In 2024, streaming platforms were blessed with awesome Nollywood movies and series that kept many glued to their TV screens due to the improvement the industry produced in the year.
In this write-up, we take a look at Kemi Filani’s Top 7 Naija Prime Video Movies of 2024, praising and criticizing their stories, cinematography and acting.
- With Difficulty Comes Ease
With Difficulty Comes Ease, directed and written by Korede Azeez, is a thought-provoking film that delves into the complex journey of Zainab, a young widow navigating the intricacies of grief and tradition. The film explores personal loss, cultural expectations, and the enduring strength of friendship, all woven together to create a compelling narrative that resonates deeply with audiences.
The story centres on Zainab, an Igbo-Ebira woman played by Uzoamaka Aniunoh, whose powerful performance anchors the film. As Zainab, Aniunoh masterfully captures the character’s emotional struggle, conveying a wide range of feelings through subtle expressions and nuanced acting. Her portrayal of a woman caught between mourning her husband and redefining her future is both moving and authentic, making her character’s journey all the more engaging.
Throughout the film, Zainab faces the challenges of living up to cultural expectations while coping with her grief. She must navigate the traditional pressures from her family and community while trying to carve out a new path for herself. The film thoughtfully examines how these expectations can shape one’s experience of loss and the process of moving forward. I like the look on her face when financial difficulties and a secret pregnancy weighed her down.
- Water and Garri
After over a decade of success in the music industry, singer Tiwa Savage can now be officially tagged as an actress following her debut in the movie Water and Garri.
While many new actresses often debut in minor roles, usually called waka pass in Nollywood, Tiwa Savage took a lead role when she starred as Aisha, a Yoruba fashion designer who decided to relocate back to her hometown from the US following the death of her friend’s brother. However, her return brought back sad memories, especially those of her late mother and murdered brother.
Meji Alabi directed the movie and starred Mike Afolarin, Andrew Yaw Bunting, and Jemima Osunde, amongst others.
One thing I like about this movie is Aisha’s defiance. She had fled Eastside, the town she grew up in to pursue a career in fashion design in the US. While dabbling in the idea that her return to the town was a mistake, a ray of love gave her a moment to help her perish such thought. That was when her former boyfriend Kay (Andrew Yaw Bunting) returned to her life. Despite the disappearance of the ray of love, Aisha remained in the land that snatched three loved ones from her.
- A Green Fever
If you want to have a feel of how Nigerians lived under military regimes, I’ll advise you to go see ‘A Green Fever’. Though the movie only displays a subtle nature of what is obtainable when uniformed men rule, it is enough to make Gen Z Nigerians rethink their clamour for the return of military rule.
‘A Green Fever’, directed by Taiwo Ogunjobi, is about a young man, Kunmi Braithwaite (Temilolu Fosudo) who infiltrates a well-guarded house of an army officer, Colonel Aliyu Bashiru (William Benson), warms his way into the mistress’s heart and almost fools the officer into thinking he was just an architect who needed help for his sick daughter.
The star that stole the show is William Benson who displayed fierce acting far above the movie’s level. His aura represented the same way military officers behaved when they held power in Nigeria. I could tell, being someone who grew up among military men in the 80s and 90s.
- Suspicion
Suspicion follows the journey of Voke (Stan Nze), a young man whose life is thrown into turmoil after the tragic loss of his best friend Rogba (Uzor Arukwe) and goddaughter Lolu. Fuelled by vengeance, Voke enters a corridor that brings forth shocking realities about his world and who he is.
Suspicion is a nail-biting Nollywood thriller that blends action, drama, and the supernatural in a way that presents a gripping plot. Directed by Tosin Igho, the movie starts with Voke being portrayed as a person with a very touching closeness. He may not be wealthy, but he is rich in love and loyalty. Voke has a very close bond with his girlfriend Chisom (Omowunmi Dada), Rogba, his best friend, and Rogba’s daughter, Lolu, whom he cherishes like a goddaughter.
The story takes off when the kidnappers come in a futile attempt to kidnap Lolu. Voke and Rogba put up their fiercest fight against the kidnappers, who fall short but do leave behind some debilitating effects. This sets Voke on a revenge mission, one that would eventually interweave him with supernatural forces and bring the sins and hidden truths of his family’s past to light.
The action scenes of this film are arguably its most stellar features. Every fight scene is mind-blowing, raw, and hyper-realistic, with the added shock value of blood. The slashes from knives and the impact of bullets are all well executed to give the film a very rugged feel. As far as pacing is concerned, the story ensures that every scene counts so that no moment feels wasted and the audience remains captivated.
- Miss PJ
Miss PJ is a Nollywood movie about a village that starts witnessing the deaths of virgin girls the moment a female youth corper sets foot in it. However, the positive mindset of the youth corper and her desire to change the lives of the female secondary school students in the village motivates her to unravel the cause of the deaths.
The above synopsis I wrote gives off the vibe of a movie that will be full of rigorous investigations and brain-cracking mysteries. However, Miss PJ is far from that. It seems like an adaptation of a story from a children’s storybook.
Miss PJ stars Bimbo Ademoye as the youth corper named Miss PJ. The movie also stars Sola Sobowale, Ibrahim Chatta, Kunle Afolayan, Charles Okocha, Sani Danja, etc. It was written and directed by James Abinibi.
The acting in the movie is okay, though some of it is too dramatic. The role of the imbecilic schoolboy was not needed, as it didn’t add any layer to the movie’s plot. Charles Okocha did well playing the role of a predator seducing the young and mature ladies of the village. The star of the show, Bimbo Ademoye, did well in her role, especially how she spoke the Yoruba language with Igbo intonation. The movie is mostly in Yoruba and English with some Igbo here and there.
- Life and Dirt
Bovi Ugboma deserves commendation for directing Life and Dirt, a thriller mixed with supernatural intrigue and drama. The series features Uzor Arukwe, Shaffy Bello, Bovi Ugboma, Idia Aisien, Ric Hassani, Dorcas Shola Fapson, Kanayo O. Kanayo, and Jide Kosoko.
Life and Dirt tells the story of Yo, a hustler whose life turns dark when he is lured into a mysterious supernatural fellowship led by Nene, a woman with enigmatic powers. His desire for wealth and success leads him down a dangerous path, transforming him into a billionaire at the cost of his morality and soul.
Apart from Yo’s life being the central point of the series, other themes also give the show a layer of complexity. For instance, the life of Chief Obi and his daughters, one of who struggles in an abusive marriage. Another of the daughters, Ijeoma, faces an unexpected pregnancy and a devastating betrayal.
Life and Dirt is filled with themes of betrayal, ambition and greed. It showcases twists and turns, leaving viewers glued to the screen. The character development is awesome and the writers did well by linking one character’s life to another, thereby giving the movie a rich depth and more to offer.
- A Night in 2005
A Night in 2005 tells the story of Ife, who is traumatized by an event that happened years ago. The event, a Prom after party in 2005, threatens her future and mental well-being as she tries to overcome the dark chapter of her life. Her relationship with her fiance is not spared from the trauma which comes in addition to family pressures. To find peace, Ife escapes to her uncle’s farm in a rural area, where she comes across one of those linked to the trauma she suffers.
The portrayal of Ife by actress Ini Dima-Okojie is impressive but almost outshined by the performances delivered by Uzoamaka Aniunoh as Kelechi, Opeyemi’s wife, and Efa Iwara as Opeyemi.
Directed by Temidayo Makanjuola, the movie has a good build-up of tension, and it had me looking forward to seeing how Ife overcame her trauma and the justice served to those behind it. However, its hasty conclusion left me with questions that could lead me to make this review full of spoilers. Ife’s situation could have been better explored. One good thing about the movie is that it attracted some emotion, especially observing the stress Ife went through in the quest to find lasting peace and justice. I also got angry while observing the attempts at covering up the event of 2005 so as not to hinder a political agenda.
