Netflix’s ‘Joy’ unravels harsh reality of Africa-to-Europe sex slave trade

Hollywood and celluloid has a nauseating knack for candy-coating very real and harrowing human experiences for the sake of box office sales.

From Taken (with Liam Neeson) to Skin Trade (with Dolph Lundgren and Ron Pearlman), the true evil of human trafficking is seldom translated onto screen with the brutal and eye-opening honesty it deserves.

This is probably one of the reasons it remains such a lucrative global business. But once in a while a rare gem hits our screens or favourite streaming channel and lays bare the very bitter truth about the global human trafficking epidemic.

Netlfix’s new original film, Joy, is one such gem. Where its predecessors opted to treat the subject too lightly and usually relay the tale from the perspective of the traffickers or the detectives involved, Joy is told through the eyes of a woman trying to escape from Nigeria and provide for her family.

Joy. Picture: Netflix

This latest Netflix offering by Austrian-Iranian filmmaker Sudabeh Mortezai, in pidgin English and German with English subtitles, is a riveting character study and in-depth experiential unravelling of the Africa-to-Europe sex slave trade.

Joy is not glamorous and does not sport quirky leading action men, one-liners or over-the-top special effects and action sequences. Instead, the film is a bleak and sobering portrayal of the grim underworld of sex trafficking via the experiences of its protagonist, Joy, who is masterfully played by the newcomer, Anwulika Alphonsus.

In Mortezai’s tight, no-nonsense style the film follows the tribulations of a Nigerian woman indebted to a “Madam” while trying to settle permanently in Europe.

Alphonsus’ performance is quietly impressive yet as riveting as any you’ll see, especially in the warmth and authenticity she exudes while grooming newbie Nigerian girl Precious (played by equally brilliant Mariam Sanusi) to sell her body.

Joy. Picture: Netflix

The film’s harrowing, depressing and yet realistic dialogue hits you in the gut repeatedly and usually just when you think you can stop holding your breath.

“In this game, it’s survival of the fittest. That means if I have to kill you to pay off my debts, I will. If I have to steal from you, I will do that. And I don’t trust you, so don’t trust me either. Trust only in yourself,” says Joy to newcomer Precious in one scene.

In many ways this is almost a conversation between Netflix and the industry players of old who have too long cornered the market. But hey, that’s just my take on things.

Add Joy to your streaming list for this weekend, but be warned that it’s full of the uncomfortably shocking situations that are frequent occurrences in the global skin trade.

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