Abuse of Power
Throughout the film, a major theme is the abuse of power. In the world of undocumented workers, people are always getting the upper hand on people when they know that they can potentially turn someone in for their immigration status. For instance, when Okwe finds the human heart and wants to call the police to report it, the malevolent Sneaky threatens to tell immigration services about his status if he does so. In this way, Okwe is forced into silence, isolated by his knowledge. Sneaky uses power in this way throughout the film, and sees his shoddy organ donation operation as some kind of benevolent institution when it is in fact harmful and dangerous.
Additionally, Senay faces many people who abuse their power over her sexually. When her boss at the sweatshop learns that the authorities are looking for her, he forces Senay to buy his silence with sexual favors, coercing her into having sex with him against her will. Then, before agreeing to give her a passport to help her start a new life, Sneaky takes Senay's virginity in exchange for the favor.
Absence of Rights
This theme is the electric charge of the film. The rights afforded to a full citizen are not granted to illegal immigrants, and throughout the film, we see the ways that this complicates the lives of the various characters. While they are living in the country and building their own communities, the fact that they are illegal prevents them from having full rights as citizens. Thus they only have the ability to do menial jobs for men who look the other way and treat them as virtual slaves.
Love
The theme of love, while rarely spoken about, is the undercurrent of this film, motivating the characters to help one another. Okwe's desire to get back to Nigeria, to be reunited with his seven-year-old daughter is motivated by his love for her. He endures many sacrifices in order to be reunited with his beloved family members.
Throughout the film, Okwe and Senay also develop a love for one another. At first it is very platonic, in that they are respectfully sharing space and not wanting to make their dynamic sexual in the slightest. By the end of the film, it is clear that they feel deep love for one another, but cannot be together because of their very different pasts and desires for the future.
Isolation
Not only is Okwe isolated by his status as an undocumented immigrant, but he is also isolated by the fact that he must discover the mystery of the organ market on his own. When he finds the heart, Sneaky threatens to turn him in to the authorities if he tries to figure out the mystery of the heart by contacting the police. From then on, Okwe must use his own resources to understand what is going on at the hotel, which isolates him and pushes him even further out onto the margins of society. Once he knows about Sneaky's operation, he remains isolated, powerless to stop it, and dependent on it to achieve his own freedom.
Unlikely Friendships and Alliances.
The characters' positions on the margins of society isolate them from the rest of the world, but also lead them to strike up unlikely friendships with one another. Senay and Okwe would likely not come into contact were it not for their status as undocumented workers. Okwe also maintains an intimacy with Guo Yi, who works at the hospital, and they help one another out when needed.
The final escape is entirely orchestrated by a network of people in menial positions helping Senay and Okwe leave the country. Ivan steps in to help, as well as Juliette, the sex worker, who helps Okwe with the surgery.
Secrecy
Okwe does not talk about his past very much, and we know very little about his life in Nigeria besides his occupation as a doctor. At one point, Sneaky tells Senay that Okwe killed his wife, a piece of information that Senay tries to ignore. Then, in the car ride to the airport, Okwe tells Senay that his house was burned in Nigeria and his wife was inside, which led to him being framed for her murder. Additionally, he reveals that he has a daughter. In this moment, we realize that Okwe has not only been trying to do the right thing and bearing the burden of morality, but also has been bearing the burden of his secret shame, the fact that he feels responsible for his wife's death.
Idealizing and Romanticizing
Early in their acquaintance, Senay tells Okwe that she wants to get to New York City, and idealizes it as a special place, where horses walk the streets and trees are filled with lights. She has an idea that America is a beautiful and special place, and does not think as much about its potential hardships. After all of the tragedies she has faced, she just wants to escape London. As they drive to the airport, Okwe tells her that she will soon be in the magical city of New York, but she tells him, "I know it won't be like that." In this moment, she realizes that her idealistic imaginings are not real, and that reality is much grittier. Then, when Okwe and Senay go their separate ways at the airport, the viewer is not treated to the romantic ending that they might enjoy in a different movie. Rather than the perfect romantic ending, the characters must make large sacrifices, and we see that the reality of their lives is not so shiny as Hollywood often suggests.
