King of Thieves’, ‘Anikulapo’, other outstanding Nollywood films of 2022

2021 gave us a sensational biopic ‘Ainla’ and funny ‘Aki and Paw Paw’but 2022 is a true reflection of the famous saying, “Nollywood is home.

The whole world saw a tremendous growth in the Nigerian movie industry.

From a more authentic portrayal of Nigerian stories to partnerships with major streaming platforms, Nollywood it had a long list of quality films that put it on the global map.

These films provided great launches for breakout stars like Mike Afolarin and Genovava Umeh.

While Nollywood may have started the year with the forgettable and pointless sequel Chief Daddy 2, it made a massive and lasting comeback in the future.

Taking a trip down memory lane to see how far the Nigerian film industry has come in 2022, here is a list of the best Nollywood movies of 2022.

Blood Sisters

In May, Ebony Life Productions brought its “A” game to the year with the release of a five-episode limited series. Blood Sisters. Directed by the late and talented Biyi Bandele, the film features a stellar cast including Ini Dima Okojie, Nancy Isime and Kate Henshaw.

Within days of its release, the series debuted at number one on Netflix’s global and national charts and generated over thirty thousand tweets. The story, about two friends on the run from the law after killing a man, sparked several debates with Nigerians being asked to pick a side.

What made this series so special was the intriguing nature surrounding the plot and its ability to not only connect the audience with the characters, even when they were wrong. The cinematography was also top-notch, offering realistic locations and proper lighting for each scene.

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They have grown up

Show us a bad Kunle Afolayan movie and we’ll proudly list five reasons to the contrary.

From the studios that brought the first Christmas movie, “A Najia Christmas,” and the movie that made Temi Odetola famous, comes a supernatural drama film.They have grown up“.

While Anikulapo is filled with clichéd storylines and unforgiving CGI, he created characters with stories, actions and images that would become part of Nigerian pop culture.

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With a line-up of famous actors like Bimbo Ademoye, Kunle Remi and veteran actor Sola Sobowale, the movie was released on September 30.

The film tells the story of Saro, an Aso Oke weaver, and how greed and ingratitude affect his journey to become a successful trader.

away from home

Finally, Nollywood producers heard the cries for a youth series and released it away from home on December 5

The film does a great job of highlighting the young and upcoming talent in the industry. Actors like Mike Afolarin gave excellent performances in their various roles.

Embedded in a series of powerful moral lessons, the film follows Ishaya Bello, a dreamer who sets out to become a famous artist and will stop at nothing, even if it means hurting the people he loves, stealing and selling drugs.

Far from Home joins South African series Blood and Water as Netflix’s second original series for African teenagers.

Gudu Buka street

“Gas, gbos, and goes” are three words to accurately describe the audience watching this movie directed by Funke Akindele and Tobi Makinde.

Unlike other stories shown on Nollywood screens, Battle on Buka Street takes a grassroots approach to explore the issues of rivalry and polygamy.

Starring veterans like Sola Sobowale, Funke Akindele, Tina Mba, Mercy Johnson Okojie and Nkem, the movie tells the story of Awele and Yejide, two half-sisters who have been in conflict since the day they were born but find common ground. based on family values.

As mentioned earlier, the film’s premise is fascinating, and it’s not surprising that the positive reviews it received just days after its release.

the goddesses

Showmax has stepped up its game this year with the launch of the psychological thriller series, the goddesses.

Paving the way for Nigerian producers to explore the investigative film genre, Diich tells the story of a famous actress who becomes the prime suspect after her husband is found dead.

Aside from its anticlimactic ending and poor visual effects, Diiche was a breath of fresh air from the rom-com genres that filled our screens. Apart from being a series of murder dramas, it also touches on certain Igbo beliefs and traditions.

Brotherhood

Nollywood got its share of action this year Brotherhood. Be it the awesome shooting scene on the third peninsula bridge or the refusal to punish the villains, this film directed by Loukman Ali ticked all the boxes for a blockbuster.

Where do we start? First of all, the idea of ​​creating a story where twin brothers are on different sides of the law is just genius and commendable. After this, it’s a great casting choice, with Falz and Tobi Bakare in the lead. And don’t get us started because the locations and action sequences are pure gold.

The king of thieves

Leading the promotion of films in indigenous languages, “The king of thieves” Rather than English, he chose to use Yoruba to tell the story of a famous Ajeromi town and prosperous kingdom. Things were going well in the kingdom of Ajeromi until Agesinkole, a powerful bandit and terrorist, came to terrorize the kingdom.

Starring Odunlade Adekola, Femi Adebayo, Toyin Abraham, Broda Shaggi, Adebayo Salami, Lateef Adedimeji and Ibrahim Chatta, the film was directed by Tope Adebayo and Adebayo Tijani.