Nollywood has captured the attention of the world, showing that our movie industry is capable of being on the same level as Hollywood and Bollywood.
Our efforts are paying off gradually and renowned streaming giant Netflix has capitalized on the budding industry to showcase some of our best content to the rest of the world.
With the best of Nigerian pictures now being showcased on the platform, let us take a look at five of them, giving fans the reason behind their appeal based on popularity and box office success.
LIVING IN BONDAGE: BREAKING FREE
This is the movie that marked actor Ramsey Nouah’s directorial debut and is both a sequel to the earlier movies made in the ‘90s and a standalone feature.
Starring Swanky JKA, Kenneth Okonkwo, Ramsey Nouah, Kanayo O. Kanayo, and Munachi Abii, it became an instant hit, garnering positive reviews and is now ranked 11th on the list of highest-grossing Nigerian films of all time.
At the 2020 edition of the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, Living in Bondage: Breaking Free got 11 nominations and won seven awards (including Best Overall Movie, Best Movie West Africa and Best Director).
Those wondering if it deserves such accolades have only to watch it to see for themselves. It premiered on Netflix in May 2020.
MERRY MEN 2: ANOTHER MISSION
The sequel to the 2018 hit comedy proved to be an even bigger film than its predecessor, racing to the number one spot on the list of the most-watched movies in Nigeria.
Building on what made the first film resonate with fans, Merry Men 2: Another Mission took things up a notch, producing countless laugh-out-loud and certifying comedian and actor AY Makun as a bona fide box office King.
Cinema-goers couldn’t stop raving about the movie, saying how they enjoyed it, especially its humor.
With its ensemble cast of stars like AY Makun, Ramsey Nouah, Jim Iyke, Falz, Williams Uchemba, Ireti Doyle, Damilola Adegbite, Nancy Isime, Regina Daniels, Linda Osifo, and Rosaline Meurer, who wouldn’t expect their money’s worth from a movie of this caliber?
Merry Men 2: Another Mission was made available on Netflix on June 5, 2020.
LIONHEART
Now, it would be a gross injustice to make this list and not include the movie that started it all; Genevieve Nnaji’s Lionheart.
With a plot that spans cuts across both eastern and northern Nigeria, this film was nothing less than an impressive first-time effort from one of the country’s most talented actresses.
Directed by Genevieve herself, it focused on a determined lady’s quest to save her father’s company from ruin when he is forced to vacate his position as the head due to his failing health.
Wonderful cinematography, topical issues, and a stellar lead performance from Genevieve made this film a target of Netflix and after they acquired the rights for a whopping sum, it premiered on the streaming platform on January 4, 2019.
Lionheart earned an astonishing 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was applauded by critics. Added to these, it was selected as the Nigerian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards (though it was eventually disqualified on the basis of the prominent language being English).
SUGAR RUSH
Adesua Etomi, Bisola Aiyeola, and Bimbo Ademoye take center stage in this crime action comedy about the ‘Sugar sisters’ who accidentally stumble on a huge amount of money in the house of a corrupt man.
Without pausing to contemplate the consequences of their actions, the trio begins to spend the money only to meet their waterloo when members of the mafia come to collect what is theirs.
Sugar Rush has been certified a box office success and is now the fourth highest-earning Nigerian film of all time. When it began streaming in June 2020 on Netflix, fans flocked to the platform to see it after which they shared their testimony on social media, hailing it as rib-cracking and genuinely entertaining.
On IMDB, it has a 7.4/10 rating as 92% percent of those who watched it liked it.
THE SET UP
Never has a Nollywood feature toyed with the psychological ability of fans like Niyi Akinmolayan’s blockbuster thriller The Set Up.
Boasting wonderful performances from Adesua Etomi and Tina Mba, the film’s story was as puzzling as it was intriguing, proving to be quite a handful for those claiming to be experts at unraveling plot twists.
The Set Up’s box office success made Netflix decided that it was worth showing to the world, and it premiered there on April 22, 2020.
Many movie enthusiasts hoping to see something great on Netflix have been told to check out this amazing film as it is without a doubt one of the country’s best.
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