The Biggest Questions Around The Past and Present of Nollywood Male Characters According to Nollywood Film Club

Nollywood Film Club is a Twitter Space where Nollywood films are discussed every Sunday.

From Ade Tiger in King of Boys to Kassim in Beyond The Veil to Leo in The Black Book to Saint Obi in his many action flicks, Nollywood Film Club members struggled to remember the exact names of most of these Nollywood male characters. I can’t decide if that is a good or bad thing. Also, if it is a bad thing, whose fault? Why are these characters’ names hardly memorable?

Let’s recap the biggest questions raised during the third discussion of the month that examined the evolution of male characters in Nollywood. They are questions worth examining and can be explored in further discussions and essays.

On the subject of male characters, the speakers mentioned their favourites, least favourites, most memorable, favourite archetypes and changes they would like to see in our male bodies.

In May 2024, the club also discussed Postcards, Water & Garri, and Ch3mistry.

1. How has the evolution of our action stars progressed over time?
2. What are the differences and similarities between Ahanna in OG Rattlesnake and Owolabi in Owo Blow?
3. Are our male nerd characters written as too antisocial with no in-between?
4. Are we transporting too many Western characters into our films without localizing them, essentially copying and pasting Western male characters instead of adapting them to our context?
5. While archetypes are needed for blockbusters, do we have enough that feel authentic and relatable to our own experiences? How hard is it to identify with the archetypes our films have chosen?
6. How much do our gender-themed TV shows depict dynamic interactions among their characters?
7. How much is our writing to blame for the flaws in characterizations and development?
8. Why do many of our male leads lack charisma? Where has this charisma gone?
9. What can new Nollywood still learn from old Nollywood in male characterization, if any?
10. Is there a need for genuine bromance in Nollywood films?
11. Why does Nollywood fail to deliver lasting lessons for their badly behaved male characters, often portraying them as exceptions rather than part of a broader issue?
12. Are we missing nuanced villains in today’s films?
13. Did we emphasize that the problem boils down to writing?

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