FeaturedCannes 2025 My Father's Shadow
Drama, Family · 1h 33m
Films from Nigeria
Nigeria's catalogue on Celluloid runs to 15 films spanning 2009–2026 across 2 languages — chiefly English and Yoruba —, led by My Father's Shadow (84%) and Lady (78%). Every title is ranked by our four-input Celluloid Score with critic consensus and expert reviews on each film page.
The highest-rated Nigeria film on Celluloid is My Father's Shadow (2025) with a 84% Celluloid Score — Recommended.
Each film from Nigeria in our catalogue includes a Celluloid Score from up to four verified inputs, original verdict text, and linked editorial reviews where available. Audience sentiment is separate.
Titles are indexed by original language and country of production for easier discovery.
Critics have called this semi-autobiographical debut a quietly devastating breakthrough, praising Sope Dirisu's restrained lead performance and Akinola Davies Jr.'s ability to fold national upheaval into an intimate father-son story without ever feeling didactic.
Critics have embraced Olive Nwosu's feature debut as a stylish, texturally rich portrait of Lagos womanhood carried by a striking ensemble, even as some reviews wish the film spent more time deepening its supporting characters beyond its committed performances.
Adetiba's crime saga turned Sola Sobowale into Nollywood royalty with operatic ambition.
Afolayan's New Wave thriller helped redefine Nigerian cinema as artistically ambitious and commercially viable.
Critics have called Daniel Etim Effiong's directing debut a tense, timely reflection of Nigeria's real kidnapping crisis, anchored by a committed Genoveva Umeh performance, even as several reviews note the plot grows overstuffed and its climax leans on shootout theatrics that undercut the film's gritty realism.
Full critic reviews with answer-engine summaries — each review answers whether the film is worth watching, what it is about, and where to stream it.
A single day in 1993 Lagos becomes a devastating portrait of fatherhood, memory, and a nation on edge.
A near-perfect debutOlive Nwosu's Sundance-winning debut turns a Lagos cab driver's late nights into a vivid study of friendship, survival, and self-invention.
A confident, textured debutKemi Adetiba's King of Boys (2018) endures as a defining crime landmark from Nigeria, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Strongly recommended — a staple of its national cinema.Kunle Afolayan's The Figurine (2009) endures as a defining drama landmark from Nigeria, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Strongly recommended — a staple of its national cinema.Daniel Etim Effiong's directing debut turns a wedding-day abduction into an uncomfortably real portrait of Nigeria's kidnapping crisis.
Tense and timely, if overstuffedKunle Afolayan's October 1 (2014) endures as a defining crime landmark from Nigeria, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Strongly recommended — a staple of its national cinema.Kemi Adetiba's The Wedding Party (2016) endures as a defining comedy landmark from Nigeria, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Strongly recommended — a staple of its national cinema.Kunle Afolayan's Anikulapo (2022) endures as a defining fantasy landmark from Nigeria, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Strongly recommended — a staple of its national cinema.Kunle Afolayan's Phone Swap (2012) endures as a defining comedy landmark from Nigeria, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Strongly recommended — a staple of its national cinema.Biyi Bandele's Half of a Yellow Sun (2013) endures as a defining drama landmark from Nigeria, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Strongly recommended — a staple of its national cinema.Ramsey Nouah's Living in Bondage: Breaking Free (2019) endures as a defining drama landmark from Nigeria, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Strongly recommended — a staple of its national cinema.Funke Akindele's record-breaking family drama connects with audiences even as its glossy staging and telegraphed twists frustrate critics.
Crowd-pleasing but creatively cautiousGenevieve Nnaji's Lionheart (2018) endures as a defining drama landmark from Nigeria, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Strongly recommended — a staple of its national cinema.JJC Skillz's Omo Ghetto: The Saga (2020) endures as a defining action landmark from Nigeria, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Strongly recommended — a staple of its national cinema.Iyabo Ojo's long-awaited sequel reunites a starry cast but can't decide if it's a thriller, a political drama, or a spiritual parable.
Overstuffed and unfocused
FeaturedCannes 2025 Drama, Family · 1h 33m
Sundance 2026 Drama · 1h 36m
AFRIFF 2018 Crime, Drama · 2h 49m
AFRIFF 2010 Drama, Thriller · 1h 49m
Cairo 2025 Crime, Thriller · 1h 51m
AFRIFF 2014 Crime, Thriller · 2h 57m
AFRIFF 2016 Comedy, Romance · 2h 0m
AFRIFF 2022 Fantasy, Drama · 2h 22m
AFRIFF 2012 Comedy, Romance · 1h 34m
Marrakech 2013 Drama, Romance · 1h 51m
AFRIFF 2019 Drama, Thriller · 2h 5m
Featured Drama, Comedy · 2h 24m
AFRIFF 2018 Drama, Comedy · 1h 35m
AFRIFF 2020 Action, Comedy · 2h 27m
Action, Thriller · 2h 0m
Browse our Nigeria catalogue sorted by Celluloid Score — the highest-rated films appear first with critic and audience ratings on every card.
Celluloid Score combines Celluloid editorial, Metascore, Letterboxd and IMDb inputs into a single percentage; audience sentiment is displayed separately alongside the written verdict and review.