Reviews
‘Alive Till Dawn’ Review: Nigeria’s Claimed First Zombie Apocalypse is Derivative, Politically Oblivious, and an Illusion of Innovation
The Nollywood horror genre has declined over the years. This can be attributed to a combination of moral and religious panic, alongside the industry’s formulaic mode of operation. Over time, Nollywood has found other formulas […]
Sundance 2026: Praise Odigie’s ‘Birdie’ Review (Short Film)
Sundance: In Birdie, Praise Odigie Paige evokes an ideal countryside with scenic shots of a home nestled in fields of green and a stream cutting through. There are no neighbours and it is isolated from […]
Sundance 2026: Olive Nwosu’s ‘Lady’ Review
Sundance: Some film endings comfort. Others provoke and leave us uneasy. Some quietly ask us to act. In these moments, the final frame becomes the film’s last word, the image that follows us out of […]
Short Film Review: Uchenna Ugwu’s ‘I Too, Crave Death’ Carries Heart and Soul, But Burdened By Visual Impatience
The almost absent representation of mental health in our films reflects our collective social and cultural ideologies concerning the topic. People struggling with psychological challenges are often labelled as confused, mad, or even possessed. At […]
Short Film Review: Jeremiah John’s ‘Market People’ is a Tale of Bodies Seeking Warmth in a Cold World
“Aiyé l’òjà, ọ̀run n’ilé” is a lifelong Yorùbá adage that translates to ‘life is a marketplace, home lies beyond (heaven). It reflects on the transient nature of existence; life is full of trade-offs, people come […]
‘Behind the Scenes’ Review: Funke Akindele’s December Blockbuster is Surely Relatable, Likely to Be Profitable, But Creatively Stuck
The Funke Akindele moral lesson cinematic universe has been expanded with the addition of her latest, Behind the Scenes. Co-directed by Tunde Olaoye, it is a film that follows the wealthy, benevolent Ronke Fernandez, who […]
S16 Film Festival 2025 Reviews: ‘My Jebba Story,’ ‘Obi is a Boy,’ ‘About Sarah’ and More
Traces Of The Sun S16 Film Festival: Directors working in the ten-to-thirty-minute range for short films can fracture time, dissolve narrative causality, or abandon dialogue entirely, treating form itself as the primary subject rather than […]
S16 Film Festival 2025 Reviews: ‘Ode!,’ ‘70×7,’ and ‘The Passage’
The Passage S16 Film Festival: In The Passage, South African filmmaker Ntokozo Mlaba shoots scenes with a jazzy lightness that veers into an almost supernatural aura. The scenes are slightly elevated from real life with […]
News
Trailer: Dammy Twitch Makes His Feature Debut With Bluhouse Studios’ Romantic Comedy ‘Call of My Life’
Bluhouse Studios has released the official trailer for Call of My Life, the directorial feature debut from Dammy Twitch. The romantic comedy follows Soluchi, a call‑centre agent still reeling from heartbreak after being left by […]
The Filmjoint Awards 2026: Full List of Award Winners
The third edition of The Filmjoint Awards 2026 took place on February 7 at Alliance Française in Lagos, celebrating short films, filmmakers, actors, and creative teams who bring these short stories to life. This year’s […]
Kava Releases First Set of Short Films With Fatimah Binta Gimsay’s ‘#Messy’ Collection
Kava, the streaming platform founded by Inkblot Studios and FilmOne Studios, is staying true to its promise of providing a space for short films, with the release of #Messy, a new collection featuring three short […]
Arie and Chuko Esiri Secure NEON Distribution Deal for ‘Clarissa’
Filmmaking brothers Arie and Chuko Esiri have secured a distribution deal with acclaimed American independent film production and distribution company NEON for their upcoming title, Clarissa. An adaptation of “Mrs. Dalloway” by Virginia Woolf, the […]
‘Lady’ Wins at Sundance, But Nigeria’s Actors Had to Watch From Home
Award ceremonies are always regarded as an actor’s biggest night. For the cast of Lady, that moment unfolded from a distance. Despite winning the Special Jury Award for Acting Ensemble at the just-concluded Sundance, and […]
‘Mothers of Chibok’ and The Return of Nigerian Documentaries to Cinemas
Between the peak streaming years and today, Nigerian documentaries skipped cinemas entirely. Streamers like Netflix were testing out ideas. Festivals provided prestige. And urgency-driven independent docs could be found on YouTube. That context makes Joel […]
Neptune3 Studios Announces New Project in ‘Best Friends in The World’ Universe
The Best Friends in the World universe is growing up. Neptune3 Studios is taking the beloved series into feature-film territory with a new project, titled Best Friends in the World: The Year Between. The film […]
Play Network Announces ‘Silent Night,’ A Nigerian Reimagination of The Birth of Jesus Christ
The Nativity story is heading to Nigerian screens, but not exactly as told in the gospels. Play Network has announced a new project, Silent Night, a reimagining of the birth of Jesus Christ retold within […]
Essays
Is Nollywood’s Future on the Big Screen or Online?
There was a time when going to the movies in Nigeria meant calling friends, buying tickets, and heading to the cinema for a big release. During the week, students and NYSC members could walk into […]
‘Ijogbon’ Review: Kunle Afolayan Unearths an Endearing Tale of Teenage Adventure and Bonds
Exploring the essence of teenage life through film is an enduring tradition as old as the medium itself. Every season, a new film emerges to delve into the crossroads of being fifteen, the complexities of […]
‘Merry Men 3 Nemesis’ Review: Comic Crime Thriller Franchise Becomes More Pointless
Merry Men becomes more outrageous with each installment, increasing the stakes to ridiculous heights and presenting far-fetched scenarios, like a low-budget Fast and Furious. The Guardian branded their Merry Men 2 review “low-budget Fast & […]
‘Charlie and the Boys’ Review: Come for the Thrills, Stay for the Humour, Be Confused by the Drama
Heist movies come in all shapes and sizes. For some reason, there’s something about seeing a team of highly skilled people steal large sums of money, priceless artifacts, or some other MacGuffin that gets us […]
‘Something Like Gold’ Review: Sandra Okunzuwa, Kunle Remi and Mercy Johnson Deliver Spirited Performances in a Confused Blend of Family Drama and Romcom
Tamara Jola-Scott (Sandra Okunzuwa), daughter of rich Lagos socialite Jolayemi Scott (Patrick Doyle), is a spoiled rich kid who treats everyone (friends included) as if beneath her. The news of her father’s involvement in an […]
“Why are Nollywood Movies So Bad?”
Nollywood is a cultural phenomenon and no doubt one of the most enduring ones of the 21st century. Like other industries, through the decades, it has had to adapt to various societal shifts and technological […]
