best nollywood movies of 2025
From romcoms and dramas to thrillers and 600 epic movies, Nollywood chose range in 2025 and kinda snapped tbh. Some movies were terrible, some were just fine, and others had tongues positively wagging long after the credits rolled. That last group of movies is what we’re here today to celebrate.
The best Nollywood movies of 2025.
best nollywood movies of 2025
10. The Masked King
Director: Uduak-Obong Patrick
Genre: History, Drama
Runtime: 1 hour and 58 minutes
The Masked King is set in precolonial Nigeria and follows King Ensa (Daniel Etim Effiong), who rules his people so ruthlessly, you’ll think the only book he’s ever read is Mein Kampf. His mother, the queen (Shaffy Bello) is torn between supporting her son and taking him out so the people in the kingdom can catch a fucking break. And that’s not even all of it.
Epic movies aren’t usually my thing, but I gave this a chance just to see Daniel Etim Effiong in a role that saw him do more than passionately make out. And he blew me away. So did Shaffy Bello as the matriarch torn between loyalty to her demon spawn or loyalty to her people. Also, many period pieces throw their actors in mini-skirts/eyeliner combo and call it a day. The people in charge of sets and props here did a great job helping to immerse the audience in the world of the movie.
The Masked King is no longer showing in cinemas, and as at the time of this article was written, isn’t yet on any streaming service.
best nollywood movies of 2025
9. Reel Love
Director: Kayode Kasum
Genre: Romance
Runtime: 1 hour and 38 minutes
Tomide (Timini Egbuson) is a famous relationship influencer whose career is threatened when a video of him in a heated argument with another influencer named Rachel (TJ Omusuku) leaks on the internet. Tomide’s girlfriend, Imani (Atlanta Johnson), suggests that he and Rachel stage a romantic relationship to distract from the scandal and get back in the general public’s good graces, and it works. The public eats it up and both parties’ social media followings grow astronomically. Things start to suck for Imani when Tomide and Rachel fall for each other. And now Imani has to take matters into her own hands to fix things.
I love a good “and hijinks ensue…” type of movie, which is exactly what Reel Love becomes the second Imani figures out romantic treachery is afoot. Timini Egbuson and TJ Omusuku really sell the enemies to unintentional lovers arc. With the exception of Imani getting royally screwed over, this really is one of the best romantic comedies of the year.
Reel Love is available to stream on kava.tv.
best nollywood movies of 2025
8. The Herd
Director: Daniel Etim Effiong
Genre: Thriller
Runtime: 1 hour and 51 minutes
Gosi (Daniel Etim Effiong) is battling family problems but cleans up for one day to celebrate the nuptials of his friends, Fola (Kunle Remi) and Derin (Genoveva Umeh). While returning from the reception, they’re ambushed by kidnappers, kicking off a brutal fight for their lives.
The Herd had me early on with the chemistry of all three main characters. But the second the main plot kicks off and it starts depicting all of Nigeria’s insecurities (corruption, kidnapping, and organ trafficking) along with the emotional toll these take on the loved ones of people affected, I was completely sold. The movie holds a mirror up to society and really doesn’t sugarcoat anything.
The Herd is currently available to stream on Netflix.
best nollywood movies of 2025
7. Red Circle
Director: Akay Mason
Genre: Crime Thriller
Runtime: 1 hour and 59 minutes
Fikayo Holloway (Folu Storms) is an investigative journalist determined to make a name for herself. The only problem, and you may have clocked this from her last name, is she’s from a filthy rich family of socialites. Fikayo gets wind of a major story about a powerful crime syndicate and is determined to blow it wide open until the case becomes super personal, threatening her life and the lives of those close to her. Now, she has to decide whether to drop the whole thing or face the true cost of doing what is right.
I love a good fictional investigation. Nothing gets me seated faster than a story where a character does Lois Lane cosplay with no Superman. And Red Circle gives me all of that.
Red Circle is no longer showing in cinemas, and as at the time of this article was written, isn’t yet on any streaming service.
best nollywood movies of 2025
6. Over The Bridge
Director: Tolu Ajayi
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Runtime: 1 hour and 39 minutes
Folarin Marinho (Ozzy Agu) is a big boy Lagos investment banker who seems to have it all: prestige, money, and a career most people can only dream of. The only problem is that behind the polished exterior, Folarin’s mental health is wobblier than a Jenga tower. When a major infrastructure deal he’s overseeing begins to unravel, exposing layers of corruption he’s not exactly responsible for but is complicit enough to be implicated in, the pressure causes him to snap and disappear. Now Folarin must confront who he is and the consequences of the actions that brought him here without power or status.
Over the Bridge offers a nuanced depiction of the mental health deterioration process, much different from how much of Nollywood portrays it. It shows that mental illness isn’t always obvious in the ways many people think it is. And Ozzy Agu does a great job with his performance.
Over the Bridge is no longer showing in cinemas, and as at the time of this article being written, isn’t yet on any streaming service.
5. Blackout
Director: Okechukwu Oku
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Runtime: 1 hour and 29 minutes
Judith (Padita Agu) is a young woman whose life is suddenly rewritten when she wakes up with no memory, married with children to a man (Gideon Okeke) she barely recognises. As she struggles to understand how she ended up in a life that doesn’t feel like hers, unsettling truths begin to surface. Judith soon realises she has been deliberately trapped in this reality, and reclaiming her identity may cost more than she’s prepared for. I would say more, but I need you to witness the greatness that is this movie’s plot unfold by yourself.
I haven’t been this unsettled by a movie since Jordan’s Peele’s US. Enough said.
Blackout is no longer showing in cinemas, and as at the time of this article being written, isn’t yet on any streaming service.
4. Freedom Way
Director: Afolabi Olalekan
Genre: Action Thriller Drama
Runtime: 1 hour and 28 minutes
Themba and Tayo (Jesse Suntele and Jable “Ogranya” Osai) create a start-up named Easy Go to support okada riders. It’s initially successful but gets crushed by hostile government policies and police corruption. The film shows how the venture’s collapse affects people across the city, like Abiola (Mr Macaroni), a struggling okada rider, who are forced to navigate survival, dignity, and compromise in a system seemingly designed to make life harder for them.
There is a certain individualism in the way many Nigerians navigate the things we go through in the hands of our government. You hear it when people say things like, “This government will favour me and my family, in Jesus name”. I feel like the makers of Freedom Way noticed this and said, “Let’s show people that you can’t ‘God forbid’ your way out of poor governance. And that politics is not a game but human lives literally hanging in the balance.’” And I think they nailed it.
Freedom Way is no longer showing in cinemas, and as at the time of this article being written, isn’t yet on any streaming service.
3. The Fire and the Moth
Director: Taiwo Egunjobi
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller/Mystery
Runtime: 1 hour and 39 minutes
The Fire and the Moth follows Saba, a small-time smuggler who steals a rare Ife bronze head and tries to transport it through a harsh border town in western Nigeria. As word of the stolen artefact spreads, Saba’s plan goes to shit as people who want it for themselves, each one more dangerous than the last, begin coming after him. Now Saba is confused about how to proceed but doesn’t have time to stop and think.
Some people will say that this movie sacrifices plot execution on the altar of visuals, and I can confidently tell you they’re wrong. The movie has stunning visuals that’ll gag you, and then gag you some more as the plot unfolds. Get into it.
The Fire and the Moth is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
2. My Mother is a Witch
Director: Niyi Akinmolayan
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 1 hour and 40 minutes
My Mother Is a Witch follows Jess (Efe Irele), a successful fashion editor living in London who is forced to return home after being told her estranged mother (Mercy Aigbe) has died. When she arrives, Jess discovers the death was a lie, designed to pull her back into a relationship she ran from years ago. As old wounds resurface and buried resentments come to the surface, Jess is pushed to confront the truth about her mother, her past, and whether reconciliation is even possible.
Watching Efe Irele and Mercy Aigbe hash out generational trauma is something akin to a religious experience. The entire movie hinges on their performances. And oh my god, do they deliver.
My Mother is a Witch is available to stream on Kava TV.
1. My Father’s Shadow
Director: Akinola Davies Jr
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 1 hour and 34 minutes
When the June 12th political crisis of 1993 paralyses Lagos, Akin (Sope Dirisu), a struggling Lagos mechanic, is unexpectedly saddled with the responsibility of caring for his two young sons for the day. Over the course of a single day, Akin must confront his own shortcomings as a father while trying to keep his children safe, turning an ordinary moment into a defining test of love, responsibility, and survival.
I love when movies are basically just, “Here’s a slice of these fictional characters’ lives set against a major real-life event as a backdrop”. Akinola Davies Jr does an incredible job showing how much the kids adore their father despite his shortcomings. A scene from the movie that haunts me (and doesn’t surprise me that this movie has been chosen to be the UK’s official entry at the Oscars) is where one of the boys tries to make sense of love and distance. He asks his father about God, about being loved, and about why the people who say they care never seem close enough to stay. The question hangs in the air, unanswered, not because it is complicated, but because it is painfully simple.
Excuse me while I go sob.
My Father’s Shadow is no longer showing in cinemas, and as at the time of this article being written, isn’t yet on any streaming service.
