Over the years, I have seen more movies than I can count, and I’ve probably had thousands of conversations about them. I’ve enjoyed some more than others, and in many cases, I’ve been completely indifferent.
But in the last decade, that indifference has been growing.
These days, there are only a handful of films each year that actually move me in any real way. And the more I talk to people, the more I realize—it’s not just me.
A friend of mine has been showing me a number of movies over the last four years. He’ll usually explain why he thinks they’re good, often pointing out how much more competent they are compared to older Nigerian films.
And when I watch them, I see his point.
The camera work is better.
The lighting is improved.
The production value is obvious.
But to his disappointment… I don’t like the films.
The thing is, I think in the quest for technical improvement, some filmmakers may have forgotten what a film is actually supposed to do:
Move people.
Move people to laughter.
To tears.
To joy.
To hope.
To curiosity.
To suspense.
Even to fear.
Film is art. And at the end of the day, art should move people.
When I watch a movie, I’m not actively looking for technical brilliance—even though I understand how important that can be. What I’m looking for is simple:
I want to be entertained.
And if that doesn’t happen, then all the work done on the technical side becomes ineffective.
Too many filmmakers, it seems, are making movies with the primary objective of impressing other filmmakers. And sometimes, the actual audience they expect to watch the film becomes an afterthought.
Yes, a cinephile will appreciate slick camera movement.
But most people won’t.
They’ll just know they liked the shot.
They won’t even know why.
They won’t even think of the word shot.
They will simply know whether they liked the film or not.
I believe the primary focus should be creating entertainment.
Everything should serve that purpose.
Camera.
Lights.
Sound.
Makeup.
Editing.
All of it should come together to create something that entertains and makes the audience feel something.
Because if it doesn’t… then what’s the point?
I often cite Eternals as an example.
A film with great technical elements—beautiful visuals, strong production value—but one that misses the mark by a mile.
Because people were not entertained.
The audience didn’t walk out saying,
“The lighting was great, so I enjoyed it.”
Or,
“The camera work was amazing, so I liked it.”
They simply didn’t like the film.
And the reason is simple:
The film didn’t focus on what actually mattered—entertainment.
This (in my opinion) is why the “Iweka Road” era films are remembered fondly.
For all their technical flaws, they understood how to touch the heart of the Nigerian audience.
They knew how to get people to:
- cheer for a hero
- hate a villain
- feel sympathy for a suffering character
Those films had almost no technical brilliance.
And yet, they sparked a revolution.
They didn’t just entertain Nigerians—they spread across Africa like wildfire. They created movie stars loved and recognized across the entire continent.
They created something special.
They created magic.
They moved us.
The technical improvements we are seeing today are necessary—no doubt about that. And they should continue.
But progress should not come at the expense of the one thing we actually got right.
We need to get better everywhere.
But it’s clear that somewhere along the line, we lost something.
And I’m not entirely sure how we restore it.
But I do believe it can be restored.
Because at the end of the day, after everything—after the lighting, the camera work, the production value—none of it matters if the audience feels nothing.
And when people walk out of a film, they’re not thinking about technical details.
They’re asking one simple question:
Were they entertained?
Tags: Cinematography, Film, Television, Nollywood