The ability to toggle between levity and gravity lends Inside Job a rare authenticity: a Kenya made seen and made sincere, not despite the humor, but precisely because of it.
By Frank Njugi
When making a film or TV show, casting the right lead can make or break a production. Sometimes, the key to unlocking a showrunner’s vision lies not in elaborate sets or complex scripts, but in the familiar face of an actor whose talent speaks volumes. Leaning on a lead’s known ability, be it their comic timing, emotional depth, or maybe cultural resonance, can feel like a shortcut to success.
Yet, it’s never a guarantee. It’s a bet, a calculated risk, and one that lies at the heart of all great art: trusting that the right performer won’t just deliver a role, but elevate the story into something good and unforgettable.
The latest Kenyan release on Netflix, Inside Job, leans confidently on the talents of celebrated comedians and actresses, Jacky Vike and Mammito Eunice to bring a narrative to life. With a sharp familiarity with the rhythms of Nairobi Urban life, the two lead the film into an energetic and hilarious exploration of the city’s class dynamics, and what unfolds is a story that doesn’t tiptoe around a subject, but dives headfirst, using their humor not as escape, but as a lens.
Inside Job was released on Netflix on 14 June and the film is directed by the acclaimed Tosh Gitonga. It is the latest addition to his growing Netflix portfolio, following Disconnect: The Wedding Planner (2022) and Volume (2023).
Both lead actresses have etched their names in the world of jest; Mammito dabbling into stand-up, and Vike being a star that has danced all across the screen: From the beloved Papa Shirandula (2007–2020) on Citizen TV, to Nairobi Half Life (2022), which had Gitonga once more at the helm. She has also breathed life into Country Queen (2022) and in Click Click Bang (2022), both times stealing the stage and establishing herself as an actress with a flame too fierce to fade.
Inside Job follows the story of two cousins, Wambui (played by Jacky Vike) and Tracey (portrayed by Mammito Eunice), as they undertake a vengeful mission against Mr. Karia (Mehul Savani), Wambui’s mother’s former employer. The catalyst for their retributive pursuit stems from Mr. Karia’s unjust termination of Wambui’s mother, a domestic worker, without cause or due compensation.
The film escalates in tension as Wambui and Tracey attempt to infiltrate Mr. Karia’s residence, only to encounter an unexpected obstacle: a lavish party in full swing on the premises. Forced to improvise, the two cousins navigate the gathering, attempting to blend in while evading suspicion from the guests. Their presence, however, still arouses unease among the attendees, heightening the stakes of their mission.
Complicating matters further, an unexpected romantic tension emerges between Wambui and Ravi Karia (Elyas Moshkwani), Mr. Karia’s son.
Jacky Vike and Mammito Eunice, playing Wambui and Tracey, serve as the perfect conduit for bold, edgy humor, and their interactions, particularly with Mr. Karia’s Indian family and social circle, offer observations on class and social mores.
A significant dimension of their appeal lies in the deft delivery of the humor. Seemingly effortless one-liners imbued with a stand-up comedian’s precision consistently land with effect. They also embody how effective comedy in a film does not emerge in isolation; rather, it is contingent upon its embeddedness within the narrative’s social, cultural, and relational dynamics. The humor in Jacky and Mammito’s performances thus operates as both entertainment and critique.
The comedy is further enriched by moments of stylistic playfulness as well across the Film, such as a mid-narrative Bollywood-inspired musical interlude — one could guess it to be a deliberate departure that satirises the genre’s extravagance.
Another whimsical sequence occurs when Wambui and Tracey’s hood friends infiltrate Mr. Karia’s Indian-dominated gathering, gradually subverting the event’s dynamics. There is an ensuing shift in terms of the music to Kenyan Genge, as the party attendees assimilate with the newcomers. Such sequences exemplify an ability by the film to balance satire with storytelling, and humor arises organically from the cultural juxtapositions rather than imposed gags.
Wambui and Tracey ultimately enact their revenge through a calculated theft on Mr. Karia, followed by a narrative pivot that catalyses Mr Karia’s belated recognition of his wrongful dismissal of Wambui’s mother. And further romantic possibilities are presented between Wambui and Ravi, which began as a whimsical social critique, coming to a hopeful conclusion.
A film rooted in Kenya’s social realities, Inside Job clearly navigates everyday Kenyan social life with a discerning eye. Fiction is dressed in borrowed skin, as the actors deliver grounded performances. One senses they are not merely portraying lives, but living truths they intimately understand.
And the film approaches these lives with relatable wit and whimsicality, narrating a story with humor that feels local. The jokes echo the familiality of everyday Kenyan life, drawing from the cadences of street banter, slang, and the shared absurdities of urban Kenyan existence.
This comedy, far from diluting the film’s thematic depth, in fact enriches it, perhaps owing to the two lead actors, Jacky and Mammito, who are not only seasoned performers but established comedians in their own right. The ability to toggle between levity and gravity lends Inside Job a rare authenticity: a Kenya made seen and made sincere, not despite the humor, but precisely because of it.
Inside Job is currently streaming on Netflix.
Rating 3.0/5
Frank Njugi is an Award-winning Kenyan Writer, Culture journalist and Critic who has written on the East African and African culture scene for platforms such as Debunk Media, Republic Journal, Sinema Focus, Culture Africa, Drummr Africa, The Elephant, Wakilisha Africa, The Moveee, Africa in Dialogue, Afrocritik and others. He tweets as @franknjugi.