The 10 Best Nollywood Movies of 2025. In 2025, Nollywood didn’t just experiment — it committed to range. And honestly? It delivered.
From romcoms to heavy dramas, gritty thrillers to full-blown epics, Nollywood decided to try a bit of everything in 2025 — and for the most part, it worked. Some films were… let’s call them ambitious. Some were just okay. And then there were the ones that refused to leave conversations, long after the credits faded to black.
Those are the films we’re spotlighting here.
These are the best Nollywood movies of 2025.
10. The Masked King
Director: Uduak-Obong Patrick
Genre: Historical Drama
Runtime: 1h 58m
Set in precolonial Nigeria, The Masked King follows King Ensa (Daniel Etim Effiong), a ruler so merciless that mercy feels like a foreign concept in his kingdom. His mother, the queen (Shaffy Bello), finds herself trapped between loyalty to her son and the growing need to stop him before his cruelty destroys everyone.
Historical epics aren’t usually my go-to, but curiosity — and Daniel Etim Effiong finally doing something other than intense romance — pulled me in. He absolutely delivers. Shaffy Bello is equally compelling, playing a woman torn between blood and conscience.
Special shoutout to the costume, set, and prop departments. Too many period films settle for eyeliner and vibes; this one actually builds a believable world.
Currently not in cinemas and unavailable on streaming platforms at the time of writing.
9. Reel Love
Director: Kayode Kasum
Genre: Romance
Runtime: 1h 38m
Tomide (Timini Egbuson) is a popular relationship influencer whose spotless image takes a hit after a public argument with Rachel (TJ Omusuku), a small business owner, goes viral. To salvage his reputation, his girlfriend Imani (Atlanta Johnson) proposes a fake romance between Tomide and Rachel — and it works a little too well.
Predictably, feelings get involved, and things spiral.
This film fully leans into the “chaos ensues” romcom formula, and it’s better for it. Timini and TJ sell the enemies-to-accidental-lovers arc convincingly, and while Imani’s treatment might leave a bitter taste, the film remains one of the year’s strongest romantic comedies.
Available to stream on Kava TV.
8. The Herd
Director: Daniel Etim Effiong
Genre: Thriller
Runtime: 1h 51m
Gosi (Daniel Etim Effiong) is dealing with personal issues but shows up for his friends Fola (Kunle Remi) and Derin (Genoveva Umeh) on their wedding day. On their way home, the celebration turns into a nightmare when they’re attacked by kidnappers.
The chemistry between the leads hooks you early, but it’s the film’s unflinching look at Nigeria’s darker realities — kidnapping, corruption, organ trafficking — that truly seals the deal. The emotional cost on families is handled with honesty, not melodrama.
Now streaming on Netflix.
7. Red Circle
Director: Akay Mason
Genre: Crime Thriller
Runtime: 1h 59m
Fikayo Holloway (Folu Storms) is an ambitious investigative journalist eager to make her mark. The irony? She comes from a wealthy, well-connected family that represents everything she claims to stand against.
When she uncovers leads on a powerful crime syndicate, the story quickly becomes personal — and dangerous. The deeper she digs, the more she has to decide whether truth is worth the cost.
There’s something irresistible about a lone journalist chasing a story without a safety net. Red Circle scratches that itch perfectly.
Currently not in cinemas and unavailable on streaming platforms at the time of writing.
6. Over the Bridge
Director: Tolu Ajayi
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Runtime: 1h 39m
Folarin Marinho (Ozzy Agu) appears to have it all: a high-powered banking career, money, and social status. Underneath the polish, though, his mental health is hanging by a thread.
When a major infrastructure deal begins to unravel — revealing layers of corruption he’s entangled in — Folarin disappears, stripped of the identity that once defined him.
This film handles mental health with rare nuance, showing that breakdowns don’t always look dramatic or obvious. Ozzy Agu’s performance carries the story with quiet intensity.
Currently unavailable in cinemas and on streaming platforms.
5. Blackout
Director: Okechukwu Oku
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Runtime: 1h 29m
Judith (Padita Agu) wakes up with no memory — only to discover she’s married with children to a man (Gideon Okeke) she barely recognizes. As she tries to piece together her life, disturbing truths emerge, revealing that her reality may have been carefully engineered.
I’ll say this much: the less you know going in, the better.
This film unsettles in a way that lingers — the kind that crawls under your skin and refuses to leave.
Currently unavailable in cinemas and on streaming platforms.
4. Freedom Way
Director: Afolabi Olalekan
Genre: Action / Drama / Thriller
Runtime: 1h 28m
Themba and Tayo (Jesse Suntele and Jable “Ogranya” Osai) launch a startup, Easy Go, aimed at supporting okada riders. Government hostility and police corruption crush their vision, sending ripple effects through the lives of everyday people like Abiola (Mr Macaroni).
The film quietly dismantles the idea that individual prayers alone can fix systemic failure. Politics here isn’t abstract — it’s personal, and people pay the price.
Currently unavailable in cinemas and on streaming platforms.
3. The Fire and the Moth
Director: Taiwo Egunjobi
Genre: Crime / Drama / Thriller / Mystery
Runtime: 1h 39m
Saba, a small-time smuggler, steals a rare Ife bronze head and attempts to move it through a volatile border town. Once word spreads, everyone wants a piece — and survival becomes the only goal.
Some might claim the film prioritizes visuals over story. They’re wrong. The visuals are stunning, yes — but they serve a tense, escalating narrative that never lets up.
Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
2. My Mother Is a Witch
Director: Niyi Akinmolayan
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 1h 40m
Jess (Efe Irele), a successful fashion editor in London, returns home after being told her estranged mother (Mercy Aigbe) has died — only to discover it was a lie meant to force reconciliation.
What unfolds is a raw exploration of generational trauma, resentment, and unresolved love. The film rests heavily on the performances of its two leads — and thankfully, they more than deliver.
Watching them clash feels almost sacred.
Available to stream on Kava TV.
1. My Father’s Shadow
Director: Akinola Davies Jr
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 1h 34m
Set against the June 12 political crisis of 1993, the film follows Akin (Sope Dirisu), a struggling Lagos mechanic tasked with caring for his two sons for a single day as the city grinds to a halt.
This is a quiet, devastating portrait of fatherhood, love, and survival. One conversation — about God, love, and absence — lingers long after the film ends, precisely because it’s never neatly resolved.
It’s no surprise this film became the UK’s official Oscar submission.
Currently unavailable in cinemas and on streaming platforms.
