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5 Reasons Why You Are Not Likely To Watch Nigerian Films

By Priscilla Emokpaire
14 August 2020   |   10:32 am
Over the years, Nigerian films have played to a sad script, making individuals leave it behind for foreign films. These reasons are not far-fetched rather they are relatable problems that are evident in almost all Nigerian films. Here are a few of them: Very predictable It is easy to become the soothsayer of a Nigerian…

Over the years, Nigerian films have played to a sad script, making individuals leave it behind for foreign films. These reasons are not far-fetched rather they are relatable problems that are evident in almost all Nigerian films.

Here are a few of them:

Very predictable

It is easy to become the soothsayer of a Nigerian film and this is just by looking at the title and the poster. If this surprises you a little, you can decipher gestures, tell every action before the start, know who is to die and who will fall in love. This is the number one menace that has plagued our Nigerian screens for years. The predictability is as a result of many other flaws some of which are mentioned in this article.

Poor lines/delivery

Have you ever been unhinged by a character’s performance in a film that you felt like a slap from you could teach them some acting lessons at least once or twice? It is a normal occurrence in Nigeria to find people screaming out of sheer frustration at the characters, telling them what to say and how to say it, one is left to wonder if there was casting done for these roles, at this point you are contemplating changing the channel and trying out a career in acting, at least you can not be as bad as these characters on TV.

No climax

Viewers are left to excite themselves and fill in the plot holes the writer left unfilled. This component of scriptwriting is thrown out of the proverbial window just like other important factors. You are 1hr into the film and you are begging for any action, twist plot just anything to show for the time you wasted watching the film. Instead of being transported to the world of the film, you are left in the same sitting spot asking yourself the question, “why did you waste your time?”

No attention to details

No fake blood or handy blood tonic at the scene of a murder, a man admitted into a hospital for a head injury his leg is bandaged. The lack of attention to details pile up to a bunch of hilarious mistakes that just keep you wondering how this film was still aired. There is no preferential treatment when it comes to who will view these films as they are aired on both local TV and cable.

Distasteful production

From the boom mike hanging in front of the camera, shadows being cast due to lack of proper lighting, poor editing, to the ricochet gunshots that happened to kill all bad guys at once, production has never looked sloppier. This is a problem present in all types of Nigerian production but it gets worse as you delve into the murky waters of low budget film. Amazed at how this film was put together and thought safe for human consumption, you just sit back and laugh hard.

All the problems listed above are all in a bid to further highlight issues in making of Nigerian films that need solutions. The Nigerian film industry is large and has great potential but we need to address the elephant in the room (in Pete Edochie’s voice) before any progress can be truly made.

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