The rich gets richer and the poor gets poorer

 

Chief Daddy is about a billionaire industrialist, Chief Beecroft, who serves as a benefactor to a large extended family of relatives, household staff, and mistresses. He dies suddenly, and his will creates a problem amongst his extended families. The movie is full of rich people, loud family drama, and secrets coming out after the sudden death of a wealthy Nigerian man. But if you look closely, it’s more than just comedy and inheritance wahala. Using the Marxist lens, this movie shows how class, money, and power work in our society especially how the rich benefit from a system that ignores the people doing the actual work. While we’re laughing at the characters’ madness, the film is actually saying something deep about how wealth is shared (or not shared) in Nigeria.

From the very beginning, we see wealth displayed like a trophy. Big houses, flashy cars, private staff — everything just screams rich life. But the film never shows how Chief Daddy made that money. It just tells us that he was generous and successful, like that’s enough. This is where the Marxist lens starts to kick in. It makes you ask, why don’t we talk about the process behind the money? Why is wealth just accepted as something automatic for certain people?

This is important because it shows how society makes rich people look naturally important. They are treated with so much respect simply because they have money, not because they worked harder than others. The moment he dies, people start claiming their share — not based on effort, but on blood, love, connection, or even being part of his church. Marxist theory would say this is how capitalism hides the truth. It presents wealth like a gift from heaven, not something built on other people’s work.
We see the drivers, housekeepers, cooks, and assistants running around, making sure everything goes smoothly. But do they get to talk? Do we know how they feel? No. They are there, but only as background. They are even made fun of sometimes, like their problems are not serious. From a Marxist view, this is exactly how workers are treated under capitalism — used, but never seen.What makes it worse is that these are the people who made Chief Daddy’s daily life easy.They probably knew him better than some of his family members. But when it comes to inheritance, they get nothing big. This is how capitalism works — those who do the real labor don’t get the biggest reward. Instead, they’re ignored while the powerful people fight over money they didn’t earn.

Once Chief Daddy dies, everybody starts acting differently. Long-lost children show up, mistresses try to prove their importance, and even church leaders appear like they deserve a share. People start branding themselves as his real child, or statement like “I was there for him,” “I’m his loyal friend.” It’s like each person is trying to sell their own story to be chosen. This is what Marxist theory calls commodification — turning people and emotions into things that can be bought and sold. The love isn’t real; it’s strategic. People are not thinking about legacy or impact. They just want money. The film shows how capitalism doesn’t just affect jobs or business — it also affects how people treat relationships, making everything feel like a transaction.

Some characters, like the staff or distant family members, hope that this inheritance drama will change their lives. But in the end, nothing really changes. The rich stay rich, the workers stay in the background, and the system continues like before. Even the few people who get something are still under the control of the elites.This is called the myth of class mobility — the lie that everyone has an equal chance to rise. In reality, the system is set up to benefit those already at the top. The movie teases us with hope, but it doesn’t deliver real change. That’s how capitalism works: it gives you just enough to keep you hoping but not enough to actually move up.

The man is gone, but his will controls everything. People fight over what he left behind, and even in death, his influence is strong. This shows how capitalism allows the elite to keep power even after they’re no longer around. Chief Daddy becomes like a symbol of authority. His rules, his choices, his secrets — all of it still runs the show. No one questions this power. Instead, they just try to fit into the system he left behind. That’s a sign of how ideology works — making people believe that the structure is fair, even when it’s not. From a Marxist view, the will is just another tool used to keep power in the hands of the few and make it look like it’s all legal and fair.
Everything we see in Chief Daddy happens inside mansions, cars, and high-end offices. There’s no talk about the poverty or hardship that most Nigerians face daily. The world they show us feels like a fantasy. And that’s the problem. When the media only shows the elite, it makes inequality seem far away or even funny.

This kind of distraction is exactly what Marxism warns about. If we’re too busy watching rich people fight, we forget to question why some people have so much and others have nothing. The movie entertains us with jokes and fashion, but it doesn’t help us think about what needs to change. It’s all comfort, no challenge.
By the end of the movie, the characters settle their drama, share some of the money, and smile for the camera. It’s all wrapped up nicely. But that’s not real progress. The workers are still working. The elite are still rich. Nobody really questions the system that caused the drama in the first place.This is how capitalism protects itself — by making even injustice look like comedy. We’re supposed to laugh at the chaos, but not ask too many questions. Chief Daddy may criticize its characters, but it doesn’t challenge the structure they live in. It lets the same system continue, just with new people at the top.

The movie entertains, but it also hides how unfair society can be. Instead of asking tough questions, it makes inequality look normal — and that’s the real message hiding behind the jokes.