Anikulapo, King of Thieves… top 10 movies of 2022

Nollywood has emerged gracefully from the effect of COVID-19 and the limitations it embargoed on the film industry over the past few years.

2022 has been a productive year for the industry and a flirt with blockbuster movies that have been gathering raving reviews from home and abroad.

There was also the mess of controversy following the decision of the Nigerian Oscars Selection Committee not to anoint any movie for the Academy awards for the second year in a row.

The committee ruled that no Nigerian film is good enough to represent the country at the Oscars.

However, Nigerian filmmakers continue to churn out flicks with incredible quantity and quality.

From ‘Anikulapo’ to ‘Eleshin Oba’, here are 10 of the best Nollywood movies produced this year:

Anikulapo

Running time: 2hrs 21mins

Starring: Kunle Remi, Bimbo Ademoye, Sola Sobowale

Synopsis: A story of death, resurrection, and the greedy desires and ungratefulness of men.

The King of Thieves

Running time: 1hr 50mins

Starring: Femi Adebayo, Lateef Adedimeji, Odunlade Adekola

Synopsis: It tells the legendary tale of the greatest thief there ever was. A ruthless bandit with a fearsome reputation and his exploits in a kingdom that uses everything from vigilante to witchcraft to destroy him.

Elesin Oba 

Running time: 1hr 36mins

Starring: Odunlade Adekola, Deyemi Okanlawon, Omowunmi Dada

Synopsis: Adapted from Wole Soyinka’s novel ‘The King’s Horseman’ which tells the story of a man who jettisoned his lifelong debt of ritual suicide to accompany the dead Alaafin to the realm of the ancestors, and his action set forth rolls of catastrophic events.

Brotherhood

Running time: 2hrs

Starring: Falz, Tobi Bakre, Toni Tones

Synopsis: Orphaned, rough-raised twin brothers find themselves on the opposite spectrum of the law. One is a police officer and the other is a notorious armed robber.

The bonds of brotherhood are put to the ultimate test as the police officer joins a task force that hunts down his twin and his gang.

Inside Life

Running time: 1hr 55mins

Starring: Hafiz Oyetoro, Broda Shaggi, Wole Ojo

Synopsis: A upper-middle-class young man is wrongfully arrested and remanded in prison, just a few days before his wedding.

He not only needs to fight to get released on time to get married to his sweetheart, but he must learn to survive and come out of prison alive.

Blood Covenant

Running time: 1hr 50mins

Starring: Tobi Bakre, Erica Nweledim, Alex Ekubo

Synopsis: The tale follows three ambitious young men in their late twenties struggling to make it in life. Tired of being looked down upon, they embark on a relentless quest for the high life, chasing easy money, fast cars, and fame; willing to do whatever it takes no matter what it costs them.

Ile Owo

Running time: 1hr 35mins

Starring: Bisola Aiyeola, Efa Iwara, Tina Mba

Synopsis: A lady gets entangled in the horror of a wealthy family after falling in love with a man she’s convinced is the man of her dreams. The longer their relationship progresses she begins to see signs that all that glitters is not gold and the family has secrets that cannot stay buried.

The Set Up 2

Running time: 2hrs

Starring: Adesuwa Etomi, Nancy Isime, Stan Nze

Synopsis: A notorious terrorist kidnaps a child to coerce a top government agent into doing her bidding. The government agent and the child’s mother must join forces to eliminate the threat and save the kid.

Hey You

Running time: 1hr 40mins

Starring: Timini Egbuson, Efe Irele, Stan Nze

Synopsis: The life of a socially awkward 32-year-old software engineer is turned upside down when he finds out the girl he wants to be with is the adult film model he obsesses over, and she’s his next-door neighbour.

Passport

Running time: 2hrs

Starring: Lateef Adedimeji, Mercy Johnson, Jim Iyke

Synopsis: Two people on different ends of the loneliness spectrum who are both looking for some excitement in their lives meet each other in an unusual circumstance. To recover his passport, a man needs help from a tomboy who lives in the ghetto. He must work with her or miss a flight to a job interview that could change his life.