Can Horror Exorcise Nollywood’s Budget & Funding Demons?
Years ago, watching Twin Peaks felt as illusory as a child looking in a mirror for the first time and feeling the presence of another. It was so familiar yet so strange. Later, I would […]
Uzor Arukwe: The Same Side of Many Masks Nollywood Won’t Let Him Remove
Most people’s introduction to Uzor Arukwe was probably in Sugar Rush (2019), an action comedy where he plays Knight. Or Size 12 (2019), a rom-com where he plays Jide. Since then, he has been rising […]
Nollywood Comedy Films and All the Ways They Can Be Better
There is a general notion that Nigerians can’t handle anything other than comedy films. Filmmakers often decry exhibitors’ and producers’ penchant for comedy films, which has resulted in a scenario wherein Nollywood films seemingly struggle […]
‘Eyimofe’: What Happens When The Antagonist is a Country?
The depictions of villains on screen can be tricky. When done right, they are memorable. And when written shoddily, even the most skilled actor can’t save them. They end up cartoonish and childish and can’t […]
‘Yahoo+’ Helped Keezyto to Rediscover The Acting Side of His Creative Identity and Now The Adventure Begins
EXCLUSIVE: It came as a huge surprise seeing Yahoo+ on the list of Nigerian critics’ best Nollywood films of 2022 although I was a huge believer that the film would speak for itself with time. […]
On Music in Nollywood: Lessons from the Era of Stanley Okorie
Films will never be mistaken for music videos despite their great songs and scores. They won’t be mistaken for a painting despite their beautiful frames, and neither for literature despite their plot, theme, character and […]
‘Country Hard’ Review: Paul Utomi’s Long Dive in a Sea of Sadness
Chima (Timini Egbuson) in a conversation with Jubril (Paul Utomi), out of desperation, describes Nigeria as a sea of sadness, and that is what director Utomi set out to do with Country Hard. This film […]
‘The Milkmaid’ Review: Nigeria’s Second Oscar Run Jogs with a Limp
When I learnt Nigeria was submitting a movie for the 2019 Oscars International Feature Film (IFF) category, I was beyond psyched as this was the second consecutive time, the first being Lionheart (2018). I assumed […]
‘Yahoo+’ Review: An Attempt at Baring Societal Issues; What an Impressive Plot and Delivery!
Ebuka Njoku (Crazy, Lovely, Cool), producer, writer and director of Yahoo+, knew what he was doing when he included the line “This has got to be one of a dream, or maybe a whack film” in his feature debut Yahoo+ because a large part of the film felt like a dream to me, not like a whack film.
Wings, Guns and Planes: When Cinema and Military Join Forces
Eagle Wings is one of the most exploratory films Nollywood has put out, this time with the support of the Federal government. Nollywood has not enjoyed much investment from non-industry players, including the government. In […]