Joseph Jonathan

Thinline
“Thinline” Review: Nollywood’s Dangerous Blind Spot on Male Sexual Assault and the Illusion of Morality

Thinline is a mirror of how deeply entrenched gendered assumptions still shape Nollywood storytelling. By…

memories
In Absence, You Find Presence: What “My Father’s Shadow” Taught Me About Remembering

Remembering isn’t just about freezing time, it’s about letting memory evolve, the way grief turns…

Nollywood
Nollywood and Its Complicated Relationship with the Oscars

Whether or not an Oscar ever comes, Nollywood’s challenge is to chart a path that…

talking stage
Neither Here nor There: The Talking Stage as Nigeria’s New Relationship Culture

The talking stage, in all its messiness, is Nigeria’s new relationship culture. Neither here nor…

Nollywood
30 Nollywood Films That Explore African Spirituality and Tradition

Across generations, these films have returned to the same core questions: Who are we? What…

The Serpent’s Gift
“The Serpent’s Gift” Review: Kayode Kasum’s Film Is Undone by Shallow Cultural Detail

If The Serpent’s Gift had one lesson for Nollywood, it would be that cultural truth…

Say Who Die
“Say Who Die?” Review: Paul Utomiʼs Film Crumbles Under the Weight of its Own Ambition

Style without story is a hollow exercise, and Say Who Die? ultimately exposes Nollywood’s recurring…

Devil is a Liar
“Devil is a Liar” Review: Moses Inwangʼs Film Lies About the Story It Is Telling

The execution of Devil is a Liar is formulaic, recycling tropes we have seen countless…

Cordelia
“Cordelia” Review: Tunde Kelani’s Return to Cinemas is an Ambitious but Inconsistent Adaptation

For all its polish, Cordelia is ultimately a quiet film about a loud era, and…

PLS RT
“PLS RT” Review: Ifeanyi Barbara Chidi’s Film Brings Urgency to Nigeria’s Kidnapping Crisis

Through PLS RT, Chidi has made a film that insists on seeing kidnapping victims not…