They claim to only watch 'international content.' They look down on Nollywood. 'The acting is bad,' they say. 'The production quality is poor,' they insist. Then you mention a movie. They know every scene. Every dialogue. Every plot twist. They have seen it. They have seen all of them. The Nollywood denier is a fascinating hypocrite. They will not admit to watching. But they know who Genevieve Nnaji is. They know the difference between Asaba and Lagos productions. They know which actor plays the ritualist in every film. They have opinions on Remi Adeleke's career trajectory. The knowledge is too specific for casual exposure. And the secret viewing! They watch at midnight. They watch on their phone, screen tilted away from partners. They watch during flights, pretending to be asleep. They watch "for research" or "to understand the culture." The excuses are elaborate. The viewing is constant. The criticism is performative. "The sound design is terrible," they say, while quoting a line from the film perfectly. "The plots are predictable," they say, while describing the twist in detail. They want to be seen as sophisticated. They want to be seen as above it. But Nollywood has them. Nollywood always has them. But the evolution! Some finally admit it. "Okay, fine, some are good." Then "Okay, the new ones are actually decent." Then "Have you seen [latest Netflix Nollywood film]? It's amazing." The conversion is complete. The denier becomes the evangelist. The cycle continues. Are you a Nollywood denier, or do you proudly watch? And what's the last Nigerian film you secretly enjoyed?
