By Bukola Amoboye
While Nollywood has made giant strides in storytelling and production, especially over the past few years, not every film has managed to hit the mark. In 2024, despite high hopes and anticipation, there were a few movies that failed to live up to expectations, leaving audiences disappointed and critics underwhelmed. It’s worth noting that these movies were released during a particularly competitive period, with several other high-profile films vying for attention. Nearly halfway through the year, here’s a look at some Nigerian movies that have fallen short so far:
‘Japa’:
We really tried to enjoy this movie, understanding the effort that went into its creation, but unfortunately, it just didn’t resonate with us. Its attempt at creating a unique time loop narrative was quite laudable, but it wasn’t enough to save it from itself. What started as a unique sci-fi-ish plot quickly spiralled downwards into confusing predictability.
Despite its promising premises, the movie’s second half was clogged with a disjointed plot and lacklustre resolution, failing to deliver on its potential. However, we must acknowledge the commendable performances that, despite being overshadowed by the film’s latter shortcomings, were a testament to the talent involved in its making.
‘Postcards’:
Hamisha Daryani’s second attempt at a Nollywood-Bollywood crossover didn’t exactly go how we thought it would. Filled with multiple and mostly unnecessary subplots, cringeworthy dialogues, unnecessary characters and a weak attempt to connect all the characters, ‘Postcards’ is considerably less palatable than its predecessor, ‘Namaste Wahala’. Despite filling up with big names, it failed to leave a lasting impression and was quickly forgotten amidst the sea of more compelling movies.
‘Water and Garri’: It might not be a far reach to ask Ms Tiwa to hold a press conference or an IG live at least to explain the plot of her latest venture, ‘Water and Garri.’
A captivating title meets a boring plot and even more boring acting.
Water and Garri offers nothing but good cinematography and locations.
Not only was the film’s pacing sluggish, but its attempts at building suspense felt forced and contrived. It is a movie you want to forget as soon you finish watching, and that is if you can get through it.
We love Tiwa Savage any day, but maybe we need a little more background producing and much, much less acting and writing.
It Blooms in June: Despite its promising plot and eye-catching title, the movie failed to impress audiences due to its shallow characterisations and lack of emotional depth. The pacing was slow, especially at the beginning, which made it difficult to stay engaged. This, combined with the lack of emotional depth, left many viewers feeling disconnected from the story and its characters.
