The first ever full length Nollywood movie. It starred Kenneth Okonkwo as man who, tired of poverty, decides to use his loving wife, Merith, for money ritual. He does this and gets all the money he wants but can’t enjoy it because the ghost of his dead wife haunts him day and night, leading him to lose his mind. If you haven’t seen it, you should.
2. Nneka The Pretty Serpent
This is hands down the most influential Nigerian movie ever made. Released 25 years ago, the movie tells the timeless Nigerian tale of a mami water from the ocean that has come to land to ruin the life of any man she comes in contact with. Granted she never actually turns to a snake at any point but still the movie is pretty awesome. The movie starred, Ndidi Obi, Ngozi Ezeonu, Kanayo O. Kanayo and a host of other familiar faces.
3. Full Moon
Starring the beautiful Regina Askia, Full Moon was about a girl who was given birth to outside, under a special full moon which bestowed upon her special powers that only manifested whenever the moon was full. Sola Fosudo plays her wicked Father in the film. You guys should really check it out if you haven’t because there’s this scene at the end where she turns her dad to a statue that you absolutely have to see.
4. Diamond Ring
An absolute classic. This is about a group of university cult students who rob the grave of a recently deceased wealthy woman (Liz Benson) and make off with all the jewels she was buried with. One of the cult members (a young Teju Babayface) gets her diamond ring and sells it for a lot of money which seems great at first until the ghost of the wealthy woman starts to hunt them all. This movie had some great performances from Liz Benson and the late great Bukky Ajayi as the grandmother of Teju Babyface’s character.
5. Blood Sisters
This story was basically a gender swapped version of the Cain and Abel story but it was still very entertaining. Esther (Genevieve Nnaji) and Gloria (Omotola Jalade Ekehinde) are sisters. Esther is secretly jealous of her sister, Gloria because Gloria is more beautiful and favored. The jealously gets to the point where Esther murders Gloria. That is when things get really juicy.
6. Igodo
Everyone saw this one growing up. People are dying in a village and it seems to be because of a particular tree. so the people attempt to cut the tree down but they can’t because it’s linked to their king. A group of warriors are sent into the evil forest to find a solution and on their way they encounter many horrors. Not all of them make it back alive.
7. Missing Angel
Starring Stella Damasus and Desmond Elliot. A young woman, sick and tired of poverty, prays to God saying that he can take her life if she isn’t rich by the time she turns 25. She does get rich before 25 but that doesn’t stop the devil from coming for her. He sends his angel of death (played by Desmond Elliot) who eventually falls in love with her. Then her 25th birthday comes. All hell breaks loose.
8. Sakobi The Snake Girl
Another movie involving marine spirits destroying the live of men. Starring Susan Patrick and Saint Obi.Frank (Saint Obi) gives up his daughter as a sacrifice for wealth but his daughter is rejected by the evil ones who, because of the rejection, curse him with a shortened life span but still give him the wealth he wanted. He meets Sakobi, who Frank doesn’t know is a member of the evil ones who wants his soul for herself.
9. Osuofia In London
Osuofia (Nkem Owoh), a man who has spent all his life in the village, travels to London, England to receive his share of an inheritance left for him by a deceased relative. The movie chronicles the hilarious situations he gets into during his stay in London.
10. Glamour Girls
It came at a time when the major storylines in Nollywood revolved around rituals and family squabbles and deviated from that stereotype by being about sex, power and fame. It was heavily criticized at the time for being too raunchy but over time has taken it’s place as a certified classic. it starred, Zack Orji, Eucharia Anunobi amongst others.
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