Top 15 Nigerian Movies to Watch in 2023 

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How often do you watch Nigerian movies?

You may have lost hope in the Nigerian movie industry but the Nollywood industry has changed, and they are producing the best movies you can ever watch. These movies are an upgrade of the ones we watched in the 2000s and 2010s. We have better equipment and actors that bring good stories to life.

In this article, I will give you the list of the top 15 Nigerian movies to watch that will draw you closer to thinking widely about life, our choices, tackling background limitations, societal values, political manipulation, friendship and sacrifices, and even thoughts on adulting. You know, being an adult is no joke.

The list here is in no particular order, but they are the best movies to watch.

Top 15 Nigerian Movies to Watch

1. The Wait 

In life, you have something you wait for, either love, a share in excellence, marriage, childbearing, or whatever it is you await from God. This movie points out how hard it is during trying times, the challenges you face, what giving up feels like, and what not giving up and getting the right support means.

The Wait is a movie about man’s faith in a time of need. A doctor, played by Nze Ipe Etim, sacrifices her time to build a support group for women who have problems with childbearing,  and are on the verge of giving up. 

Was she able to bring the needed smile? Did the support group help the wait? Were they all happy at the end? Give The Wait a watch to discover what building faith means while waiting. 

2. Brotherhood

Brotherhood is definitely a movie to watch. It tells the story of two brothers who choose different sides of the law due to what life throws at them. Akin (Tobi Bakre) and Wale (Falz) are twin brothers who witnessed the death of their parents at a tender age, were brought up by their aunt, and grew up to frown at life from different perspectives.

One became a notorious robber, and the other a law enforcement officer set to get justice for injustice. Does blood get thicker than water, as the movie unveils? This movie also points out friendship, sacrifices, betrayal, greed, love, and family bond. 

3. A Sunday Affair

This is one of the top movies to watch in 2023. It gives the feeling of sacrificial friendship, commitment, and loyalty. Uche and Toyin are childhood friends who have made many attempts to sacrifice for each other’s happiness and peace of mind.

They both fell in love with the same complicated man. This change tests their loyalty and sacrifice as friends and family. Will they survive the test or fall? You should watch this movie to find out.

4. Dark October 

There is no justification for jungle justice! The law should be followed. This movie is a debut production for Linda Ikeji. It is a true-life event that happened to the Aluu 4 (four University of Port Harcourt students who lost their achievable dreams and goals to jungle justice Aluu 4). Watching the movie brought tears and pain.

In the quest to make it into the music industry, an event took their lives unjustly. How did they fall victim to jungle justice? Dark October is one of the movies to watch to get a clearer view of what human lies, darkness, and heartlessness portray. 

Read Also: 10 Best Websites to Download Nigerian Movies for Free

5. Far From Home 

This is one of the movies to watch if you want to discover how Gen-Z survive through background limitations, career impossibility, and struggles. Financial struggles led a teen to manoeuvre his way into making a career break for himself, paving the way for success.

Though not an easy path, he did so much to make it out of the trenches. Far from home portrays friendship, sacrifice, family struggles and the limit it places on their children, building a career, enforcing the law, drug trafficking and finding love in all struggles. 

6. Palava 

Palava is one of the lovable movies to watch in 2023. It tells the story of a high-life musician who lives between family, love for women, musical career, and scandals. Osage Idehen (Richard Mofe Damijo), revolves around a resurgence in his musical career after a fall. In the middle of the resurgence, his life and his family are turned upside down when a scandal is revealed on the eve of his 60th birthday party and signing a huge deal.

Was he able to stand again? Make another way for his family? What happened after the scandal? Palava gave a solution to more public relations solutions to life and family issues. If you want to become a PR professional, don’t hesitate to try it. Watch how family bond conquers all challenges.

7. Flawsome 

The society we live in has a place for women, their lives and what they become, but as it is, women are standing up to become more and breaking the limitations placed on them. This movie is one of the movies to watch as it portrays the lives of four women getting to navigate their lives (professional and personal) through their flaws yet becoming unbreakable as their friendship gave way to selflessness, family bond, sisterhood and making sacrifices.

Being a woman and making it all way to climb the professional ladder, Dolapo (Enado Odigie), Ifehinwa (Bisola Aiyeola), Rahmat (Ini-Dima Okojie) and Ivie (Sharon Ooja) showcased how women can stand firm in their career decisions, marriage and help the less privileged, get justice, and stand by the truth. Give this movie series a watch today! 

Are you a fan of watching interesting and educational videos? Subscribe to our YouTube Channel, we have a lot of videos that can inspire and change your lifestyle positively. 

8. Sikiru

The hurdles to making a means whilst living in Nigeria made Sikiru a loving husband and an expectant father to commit himself to logically being on the right side of the law and making a means to live.  

Sikiru is a thoughtful movie that excels in patience, a logical approach to situations and acceptance to be faithful citizens. Watching this movie brought the realisation that we will have a different approach to what life is throwing at us and how we either accept or tackle it.

Watch how Sikiru (Seun Ajayi), made his way through the law, survival and societal corruption. 

9. Music, Friendship and Conflict 

Music, Friendship and Conflict is a movie to watch. It tells how we become committed to friendship, individual sacrifice, trust, and loving regardless. Two friends, played by Kehinde Bankole and Bisola Aiyeola, found love in music, became friends, and built up a career but were tested.

Were they able to stay true to their friendship? One of the movies to watch that gives the understanding of friendship, career, and togetherness is Music, Friendship and Conflict. 

10. Becoming Abi 

Becoming Abi is a Nigerian Nollywood series inspired by events based on the experiences of climbing the professional ladder, family and building friendships. The story tells the life of Essien, a young female millennial who, by all means, finds herself overcoming numerous challenges and obstacles as she sails to a leading advertising agency in Nigeria.

The movie progresses through coexisting with her bosses, learning to make friends and building a high professional ladder. In all, adulting is no joke and not for the weak. Learn how to thrive in this society through Becoming Abi. 

Read Also: Top 10 Nollywood Movies in 2022

11. Eleshin Oba

According to historical context, Eleshin Oba, a King’s horseman, must sacrifice his life to serve the king in the afterlife, which means he has to die with the king. The movie Eleshin Oba, which is an adaptation of Wole Soyinka’s The King’s Horseman, tells this story as certain circumstances led to a catastrophe that led to unexpected tragedy when modernisation was introduced to historical effects. Greed and family sacrifice were the major themes in the movie.

Eleshin Oba, played by Odunlade Adekola, got distracted by the last-minute fun, which led to a lot of dangers. It is one of the movies to watch in 2023. 

12. Crime and Justice Lagos

Crime and Justice Lagos is one of the movies to watch and discover so much about the professional space, effectiveness and carelessness encountered by law enforcement officers, getting justice for the citizens and eradicating corruption. Each episode of this series picks a particular societal challenge and builds up a tactical solution.

The SSCU unit of the force was obliged to get to the truth of incidents around them. I love how it talks about different facets and difficulties in our society, from genital mutilation, oro festival, police brutality, and cultism. Don’t miss a watch of this movie series. 

13. The Rishantes 

The Rishantes draw the line of battle of control, greed, sabotage and betrayal. You need to watch how family bonds, sacrifice, and love play out and save the face of individuals. 

This movie series showcases love and betrayal, trust and betrayal, sacrifice and human selfishness whilst building a career, changing the political selfishness and corruption played in our politics and society. This Nigerian series is one of the movies to watch as it takes you through what family and the bond they share means, breaking all odds to do the right thing and, at the same time, tackling greed and, sabotage, political manipulation from people we trust. 

Read Also: 10 Nollywood Movies about Entrepreneurs Nigerians Should Watch

14. Shanty Town 

Shanty is home, but what does it feel like when home no longer feels like home and all you want is the freedom to find a new home? This movie series tells the story of a group of courtesans who attempt to escape the grasp of a kingpin, but freedom doesn’t come easy because freedom to him means death.

Watch as political corruption, blood ties, and self-damage makes freedom a near-impossible goal for them. You should make it one of the movies to watch in 2023. 

15. Dinner At My Place 

If you need a good laugh and understand what love feels like, you should make Dinner at my place one of the movies to watch. It tells the story of a young man Nonso (Timini Egbuson) who, after many trials, eventually finds love and wants to make it a forever goal and seal his love for his woman with dinner, his ex shows up, and you don’t want to imagine what she did and how it all played out.

Will he eventually take the step to seal his love, or he has to get approval from his ex? Give it a watch! 

Conclusion 

The Nigerian movie industry is fast becoming one to reckon with. Gone are the days when the storylines are predictable. Now, you get to learn so much about societal values, life hurdles and hardship, dealing with depression, learning more about history and even accepting love from any angle. You should give these movies a watch today if you haven’t and I promise, you will love them.

If you don’t, you can come for me. All movies listed here are available for download and streaming on various sites, or you can binge them on Showmax, Netflix and some on Youtube.

If you have other movies on your list, share them with us in the comment section. 

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