The most popular response to the pandemic around the world was lockdowns aimed to curb the spread of the virus. Nigeria was not left out. Immediately after the first few cases were confirmed, a nationwide lockdown was announced and we were overcome by a new reality of constant face mask-wearing, social distancing and working from home. ‘Before Valentine’s’ Review: Relatable But Plastic Romcom that is just Tolerable for the Season The pandemic affected people in unique ways, especially through the lockdown. People had to experience being locked in with their loved ones (or hated ones) or alone. Relationships were made…
Author: Ayodele Olawumi
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It’s that season again when we are assaulted with the bloody colours of love, the relentless oppression by those showing off their emotional euphoria; the season most choose to express how they feel about their loved ones with gifts and other forms of showing affection. A season that comes with lots of drama and gists; when love stories are ignited and the flames of others brutally extinguished. Before Valentine’s, previously released in the cinemas in 2022 around this time of the year too, is a film that encapsulates what this season is all about, with all the colours, depicting the…
Pretty Evil is a mystical film directed by Great-Valentine Edochie (Laws of the Heart) and produced by Yvonne Chioma Ajoku. It tells the story of a philandering husband, Ramsey (Efa Iwara), whose guilt over his infidelity to his wife, Alora (Ameh Lucy), drives him to make a decision to quit his cheating shenanigans. But the sight of Esinda (Linda Osifo) is too irresistible to pass over that he decides to come out of retirement just one last time. What is meant to be a quick fling becomes his undoing as Esinda is not who she pretends to be and has…
Set in the city of Ibadan, All Na Vibes tells a story that depicts the dysfunctional state of the country and the several ways it could affect the youth; the dangers of unchecked youthful exuberance; and a love story that never takes off. When Lamidi (Molawa Davis) comes to Abiola’s (played by Tega Ethan) house to seek his help in organising a party, little did he know that the consequences of helping his friend out would be more than he bargained for. Lamidi organises a party, defying the odds and challenges that posed themselves such as a lack of support…
To Freedom is a somber psychological thriller that tells the story of a man, Tobi (Daniel Etim-Effiong), whose wife, Shola (Osas Ighodaro), suddenly goes missing on a simple trip to the supermarket. His whole life is torn apart as he is unable to come to terms with the reality of his wife’s disappearance. After one year of disappearance, with close friends and family urging him to move on and accept the loss and assume his wife is dead, he starts seeing signs that suggest that his wife is indeed alive but all his attempts to follow up on any leads…
2022 was a special one for Nollywood, interesting movies were produced and released, writers were more adventurous with their ideas and Nollywood viewers were treated to interesting and exciting stories. While most of these movies were initially released on the big screens, some of them have been re-released on streaming platforms. If you were unable to squeeze some space into your schedule to go see these films at the cinema or simply want to rewatch them in your own space, they are now available on streaming platforms- Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Here are 2022 Nollywood cinema movies already available…
Crime dramas have always been a constant offering in Nollywood. Recently, there has been a renaissance of crime dramas in the industry, notably starting with Kemi Adetiba’s King Of Boys. Since then, there have been several more, including Brotherhood, The Trade, and Rising City of Dreams, all of which depict gritty crime stories (some of which are purportedly based on true events). This fever is still raging as there are several titles whose releases are anticipated: Gangs of Lagos, No Man’s Land, and even more to come in the KOB world. It is undoubtedly exciting times for Nollywood viewers, who…
In recent years, one of the most committed crimes in Nigeria has been kidnapping, with an increase in the number of reported kidnapping cases, including a recent high profile case where passengers on an Abuja to Kaduna train were attacked and kidnapped. The kidnapped victims were not released to their families until hefty sums of ransom were paid to secure their release. I can’t say if I feel like The Trade couldn’t have come at a better time, because of the current state of insecurity in the country and how it captures a possible scenario, but it does address a…
In 2019 we were thrust into the life of stylish detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) in Knives Out when he was summoned to solve the mystery of the murder of author, Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer). Thrombey left behind a large estate which his relatives and dependent friends bicker over, making them all suspects in his murder. I was actually drawn to see the movie because I had seen Lakeith Stanfield, who plays a police detective in the movie. Drawn into the plot, I solved the mystery alongside Blanc (he beat me to it anyway). I had seen and read numerous…
On a small scale, like your neighborhood pastor whose altar was discovered to have a pot buried beneath it or Muslim clerics who were found to have been abusing wards placed in their care, and on a larger scale, like the revelation of boys abused by Catholic priests around the world, religious institutions have always made the news. These institutions and their practices have always been a hotbed for stories to be told via existing media, such as novels, films, etc. Usually, the hypocrisy of the institutions and their principals is on display. Adebayo Tijani-directed Ijakumo: The Born Again Stripper…