Yes, Prime Video is still releasing titles in Nigeria.
In August, three titles dropped on Prime Video: Finding Nina (a Nemsia production), Say Who Die (while not marketed under Nemsia’s label but executive-produced by BB Sasore and Derin Adeyokunnu), and Funke Akindele’s Everybody Loves Jenifa.
Nollywood Film Club discussed the first two, and they couldn’t have been more different. Both sparked familiar feelings of frustration and joy in Nollywood audiences as two contrasting experiences within the same month and on the same platform.
Beyond those, Nollywood Film Club in August also featured a half-year recap, Moses Inwang’s Devil is a Liar, and a session on the best and worst Nollywood sequels.
Finding Nina follows JB, a renowned photographer who returns to Northern Nigeria to reconnect with his roots. A photo of his childhood love, Nina, sends him on a journey of memory, love, and self-discovery, forcing him to confront the past.
Written by Henry Ibazebo, Julius Morno, Awaita Atebor, and Famous Odion Iraoya, and directed by Iraoya, the film’s multiple screenwriters became a running joke during the discussion as viewers felt it didn’t reflect in the story’s depth.
Tomi Ojo (Far From Home) is praised as a consistently dependable actor, but the lead character JB (Ibrahim Jammal) and the film itself never truly engage with the North or its culture. That disconnect made him difficult to root for. As is often the case with Nemsia, the art direction is beautiful, but the story falls flat.
Three weeks later, they would finally find a Nollywood lead worth rooting for.
Written by Lani Aisida and directed by Paul Utomi, Say Who Die follows Odion (Oiza Abu), a chaotic misfit who stumbles into the drug underworld while juggling debt and family secrets. With her sister leaving for the UK and danger closing in, she risks everything to survive and prove her worth.
The speakers found it far more engaging than Finding Nina: the title sparks curiosity, the locations work, and the characters serve the story with purpose. Despite the film’s many moving parts, every event are interconnected. The editing and transitions also reflect a clear understanding of the film’s tone. And yes, this time, ironically, from the mind of one writer.
The contrast between Finding Nina and Say Who Die shows the wide range Nollywood can produce within a single month. The question remains, why can’t this consistency lean more toward the stronger side?
My (not-so) key lesson: Watch every Nollywood film. You never know when you’ll strike gold. I love playing the game myself when the streamers do not geo-block.
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Live Nollywood Film Club takes place every Sunday at 6 pm (WAT).
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