Good day people and welcome to today’s episode of our “Year In Review” series. 2013 saw a lot of Nigerian movies released to cinemas and online in the form of the good, the bad and the ugly and of course, the exceptional. Something very impressive about the industry this year was the fact that a lot of these film makers tried new things and made bold movies. These, I believe, are signs that the best is yet to come for the Nigerian movie industry a.k.a Nollywood.
Among the exceptional, we have decided to pick out the outstanding 10. Big kudos to the entire Sodas & Popcorn team that made this happen (M.Y, Priye and Kiki) and our friend atNollysilver Screen Isabella.
So without any further stories, we present to you in no particular order The Top 10 Nollywood Movies Of 2013. (Limited to Online releases and Cinema releases)
Some of the best films are the ones based on true life stories. Murder at Prime Suites is based on the story of Cynthia Osokogu who was lured to a hotel by her Facebook friends and murdered. While the movie is a faction (combination of fact and fiction), it puts the big issues on the screen to prevent other people from falling victim. For a change, the police are bad (in a good way) and Joseph Benjamin is not playing the lover boy.
Read the review here
The Meeting
Probably the most talked about Nigerian movie on the internet in 2013, The meeting is a romantic drama set in Abuja about a corporate executive who finds himself at the mercy of political patronage, bureaucratic red-tape and his tender heart when he embarks on a one day business trip to Abuja to secure a government contract.
The meeting is definitely one of the best movies ever made. Why you may ask? It’s simple. It has a very original ‘Nigerian story’ and one of the best screen plays I have seen in a while. A story of love, tribalism, preferential treatment which has loads of comical spectacles. Who would have thought that Rita Dominic could give us so much to laugh about? Thumbs up to the screenwriter, director, producer and the cast.
The meeting is definitely one of the best movies ever made. Why you may ask? It’s simple. It has a very original ‘Nigerian story’ and one of the best screen plays I have seen in a while. A story of love, tribalism, preferential treatment which has loads of comical spectacles. Who would have thought that Rita Dominic could give us so much to laugh about? Thumbs up to the screenwriter, director, producer and the cast.
Finding Mercy
Desmond Elliott directs the romantic drama about two friends who find themselves in a complicated situation with a motherless baby. The beautiful thing about this movie is the chemistry and outstanding performance by the leads, Blossom Chukwujekwu and Rita Dominic. The movie had a brilliant blend of various emotions and for a three hour long movie, no scene was a waste and there wasn’t a boring moment for me. It’s sad when it should and when the hearts gets heavy, Uti and Biola Williams pop in to lift our spirits.
Journey To Self
The best movies start from one very important thing, a lovely story and an aptly written dialogue. When the dialogues have been gotten right, take up very impressive and talented actresses and hand these roles to them. What follows is a movie with a lot of professionalism, a tight cast, lovely locations, intelligent directing, impressive visuals, and most of all, a story with a strong purpose and message which entertains while having most of the scenes shot in just one location.
Read the review here
The Contract
The contract was a romantic movie which saw a team up of the three most popular movie industries of Africa featuring Hlomla Dandala(South Africa), Joseph Benjamin(Nigeria) and Yvonne Okoro(Ghana). Although it had some cliches from some of the most popular romantic movies, it was a funny, romantic and dramatic movie. I had a great time seeing the solid performance from Yvonne Okoro and the lovely chemistry she shared with Hlomla Dandala.
Read the review here
The Awakening
Awakening like ‘Journey to Self’ was one movie which was on my waiting list forever. And when I finally saw it, I wasn’t disappointed. Telling the story of a man who has premonitions of events and a lady who seemed to have no connection with the man, Awakening not only tells a good story, but it shows some of the best use of animation, suspense and action sequences in a Nigerian movie. We definitely look forward to Mr James Omokwe’s next project and we hope it is as good as, if not better than awakening.
Read the review here
Torn
How many movies treat sensitive issues like mental disorder without turning the whole thing into a comedy with over the top dramatisation? Not many. And that is why Torn makes the list. The truth is that people with such issues might sometimes appear to be normal to the outside world. The soundtrack (in particular, the theme song) of this movie scores top marks.
Read the review here.
For people who enjoy reading books, having them adapted to screen is always something to look forward to. Even though, you know what happens, you are silently hoping for something to be injected so you can savour the story all over again. The Gods Are Still Not to Blame gives a timeless classic (Oedipus Rex) a contemporary African treatment. You can’t watch this film and not appreciate our African heritage – from the costume to the music.
Read the review here.
Desperate House Girls
Probably you ask why a movie titled ‘Desperate Housegirls’ which we obviously know where that name came from should be ranked as one of the best Nollywood movies in the year 2013?
Hilarious? Check
Talented Cast? Check
Authentic Script? Check
Impressive set locations? Check
Quality Production? Check
See it for yourself and you my friend would add to my checklist.
Still not convinced, read the full review here.
Confusion Na Wa
Hardly do you see a Nollywood movie which touches intelligently on sensitive issues dealing with our society the way Confusion Na Wa did. The nonlinear movie which while watching it brought to mind the exceptional works of Quentin Tarantino such as Pulp fiction and Inglorious Basterds, has been swimming in awards since its release late in 2013. Confusion Na Wa deals with issues ranging from morality, corruption, infidelity, hypocrisy and the list goes on. What I loved the most about the movie was the dialogue and performances. The duo of Kenneth Gyang and Tom Rowlands-Rees definitely set a high bar for themselves with their debut feature as Cinema Kpata Kpata and the world awaits their next work eagerly.
Read the review here
So there you have it folks. The Top 10 Nollywood Movies Of 2013. Click here to see other reviews in the year in review series such as the top 10 Hollywood flicks of the year and Top 10 Movies To Look Out For In 2013. Thanks to everyone of our readers out there and we say a happy new year to you all.
This review was brought to you by www.sodasandpopcorn.com. We Watch Movies So You (Don’t) Have To.
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