6 Must-Watch movies in the cinemas this public holiday weekend
With a rich lineup of Nollywood releases ranging from supernatural thrillers and emotional family dramas to epic historical battles, there’s something for every mood and every kind of movie lover.
It’s a long weekend, and whether you’re skipping town for the Salah celebration or soaking up the Lagos rain and traffic, Nollywood is outside.
This week’s cinema lineup is stacked with bold storytelling, powerful performances, and plots that will have you on the edge of your seat.
So, grab your popcorn and your favourite plus one, here are six Nollywood films you should absolutely catch at the cinemas this public holiday weekend.
1. IYÁLÓDE
Step into the mythical village of Kulende, where Asabi Onile, a fearless warrior woman, returns to face power, betrayal, and the consequences of tradition.
IYÁLÓDE is not just a story of vengeance, it’s a beautifully woven tale of identity, justice, and feminine power. With lush costume design, immersive world-building, and a protagonist you can’t help but root for, this is the period drama Nollywood lovers have been waiting for.
2. Reverse
A simple act of kindness spirals into a life-altering journey in Reverse, where Rita, a woman out shopping, intervenes to protect a young boy from abuse. But instead of applause, she finds her life unravelling in ways no one could predict.
This film plays with perspective, memory, and morality in all the right ways. Suspenseful and haunting, Reverse is a tight thriller that leaves you questioning everything.
“What if being the good guy makes you the villain in someone else’s story?”
3. My Mother is a Witch
Healing isn’t linear, and sometimes, love looks like a curse before it becomes a cure.
This deeply emotional story follows a fashion editor who returns home to Benin after years abroad. There, she is forced to confront the complex, estranged relationship with her mother, one marked by emotional silence, superstition, and scars from the past.
My Mother is a Witch is quiet but powerful, a drama layered with generational trauma, cultural expectations, and the desperate desire to be understood.
4. Ori: Rebirth
In Ori: Rebirth, the spiritual and physical worlds collide in terrifying ways. Bisade is dead, but his story isn’t over.
Now caught in a war between light and darkness, with only a mobile god as his guide, he must unravel the mystery of his own consciousness.
Meanwhile, Temidun has been chosen to save a man marked for death. Mysterious cults, ancestral battles, and otherworldly forces all merge in this atmospheric thriller.
5. Imported Wives
A Nigerian man brings his new wife to Canada in search of a better life, but what awaits them is more than just cold weather.
Imported Wives explores the emotional weight of migration, the clash between tradition and reality, the isolation of new beginnings, and the hard truths many couples face when dreams don’t align with reality. It’s a tender, sobering drama that doesn’t shy away from the heartbreak behind the romance.
6. Owambe Thieves
Cheta and Lola are new parents, barely scraping by in the middle of one of Nigeria’s worst recessions. Desperate and broke, they stumble upon a plan: crashing owambes, not for food, but to steal from guests.
What starts off as a desperate hustle quickly spirals into hilarious (and sometimes dangerous) territory. With sharp dialogue and a heartfelt core, Owambe Thieves is that laugh-out-loud-with-a-message type of film that reminds you why Nigerian comedy will never go out of style.
This weekend is looking like a buffet of emotion, drama, suspense, and laughter. Whether you’re craving Yoruba mysticism, female-led war epics, or kitchen-sink comedy, Nollywood has something for you at the cinema.
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