul wants the commissioner to protect Victoria.
The commissioner looks into Damilola’s death and realizes that Paul is telling the truth. Big Daddy kills General Issa’s trusted assassin for attacking her people, and Victoria comes to know that her past is linked with Paul’s.
The Black Book ending explained in detail:
Why is Paul trying to protect Victoria?
Years ago, there was a drug trafficking boom in the country, and General Issa took over the drug trade. At that time, he sent Paul, his loyal soldier, to eliminate a journalist who had uncovered Dipo’s smuggling operation.
This journalist was none other than Victoria’s mother. Paul killed her, but he could not bring himself to kill Victoria, who was in the house at that time. Paul took her to a church, and Father Omotosho raised her. Paul paid for Victoria’s expenses until she grew up and got a job.
General Issa did not want to spare Victoria’s life, and he asked Paul to kill himself in exchange for Victoria’s life. Paul then made a deal with General Issa. Paul told him about the Black Book and gave it to him.
In exchange, General Issa spared his and Victoria’s lives and allowed Paul to leave the gang. Now that Paul has lost his son, he will do anything to protect Victoria, the girl whose life he saved years ago.
Does Paul get the Black Book?
When Victoria comes looking for answers to Father Omotosho, Paul tells her the whole truth. An upset Victoria leaves the church without caring for her own safety. She refuses to let Paul protect her, as she does not want to see him ever again.
General Issa’s men attack the church, kill Father Omotosho, and kidnap Victoria. General Issa then asks Paul to come to a farm unarmed if he wants to save Victoria. At the same time, Big Daddy joins hands with Paul, as she wants to take General Issa down.
The corrupt police is working for General Issa, and Paul does not have the means to defeat General Issa’s personal army as well as the police force. The only way to take General Issa down is to steal the Black Book.
Paul has friends in General Issa’s army, and they tell him that the Black Book is still in the same safe where it used to be when it was in Paul’s possession. Paul and Big Daddy distract the police by causing an explosion.
The police force has to go to the site of the explosion instead of protecting General Issa’s men. While Paul goes to General Issa’s farm and surrenders, Big Daddy and her gang manage to steal the Black Book.
Does Paul clear his son’s name?
Big Daddy sends a video of General Issa’s men killing Nigerian soldiers to the military. This results in the military turning against General Issa, and General Issa’s men abandoning him.
Craig gets her revenge on Angelo for killing her family, and Dipo is arrested by the commissioner, who now has proof against him. General Issa is also arrested by the military.
Paul sends the safe that has the Black Book to Victoria. He tells her that he did not want her to get involved in this case because he wanted to protect her. Paul wants her to do one last thing for him — use the Black Book to ensure that justice is done.
He also informs her that her mother was betrayed by Victoria’s editor. Paul finally buries his son’s body and is ready to pay for his sins. However, after getting the Black Book, Victoria comes to meet Paul, which suggests that she might forgive him.
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