This is a look at some of the most talked about Nollywood movies of 2018 which made several headlines.
Top 5 Nollywood Movies 2018
That Nigerian cinema is on the rise is not in doubt. The quality of movies being churned out of Nollywood is on the upswing year after year as the industry continues to attract fresh top-of-the-notch-talent. And indeed, 2018 was a remarkable year for Nollywood.
Today, Friday Rendezvous brings you the top five-must see movies of of the outgone.
1. The Power of One
Over a year after his botched demonstration which shook the nation, Tuface returns with Power of One, the back story of what transpired during those dark and heady days when he was expected to lead a protest and how he eventually dumped the ‘project; to the disappointment of many.
Scripted by his manager, Efe Omorogbe, The Power of One confronts head-on issues plaguing our nation today ranging from corruption, unemployment, terrorism, our ostentatious life style against a backdrop of crippling poverty and exposes the despondency of the Nigerian youth in a society where their votes no longer matter.
Featuring Annie Idibia, Peter Ebuka, Ramsey Noah and Jibola Daboh among a host of others, The Power of One highlights the power of social media and the radical side of Tuface and the choices he had to make in those critical days.
The Power of One is wrapped around comedy which helps deliver a hard message in a subtle way while driving home the fact that for Nigeria to stand as a nation, we all need to stand together, united. It also captures the pains, fears and challenges of his wife, Annie Idibia as she battles to balance her husband’s desire for a protest with the interests of her family and the safety of her husband and his career.
Above all, it shows the potentials of the entertainment industry and how it could be leveraged to break the chains of economic backwardness and set Nigeria on a trajectory to greatness.
There is no gain saying it, Power of One is set to rule the cinemas in 2019 and also snap up awards.
2. King of Boys
Coming from the director of The Wedding Party, King of Boys, a political thriller from prolific moviemaker, Kemi Adetiba is one flick that has left in its wake rave reviews and is poised to win awards in 2019.
King of Boys tells the story of Alhaja Eniola Salami, a businesswoman and philanthropist with and a promising political future. She is drawn into a struggle for power which in turn threatens everything around her as a result of her growing political ambitions. To overcome, she is caught up in a game of trust, not knowing who to really look up to and this leads to her ruthlessness.
KIng of Boys stars Sola Sobowale, Adesua Etomi, Jide Kosoko, Osas Oghodaro, Illbliss, Reminiesce and Akin Lweis. Written by Kemi Adetiba, it was produced by Kemi Adetiba, Remi Adetiba and Kene Okwuosa. King of Boys is the fifth-highest-grossing Nigerian film at the Box Office grossing over N220,801,653.
3. Chief Daddy
Chief Daddy is another movie that set cinemas on fire in 2018. Though released on December 14 and directed by Niyi Akinmilayan, Chief Daddy will go down as one of the hottest flicks of 2018 as Mo Abudu‘s blockbuster displaced Wedding Party as the highest grossing opening weekend movie in Nollywood.
The film parades a star studded cast including Bisola Aiyeola, Funke Akindele, Zainab Balogun, Shaffi Bello, Lepacious Bose, Ini Edo and Dakore Egbuson among a host of others including veterans, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Rachel Oniga, Nkem Owoh, Patience Ozokwor, and Joke Silva.
Chief Daddy tells the story of billionaire industrialist Chief Beecroft, a flamboyant benefactor to a large extended family of relatives, household staff and assorted mistresses.Chief lives large, like there’s no tomorrow, until the day he dies suddenly and the ‘bullion van’ stops.
Prodiced by Temidayo Abudu and Queen Martins, Chief Daddy is the third-highest-grossing Nigerian film. It grossed a whopping N273,181,905.
4. Lion Heart
What sets Genevieve Nnaji’s directorial debut apart among others is the fact that it is Netflick’s first original Nigerian movie. It opened to rave reviews when it hit cinemas on September 20 and reinvented the career of the screen goddess as a successful movie director.
Produced by Chinny Onwugbenu, Lion Heart stars Pete Edochie, Genevieve Nnaji, and Nkem Owoh. It was acquired by Netflix on the 7th of September 2018, making it the first Netflix original film produced in Nigeria. It was premiered at the 2018 Toronoto International Film Festival in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The movie was Nnaji’s directorial debut as well as Peter Okoye’s acting debut.
Lion Heart tells the story of Adaeze Obiagu and her family as they battle to save their father’s transport company from being taken over by shrewd businessman, Igwe Pascal due to a huge debt that threatens to sink the company’s fortunes.
Even though Lionheart’s central plot revolves around the Obiagus’ financial troubles, it’s more about the family’s spirit of togetherness than about its failing business. Lion Heart tackles themes of love, of family and of duty.
5. Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons
Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons will go down in the history of Nollywood as one of the movies that dominated 2018. Written, directed and produced by Ayo Makun (AY), in just seven weeks, it grossed over N230m in cinemas nationwide, making it one of the the highest grossing movies of 2018.
Set in the nation;s capital, Abuja, it is the story of four rich men who seduce powerful women, get contracts from the political elite, steal from the rich, give to the poor and have sex with the hottest women in town. They face their biggest challenge yet when they antagonise a notorious and corrupt politician who plans on demolishing a village in order to build a shopping mall. And then, the four randy men scheme to save the poor people of the village.
The movie stars Richard Mofe Damijo, Ramsey Nouah and Jim Iyke, and is a follow up to the comedian/actor’s last feature film, ’10 Days in Suncity’ released in 2017.
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