Are you in the mood for good ol’ slapstick comedy this holiday? Do you want to watch movies so ridiculous you’re moved to tweet the hilarity on X? Yoruba Nollywood is where the magic’s at. And that’s why we combed the movie archives to find these ones.
From classics to new releases, these laid-back movies are what you need to put yourself in the perfect holiday season mood.
“Christmas Visitor”
When a Yoruba Nollywood movie has a title that tells 80% of the story, you know you’re in for a ride. In Christmas Visitor, an Igbo man (Lateef Adedimeji) visits a Yoruba family for the holidays, bringing with him a truckload of chaos.
“Jenifa”
Funke Akindele’s A Tribe Called Judah is currently showing at the cinemas, but if you’re in the mood for something far more lighthearted, her hit comedy franchise, Jenifa, works better — if you haven’t watched it a thousand times already.
In the ribcracking film, Sulia, a village girl, seeks greener pastures in Lagos and moves with the wrong crowd. Each part of the franchise follows Sulia’s meteoric rise from a village champion to one of the movers and shakers of Lagos.
“Holiday Visit”
Is it really a Yoruba Nollywood production if it doesn’t have enough melodrama that has you asking “How did we get here?” and “What’s going on?” In the Allwell Ademola-directed Holiday Visit, a daughter brings her fiancé home for the holidays only to discover he once had a thing with her mum. God, abeg.
“Ija”
When a producer and director decide to go for a Mide Martins x Lola Idije x Wumi Toriola combo, you know they’re out to entertain viewers. Expect pure chaos in this movie where the actresses are on different sides of a family’s divide.
“Jelili”
If you loved Home Alone as a kid but feel too old to rewatch it, Jelili should just about do it for you. It follows Femi Adebayo, who plays the titular character, Jelili, through his stupidly mischievous antics. This one will give you a good laugh.
“Muniru ati Ambali”
When two of the leading comic actors of Yoruba come together to act as grown fools, you’ll have to bow for the result. Listen, as a Nigerian in Nigeria, you don’t need Hollywood’s Home Alone or Problem Child to give you your dose of mischievous comedy when you have this Nollywood title.
“Alakada”
Toyin Abraham’s Christmas offering, Malaika, is currently showing in cinemas, but if you can’t stand queuing for tickets, you can make do with one of her best works to date, Alakada.
The franchise follows the life of a student with an impoverished background, who tells lies to raise shoulders with her school’s rich kids.
