7 Nollywood Sci-fi movies

From romance and comedy to psychological thrillers and historical epics, Nollywood has dipped its toes into most genres. But there’s one that it avoids like the plague.

Sci-fi.

And it’s clear why. Most sci-fi movies require large budgets for computer-generated imagery. And in Nigeria’s economy, no movie studio is willing to fork over the cash needed to rival franchises like Avatar and Star Wars because there’s no guarantee they’ll make that money back, much less a profit. However, a couple of Nigerian filmmakers have tried their hands at the genre to varying levels of success. Here are 7 Nollywood sci-fi movies you probably had no idea exist.

1) Kajola (2009)

Director: Niyi Akinmolayan

Long before he started making waves at the box office with hits like The Wedding Party 2 and Elevator Baby, Niyi Akinmolayan set to make his debut feature film, a sci-fi epic named Kajola. Set in 2059, the movie tells the story of a dystopian future where a civil war has left Lagos in ruins, causing the elite to create a new society and government for themselves on the the island and leaving everyone on the ravaged mainland to fend for themselves in a Mad Max-style wasteland. When a young man named Allen gets wind of the elite’s plan to destroy what’s left of the mainland along with the people and rebuild, he serves John Connor realness and starts a rebellion.

I remember seeing the trailer for this in 2009 and being so hyped. Sure, the CGI was..one kind and the acting left a lot to be desired (I’m looking at you, Desmond Elliot), but it was something different from what Nollywood was churning out at the time. So imagine my disappointment when the reviews hit and critics reported that the movie was a mess of storytelling and wildly underdeveloped special effects. Cinema attendees rioted and hit the box office booths to get their money back. Then then they took to social media to voice their displeasure.

The movie got pulled from cinema two days after it premiered, and is pretty much lost media at this point. The trailer is still available to watch though.

2) Hello Rain (2018)

Director: CJ “Fiery” Obasi

Hello Rain is about three sisters, Rain (Keira Hewatch), Philo (Tunde Aladese), and Coco (Ogee Nelson), who use a unique mix of juju and science to create wigs that give them supernatural powers. At first, they use their new found abilities to gag the general public by serving astronomical levels of cunt. But Coco and Philo soon become power-drunk and start causing serious problems, leaving Rain — the only one with her wig on straight (see what I did there? lmao) — to stop her gworls.

Hello Rain very much gives the The Craft (1996) vibes, so I assumed it was inspired by that film. It turns out it’s actually based on a short story by Nnedi Okorafor titled Hello, Moto. The more you know. CJ, if you’re reading this, I need a feature length version of this one day.

3) Day of Destiny (2021)

Directors: Akay Mason and Abosi Ogba

Chidi and Rotimi (Olumide Oworu and Denola Grey, respectively) are brothers who are distraught because their family is suddenly poor as shit and has to move out of their house. During the road trip to their newer and more humble abode, Chidi and Rotimi encounter a mysterious man who claims he can send them back in time to change their financial fate. They agree and get sent 20 years into the past, thinking it’ll be a cakewalk. However, these two clearly never saw the 2004 movie The Butterfly Effect and proceed to tamper with time so carelessly that they undo the circumstances that are supposed to lead to their births. Now they have to race against time to fix things before they cease to exist.

Day of Destiny tries to reheat the nachos of the first Back to the Future movie but fails in a lot of areas. The movie stumbles over its own time travel rules, the costumes and set design don’t align with the time period they’re supposed to be in, and the two leads aren’t convincing as teenagers (both actors were already in their 30s at the time). It does have some fun moments, though. For example, when they land in the year 2000 and immediately run into the plantashun boiz pre-fame, freestyling in the street.

4) Ratnik (2020)

Director: Dimeji Ajibola

Sarah Bello (Osas Ighodaro), a frontline soldier in World War 3, returns from the war to find her home, which was already shitty when she left due to war, in absolute chaos. Due to extended exposure to a dangerous chamical, Sarah’s sister, Angela (Meg Otanwa) is about to morph into one of the backup dancers from Michael Jackson’s Thriller (i.e. the undead). Now Sarah must race against time in a new kind of war, confronting advanced war machines and deadly threats to save her sister’s life and restore some semblance of order.

I’m going to be honest with you, this was a tough watch. The CGI is rough, the costumes are rougher, and the fight scenes are truly mesmerising (derogatory). On top of all that, you have Osas Ighodaro, who isn’t exactly Meryl Streep, as the lead.

5) The Day They Came (2014)

Director: Genesis Williams

The Day They Came is a pretty short film. A guy steps out of house to smoke a cigarette and witnesses the beginning of an alien invasion. That’s it. It was directed by Genesis Williams, a student of Niyi Akinmolayan, director Kajola of the first movie on this list. It’s way better than Kajola though due to its small scale.