FeaturedCannes Film Festival (Un Certain Regard) My Father's Shadow
Drama, Family · 1h 33m
Films from Nigeria
Explore Nigeria's cinema on Celluloid — ranked by Celluloid Score with critic consensus, audience ratings, and expert reviews.
The highest-rated Nigeria film on Celluloid is My Father's Shadow (2025) with a 85% Celluloid Score — Recommended.
Each film from Nigeria in our catalog includes aggregated scores from five sources, unique synopsis and consensus text, and linked critic reviews where available.
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.
Adetiba's crime saga turned Sola Sobowale into Nollywood royalty with operatic ambition.
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.
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 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.Olive 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 debutDaniel 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.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 cautiousBiyi 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.Genevieve 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.A forbidden 1975 romance between an Igbo teacher and a Northern officer aims for reconciliation but settles for tidiness.
Well-acted, historically timidIyabo 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 Film Festival (Un Certain Regard) Drama, Family · 1h 33m
Crime, Drama · 2h 49m
Sundance Film Festival (World Cinema Dramatic Competition) Drama · 1h 36m
Drama, Thriller · 1h 49m
Crime, Thriller · 1h 51m
Crime, Thriller · 2h 57m
Comedy, Romance · 2h 0m
Fantasy, Drama · 2h 22m
Comedy, Romance · 1h 34m
Drama, Thriller · 2h 5m
Featured Drama, Comedy · 2h 24m
Drama, Romance · 1h 51m
Drama, Comedy · 1h 35m
Action, Comedy · 2h 27m
AFRIFF (Best Feature Film, Best Screenplay) Romance, Drama · 2h 0m
Action, Thriller · 2h 0m
Browse our Nigeria catalog sorted by Celluloid Score — the highest-rated films appear first with critic and audience ratings on every card.
Celluloid Score averages critic reviews, audience ratings, Metascore, Letterboxd, and IMDb into a single percentage, paired with written consensus and critic reviews.