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In To Kill A Monkey, Kemi Adetiba’s latest cinematic triumph, the heart of the story beats through one character: A Feminine, portrayed with haunting precision by actor William Benson. While the film as a whole explores the desperate choices people are forced to make in the face of moral and economic ruin, it is Benson’s restrained yet powerful performance that gives the story its emotional backbone.
From the very first scene, it’s clear that A Feminine is a man trapped in a slow collapse. Life is closing in on him from every angle — a man struggling to feed his family, watching his dignity erode under the weight of poverty and pressure. What sets Benson apart in this role is his remarkable ability to convey pain not through melodrama, but through stillness, silence, and subtlety.
Benson doesn’t raise his voice to demand attention; he draws you in with the quiet intensity of a man enduring more than he can bear. The droop in his shoulders, the exhaustion in his eyes, the moments he swallows his anger instead of letting it loose — all of it speaks volumes. It’s the type of performance that forces you to lean in, to feel, rather than simply watch. And every time A Feminine chooses silence over rage, or makes a painful compromise just to survive another day, the viewer is right there with him, aching.
Adetiba, known for her bold storytelling and sharp casting instincts, revealed in a past tweet that she spent considerable time searching for the perfect actor to embody A Feminine. She wasn’t looking for just a “good” actor — she needed someone who could hold the weight of the entire film without ever tipping it into exaggeration. Watching Benson on screen, it becomes clear: she didn’t just find her A Feminine — she waited for him.
That patience paid off.
Rather than opting for star power or flash, Adetiba chose depth. And in return, William Benson delivered a performance that will undoubtedly define his career. His portrayal is not only emotionally gripping but also thematically crucial to the story Adetiba wanted to tell — a raw, unvarnished look at how survival sometimes demands choices that clash violently with one’s morals.
A Feminine is not a typical hero. He doesn’t make all the right decisions. He bends, he breaks, and eventually he crosses lines he once thought unthinkable. But it is Benson’s careful, human portrayal that makes us understand why. The brilliance lies in his restraint. He lets the story sit heavy on his back, and he carries it — scene after scene — without ever trying to steal the spotlight. He doesn’t need to. His pain, his fear, and his brokenness speak louder than any monologue ever could.
The result is a character that lingers long after the credits roll. Viewers are left not just with the memory of what A Feminine did, but of who he was — a man pushed to the edge, choosing survival over pride, not out of greed or evil, but out of despair.
Kudos must go to Kemi Adetiba for staying true to her vision and not compromising in her casting process. In Benson, she found an actor capable of transforming quiet desperation into unforgettable art. And kudos as well to William Benson, who took on the burden of a heavy role and wore it with honesty, grace, and emotional weight.
To Kill A Monkey may feature a cast of talented actors and a story that grips from start to finish, but it is William Benson’s performance as A Feminine that grounds it in reality. In bringing a broken man to life so completely, he’s ensured that the character — and the questions he raises — will stay with audiences for a very long time.
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