We are slowly closing out the first half of 2025 and a glance at Nollywood’s slate so far is a wide mix of films, from crowd-pleasers to quieter titles that found their audience over time.
To get a sense of what’s resonating with viewers, we asked five nollyphiles to share their favourite film of the year so far. Their picks reflect a range of tastes and what’s been memorable on screen in 2025.
Laolu
The drama ‘Ori’ (Rebirth) is a highlight of Laolu’s watch list. Directed by Adekola Tijani, Muyiwa Ademola, and Tope Adebayo Salami, the film follows Bisade, whose death has been orchestrated by Yeye Fernandez and her cult, leaving him to confront fate and the mystery of his consciousness—while Temidun races to save a man marked for sacrifice.
Starring Toyin Abraham, Sola Sobowale, Omowunmi Dada, and Dele Odule alongside powerhouse acts such as Lateef Adedimeji, Odunlade Adekola, and Joke Muyiwa, the film stood out to Laolu for the performances delivered by the actors. But the story itself tugged at his heartstrings. “I had to hold back tears in the cinema hall,” he says. With a current box office of ₦382,324,225, there is no doubt that ‘Ori’ (Rebirth) has made the hearts of many nollyphiles its home.
Israel
‘Three Is A Match’ captured Israel for its story. The plot is hinged on Gozie, played by Uzor Arukwe, an overprotective brother to Chioma (Oge Aniegboka), Nkiru (Omeche Oko), and Amara (Osereme Inegbenebor). Fed up with his meddling, the sisters team up to find him a partner and reclaim their freedom. What could possibly go wrong?
While he thinks the story could have benefitted if more time was given to the writers, it still does a good job. “I like the fact that it doesn’t suffer from the curse of the third act that’s prevalent in Nollywood stories.” The movie’s employment of comedy to tell its story made it an all-round fantastic watch for him.
Zulu
For Zulu, her leaning towards ‘Reel Love’ is a culmination of various things. Timini Egbuson’s producer debut centres on a charming influencer who agrees to a fake relationship with a sales assistant to win back public favour after a viral video exposes his bad behaviour.
The authenticity of the film is one she will remember for aeons. And not just in the storytelling but in the location; “They used a proper one-bedroom. As a romance girlie, she was also enthralled by the romance; “Nollywood hasn’t done a proper romance in a while so this was nice to watch.” She also loved that the soundtrack was harnessed as a tool to support the story and not derail it.
Oke
A romance lover like Zulu, the opening sequence of ‘A Lagos Love Story’ won her over. Mike Afolarin and Jemima Osunde headline this romantic comedy about an event planner who is forced to babysit an afrobeats artiste in order to save her family house.
Oke refers to the movie as a guilty pleasure. “It’s a bad romcom I really enjoy. It reminded me of old Bollywood and K-drama”. While she admits to the chemistry between the leads being amiss, she was too into King Kator to notice. “It is not the best romcom in the world but it sort of gives me hope that Nollywood will make a brilliant romcom in my lifetime.”
Olanna
Olanna admits she hasn’t seen much at the cinema this year, but one film stood out: ‘Summer Rain’. The film follows Murewa and Adimchi, teenage sweethearts torn apart by a misunderstanding. A decade later, fate brings them back together, will old sparks fly again? She highlights the performances of Kayode Ojuolape and Genoveva Umeh, praising their portrayal of the younger versions of Adimchi and Murewa.
She also points out Kanaga’s performance, saying, “It’s also, oddly, the best performance I’ve seen from Kanaga since ‘Hearts Over Time’, another Bolaji production, albeit on YouTube.” According to her, “his character had little to say, which possibly explains why the performance sailed.”
The film’s older leads didn’t disappoint either. “Daniel Etim Effiong was great as the older Adimchi, and Bolaji Ogunmola matched him line for line as the older Murewa,” she says. But one moment in particular stood out: “Her body in that black dinner dress was also a highlight of mine; she absolutely devoured.” While she admits the story “dragged at some point”, Olanna confidently calls ‘Summer Rain’ the best film she’s seen in cinemas this year, so far.
These are the films that have caught the eyes—and hearts—of nollyphiles this year. From moving performances to unforgettable moments, each one left something behind. And with more releases on the way, the year is still wide open!