The film industry in Nigeria, popularly called Nollywood, is a thriving and booming sector that has caught the eye of the world. From its humble roots in the traveling theatre tradition of Hubert Ogunde and his cohorts, Nollywood has risen to the pinnacle of African entertainment, which has placed a global demand for Nigerian content. In the past, the Nigerian film industry gained recognition mainly for the number of films released annually, with an estimated one thousand movies produced yearly during the video boom era. Since then, Nigerian cinema has grown exponentially in visual storytelling, overall production quality, and aesthetic value, with a reported worth of $6.4 billion in 2021.
With an estimated 68 cinemas across the country and access to streaming sites like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube, Nigerian cinema is enjoying its most successful patronage since its inception. Nollywood has experienced remarkable success in recent years due to increased funding, strategic local and international partnerships, and the emergence of global distribution channels. Gone and forgotten are the days when low-budget films were released on video cassettes and compact discs (CDs) to be sold at Iweka Road and Idumota. Today, a good deal of Nigerian movies are commissioned and funded by foreign investors, packaged for theatrical release in the cinema, or distributed on video-on-demand (VOD) platforms.
Recently, action films have become a popular choice for Nigerian moviegoers in the cinema. An action flick is a genre of film that involves fast-paced activities like fight scenes, car chase sequences, incredible stunts, violence, and swift camera movements. It is a high-octane movie that prioritizes the plot’s execution with cinematic devices like slow motion, continuity editing, and a salad of brisk-moving shots. Action films are most common and lucrative in Hollywood, with franchises like Fast and Furious, James Bond, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe raking in big bucks at the box office. In Nigeria, foreign action films are the highest-earning movie genre in the cinema. According to Insightful Cinema, Nigerian moviegoers paid a whopping 2.3 billion Naira in 2021 to watch action flicks in the movie theatre.
Nigerian action movies paled in the past compared to those produced in Hollywood and Bollywood because they lacked the genre’s essential elements, such as visual and sound effects, motion graphics, and computer-generated imagery (CGI). Although some of these films struggled with predictable plots, poor continuity, and terrible special effects, they were still welcomed and celebrated in Nigeria. “Old Nollywood” action thrillers such as State of Emergency, Wanted Alive, and Isakaba gave birth to actors like Hanks Anuku, Sam Dede, and Saint Obi, who went on to become household names in the country.
In New Nollywood, there seems to be a renaissance for action flicks among contemporary filmmakers. This interest stems from the recent injection of resources into the industry, the alluring patronage of foreign action films, and the potential of competing in a global market. Among the new crop of action movies released in Nollywood, only a few are worthy of mention.
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Tosin Igho’s crime action thriller Seven makes that list in terms of cheek and effort. The acclaimed film, which stars Efa Iwara alongside industry veterans like Richard Mofe-Damijo, Bimbo Manuel, and Daddy Showkey, was released in 2019 and is now streaming on Netflix. Set in the heart of Ajegunle, Seven is the story of Kolade, a wealthy brat who aims to fulfill his father’s dying wish by surviving in the ghetto on his own. The film is memorable for many reasons, including a relatable plot and the execution of some well-choreographed stunts and fight scenes. The most impressive scene in Seven is a riveting and pulsating car chase sequence that puts the viewer on the edge of their seat.
Another popular action film that failed to live up to expectations is Rattle Snake: the Ahanna Story, directed by Ramsey Nouah. Originally released in 1995 by the late Amaka Igwe, Rattle Snake was a commercial success in Nigeria despite its financial and technical restraints. The 2020 remake, however, struggles to rattle even with a famous director and stellar cast comprising Stan Nze, Osas Igodharo, and Buchi Franklin. As a heist film, the movie dazzles and entertains but lacks emotional depth, genuine character development, and cultural nuance. Some of these elements are also missing in The Set Up 1 and 2, directed by Niyi Akinmolayan and Naz Onuzo, respectively. The first installment of the movie franchise suffers from glaring plot holes and pointless flashbacks, while the sequel is riddled with poor visual effects and continuity errors.
Action films cost a fortune to produce, but that does not guarantee their success at the box office. As the makers of Eagle Wings, a war action film about Nigeria’s regional conflicts, discovered recently, big risks do not always equal big rewards. The movie, which cost a reported 145 million naira, grossed only N8.9 million in 2021 after its release. This flop came as a massive surprise because leaked behind-the-scenes pictures of the film stirred a lot of buzz and anticipation on social media. It is unclear why this big-budget movie flopped, however judging by the warm reception of Omo Ghetto: The Saga, For Maria: Ebun Pataki, and the Yoruba epic blockbuster, Agesinkole: King of Thieves, it is evident that Nigerian moviegoers are willing to patronize any genre of film, as long as it is good. Although most of the action films produced so far have missed the mark, Nollywood filmmakers should be commended for showing the cojones to expand the bandwidth of storytelling in Nigerian cinema. Their efforts represent a quantum leap in the right direction to diversify the content produced in Africa’s most valuable film industry.
Director and writer Soji Ogunnaike aims to offer a taste of Nigeria in his debut film, Dead Tide. It’s an action film that follows a hero named Itoro (played by Ikechukwu Onunaku), who bears a resemblance to the heroes Jean-Claude Van Dam and Steven Seagal used to portray.
Itoro is a tough guy who definitely has a violent past. However, the film introduces him at a time when the man is trying to live a normal life. He is a business owner who runs The Oasis, a hub for the small town in which he lives. He even has a girlfriend, Senayon (played by Uche Nwoko). Their tumultuous romance eventually gives rise to some hilarious side moments later on. On the whole, Itoro’s life is mundane, until two influencers (Eniola Ajao and Adebimpe Oyebade), tourists, come to town.
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Itoro’s slow, mundane journey is juxtaposed with the Diddy-esque business happening nearby, at the compound of the Nigerian President. The president’s son, Dare (Ibrahim Suleiman), has a seedy existence with all the trappings of a villain - twerking women, money, and guns galore. He throws a party that the influencers get invited to. There, they witness a murder carried out by Dare. It’s the type of thing to cause a national scandal, so the women must be dealt with.
The women flee before Dare’s guard can capture them, ending up at the Oasis. There, eventually, a showdown occurs, and Itoro must don his violent persona (which we later discover is “Ghost”) to protect his business, his community, his love, and the influencers. The two women made it known that they were not planning to leave. The entire storyline is entertaining, and Americans who love Van Dam and Seagal movies will love the familiarity in the story arc.
Throughout Dead Tide, the audience is introduced to a view of a country that most only know through Nollywood or stereotypes. The vibrant landscape and rich culture at the Oasis offer a unique experience of Nigerian culture. For example, the crowd at the Oasis includes a group of older men who gossip about the happenings around town, including an older man looking for a new girlfriend to help him forget the problems he is having with his wife at home.
The influencers offer another view - actual video - from the eyes of tourists who are not Americans and therefore have a slightly different POV on the village. Altogether, this debut action film is an excellent opportunity for Americans to experience a culture outside their own. The storyline is familiar and thus will be easy to follow, even if the viewer gets distracted by side stories, for example. It is an entertaining film and does have some “first film” hiccups. Overall, it will offer a fresh take on a genre that Seagal and Van Dam capitalized on in the 1980s and 1990s.
The film is currently in theaters across Nigeria.
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This was the year Nollywood made Netflix history. The Black Book, a revenge thriller from first-time director Editi Effiong became the first-ever Nigerian film to soar to No. 3 on Netflix’s worldwide film charts. The film, made for “just” $1 million (actually a huge sum for a Nigerian movie), garnered 5.6 million views just 48 hours after its Sept. 22 bow on the platform and was watched by more than 20 million people in its opening weeks, breaking Netflix’s Top 10 list in more than 69 countries. The film stars Nigerian film legend Richard Mofe-Damijo as Paul Edima, a deacon whose dark past returns after his son (Olumide Oworu) is framed for kidnapping by a corrupt police gang and Edima swears revenge. Government corruption, police brutality and the often futile struggle of ordinary Nigerians for justice form the backdrop for Effiong’s impressive action sequences.
“Authenticity was key for us, showing Nigeria as it is, in a way that Nigerian people would recognize,” says Effiong. The film’s success has raised the bar for Nigerian movies, which have proven a driving force for Netflix and other streaming services as they look to expand across Africa and to export African cinema worldwide. An August report from market intelligence group Digital TV Research expects the African SVOD market to see major growth in the coming years, with SVOD subscriptions forecast to hit 18 million by 2029, more than double the estimated eight million today. The Nigerian movie industry is at “the point right now where the world needs to take notice,” says Effiong.
Editi Effiong mentioned that they did everything to the highest standards, the highest standards in production but also, importantly, the highest standards in pre-production. They spent time on the scripts, they spent about two years writing and preparing the script. Usually, Nollywood films are shot over two to three weeks. He spent a lot of time and was very careful to make sure the images on the screen were world-class. He didn’t want to be great by Nigerian standards, he wanted to be great by every standard. From the camera, to the lenses, to the lights. They were the first Nigerian movie to shoot on Panavision cameras and equipment. They also spent a lot of time rehearsing, getting the actors to train for the roles, which also is not standard in a lot of Nollywood movies. The R&D for this film was 13 months and you can see it in the performances.
Authenticity was very important to them. It was important for them to see Legos through the eyes of everyone in the city, through the eyes of poor people, middle-class people, and rich people. To show the world in a way that Nigerians can see themselves reflected in it.
He also added, that he watched that Marvel film, Captain America: Civil War, and there was a scene supposedly shot in Lagos, it says so on the screen: Lagos, Nigeria. There’s a market and there’s a fight. And I was watching this, and thinking: Come on Hollywood! I could have done better! Because that’s not how Nigerian markets look. Now, watching The Black Book, our scene at the market, that’s how a Lagos market looks. It’s only about one minute of screen time but it took us three months to plan. We went to the street gangs, to get them to work with us and let us shoot there. We brought in 300 extras who are Lagos people. We paid the actual market women and trained them to ignore the camera and act. But like when you see that market, that’s what a Nigerian market looks like! It’s rowdy, everyone’s moving, no one’s looking at you, you’re getting pushed here and there.
He thinks Nigeria today is fundamentally different from what Nigeria was 40 years ago, when the military was in charge of things. Now, a lot of people who were in the military just changed into civilian clothes and ran for government. But the impact of the things, like the impact of the drug trade, has been immense. But young people in school don’t learn the history of Nigeria, our schools don’t teach them the history, so they are cut off from it.
One of the most touching messages Editi got from a guy in Colombia. He said: You may think that this is the story of Nigeria. But this is exactly the story of my country. And I’ve got the same message from Brazil, from Suriname, from Argentina, from Chile, from India, Pakistan. He was so touched by that.
He thinks the biggest validation for him was that a film made by Black people with Black faces, and 100 percent Nigerian money went on top the world’s biggest streaming platform. It was top three in the world, top 10, and number one in about 20 countries. But the one that made him really proud was it was number one in South Korea. South Korea is one of the world’s biggest entertainment markets, where the audience has great taste. To South Koreans chose this film with Black faces, made by a Black person with Black money, well itt tells me that we can tell our own stories by ourselves for ourselves and the world will embrace them.
He is not a charity case. What is happening now is we, as Africans, as Nigerians, are realizing we can fund our art, our movies by ourselves. So if I go to L.A., I’m not asking for some studio to pay for my development. I’m paying for my development on my own. What we need is access to the market, we need distribution. So my pitch is: This story we’re telling can go out into the world and make you a lot of money. We’re not asking you to do us a favor. We’re telling you we can tell our stories in a way that will look better than Hollywood, be more authentic than Hollywood, and do so at a fraction of the budget. We can fund them ourselves. I’ve shown with $1 million I can make a film that looks like a $100 million Hollywood movie. I’ll finance it myself. All I need to go global is access to your distribution.
He is currently in talks about doing a biopic of a major African figure, but I can’t reveal any details right now. Previously, if he’d gone to Hollywood to make this film, people would have looked for someone else to direct it, to develop the story. But with the success of The Black Book, He is in the position to tell this story himself, which is amazing. We also have a multi-picture slate we are currently in the closing stages of raising money. Fundraising has also become much easier because The Black Book really validated our hypothesis, our business plan. Which is: We want to spend the next five years telling the next generation of African stories.
Here is a table summarizing some of the key Nigerian action movies discussed:
JOLLY NICE GUY ; MIWA OLORUNFEMI, PRISMA JAMES, MICHAEL DAPPAH 2025 Latest Nollywood Movie
| Movie Title | Director | Key Actors | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seven | Tosin Igho | Efa Iwara, Richard Mofe-Damijo | Crime action thriller set in Ajegunle, streaming on Netflix. |
| Rattle Snake: The Ahanna Story (2020) | Ramsey Nouah | Stan Nze, Osas Ighodaro | Remake of the 1995 classic, praised for entertainment but criticized for lacking emotional depth. |
| Eagle Wings | N/A | N/A | War action film that flopped at the box office despite high production costs. |
| Dead Tide | Soji Ogunnaike | Ikechukwu Onunaku, Uche Nwoko | Action film offering a fresh take on Nigerian culture. |
| The Black Book | Editi Effiong | Richard Mofe-Damijo, Olumide Oworu | Revenge thriller, first Nigerian film to hit No. 3 on Netflix worldwide. |
Other Nigerian movies:
- Akpos
- Amina
- Ojukwu
- Jenifa
- Sugar Rush
- SIN
- Ijakumo The Born Again Stripper
- Brotherhood
- The Waiter
- Muna
- 419
- Collision Course
- Sanitation Day
- Yahoo+
- Gangs of Lagos
- Jagun Jagun
- Ololade
- Egun
- The Missing
- Strain
- Kambili: The Whole 30 Yards
- The Wildflower
- Orisa
- Merry Men
- Oloture
- Man of God
- The Black Book
- Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story
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