Reviews
‘This is Love’ Review: The Interior Lives of Queer Nigerian Couples in Victor Ugoo Njoku’s Tender Documentary
Dear reader, help us understand your Nollywood preferences by filling out our audience survey—your input is invaluable and deeply appreciated! Click this link. Prior to Victor Ugoo Njoku and Neec Nonso’s feature-length documentary, This is Love, there […]
‘Princess On A Hill’ Review: Onyinye Odokoro Portrays A Two-Faced Morally-Conflicted Heroine in Showmax’s Work-Place Drama
Dear reader, help us understand your Nollywood preferences by filling out our audience survey—your input is invaluable and deeply appreciated! Click this link. The epigraph at the pilot episode of Princess On A Hill poses […]
Sundance 2025: ‘BLKNWS: Terms and Conditions’ Review
How can Black voices across continents reunify in a world shaped by colonialism and exploitation? This is the central question posed by BLKNWS: Terms and Conditions, an ambitious, experimental documentary by acclaimed visual artist Kahlil […]
War Stories and Memories from Sundance 2025
We live in volatile times, many are quick to point out. But haven’t we always? There’s always a looming conflict on the horizon or one raging in the background, whether or not it receives media […]
‘Alakada: Bad and Boujee’ Review: Toyin Abraham’s Unimpressive Addiction To The Franchise
In 2009, when flip phones were still a thing and the world hadn’t been taken over by Instagram and TikToks, Toyin Abraham released the first instalment in the Alakada franchise, which slithered its way into […]
‘Seven Doors’ Review: Femi Adebayo-Led Series Struggles to Find a Heartbeat, While Chioma Akpotha Finds Rhythm
From King of Thieves to Jagun Jagun, House of Gaa and Lisabi, Femi Adebayo is no stranger to the Yoruba language films that have enjoyed mainstream popularity in recent times. His onscreen presence is often […]
‘The Waiter’ Review: How Long Can Ayo Makun’s “Warri!” Gimmick Last?
After the culmination of the Merry Men series last year (hopefully), Ayo Makun is back with another comedy thriller in The Waiter. Although AY says this film is different from his previous movies, between the […]
‘Christmas in Lagos’ Review: Jade Osiberu’s Romance Flick Shoots for the Stars but Lands on the Moon
In a retrospective I wrote last year, I hailed Isoken as Jade Osiberu’s best film and praised how well it executed its premise: “[this is] a simple romantic story, Russian-dolled in another one about self-confidence, […]
News
The Filmjoint Awards 2025: Honouring the Year’s Best Short Films
Dear reader, help us understand your Nollywood preferences by filling out our audience survey—your input is invaluable and deeply appreciated! Click this link. The Filmjoint, a platform dedicated to celebrating creativity in short-form storytelling, hosted the second […]
Eva Anya Joins What Kept Me Up as New Managing Editor
Dear reader, help us understand your Nollywood preferences by filling out our audience survey—your input is invaluable and deeply appreciated! Click this link. Eva Anya has officially joined us as our new Managing Editor, working within our […]
Cheta Chukwu’s ‘Love is a Deeper Shade of Red’ Selected for Red Sea Lodge 2025
Dear reader, help us understand your Nollywood preferences by filling out our audience survey—your input is invaluable and deeply appreciated! Click this link. Cheta Chukwu continues his international strides, with the selection of his war drama Love […]
BillyTheGreat’s ‘Black Tax’ Moves into Pre-Production with Arts Council Funding, Mautin Tairu To Co-Produce
Pre-production is underway for Black Tax, a short film by BillyTheGreat, following successful funding from the Arts Council in Newfoundland and Labrador. Scheduled to be filmed in both St. John’s, Canada, and Lagos, Nigeria, the […]
‘The Most Toasted Girl’ Returns With An Explosive Second Season
37thstate, The Nengers Productions and Purple Group are thrilled to announce the return of the hit series The Most Toasted Girl (TMTG) for a highly anticipated second season, premiering on YouTube @thenengers on February 20, […]
Stephanie Dadet’s ‘Everything In Between’ Delivers A Powerful Tale Of Love, Betrayal, And Resilience
A Riveting Nigerian Drama Inspired by True Events Stephanie Dadet’s feature film Everything in Between, starring Onyinye Odokoro and Valentine Ohu, is a powerful drama inspired by true events, the film is an intimate portrayal […]
Key Events and Milestones That Shaped Nollywood in 2024
2024 was a year of box office records, more international milestones, and disruption in film distribution. Despite challenges like reduced funding from major streaming platforms and uncertainties, Nollywood remains resilient and poised for more milestones […]
Chioma Paul-Dike’s Acclaimed Short Film ‘Dreams’ Returns as a Bold Horror Feature ‘Oblation’
After captivating audiences with her short film Dreams, which screened at over 15 local and international festivals, award-winning writer-director Chioma Paul-Dike returns with Oblation—a bold reimagining that takes the haunting original story to more intense, […]
Essays
“Netflix’s Nollywood Exit”: 10 Critical Questions by Nollywood Film Club
Firstly, here is a reminder: Nollywood Film Club is a Film Club (read that again) fulfilling an important role. Just before an end of year backlash against the club’s style, tone and purpose, the members […]
‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Review: How Formulaic Can MCU Become?
After Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Cinematic Universe has been working on breathing new life into the numerous films that have come after Thanos’ tyranny. Marvel Studios wants its audience to believe they’ve still got it. We were […]
‘Jewel’ Review: Adze Ugah-Directed South African Psychological Thriller Comes Out Lacklustre
A white woman looking for penance for her father’s sin, an unlikely love story and a love triangle are the main features of this racially charged film by Nigerian-born South African filmmaker, Adze Ugah. Tyra […]
‘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.
Movies and TV Shows Coming in July
Breaded Life, a 2021 cinema release by Biodun Stephen which debuted on Netflix, was our critic pick in June. A number of 2021 Nollywood cinema releases will be available to stream on Netflix this month: […]
‘Ile Owo’ Review: Wavering Plot Frustrates Bold Horror Outing
Over the years, the horror genre has not been extensively explored by Nollywood. However, Dare Olaitan (Dwindle) breaks this barrier with his new horror movie, Ile Owo, which the director has said leans more into the […]
