Not every good film receives attention. In Nollywood, where visibility often depends on spectacle or star power, some of the most thoughtful work goes unrecognised. These are not the films that dominated press cycles, filled timelines, or triggered mass debate. They are quieter, more deliberate, and in many cases, more rewarding. By “underrated,” we mean films that were overlooked or undervalued despite offering clarity of vision, sharp storytelling, or formal ambition.
All five are currently available to stream, and each one earns its place here not through popularity but through precision.
1. The Ghost and the House of Truth (2019)
Directed by: Akin Omotoso | Streaming: Showmax
Akin Omotoso’s The Ghost and the House of Truth is a restrained crime drama that strips the genre of its usual theatrics, set in the gritty urban context of Lagos. Susan Wokoma stars as Bola, a therapist committed to restorative justice (a rare theme in Nollywood) whose life unravels when her daughter disappears. The film resists sensationalism, using minimal dialogue, silences, and subtle glances to convey Bola’s emotional disorientation, focusing on grief, institutional failure, and moral conflict. Wokoma’s nuanced performance, marked by emotional intelligence, earned nominations at African film awards, including the Africa International Film Festival.
Omotoso employs minimalism as a method, letting structural tension and understated visuals carry the narrative without artificial resolution. Despite critical praise for its introspective approach, the film remains underseen due to limited marketing, overshadowed by flashier releases. This compact, deeply considered work deserves more discussion for its narrative precision and thematic depth, reflecting the cost of belief in a flawed system.
2. Eyimofe (2020)
Directed by: Arie and Chuko Esiri | Streaming: Prime Video
Eyimofe (This Is My Desire) is a film about the weight of staying. Told in two parts, it follows Mofe and Rosa, two Lagosians negotiating survival, dignity, and the fantasy of escape. The film’s two-part structure: “Spain” and “Italy”, reflects their dreams of migration but avoids romanticized struggle, presenting a stark, documentary-like depiction of survival. Shot with non-professional actors and on location in Lagos, the film’s muted colours and tight framing capture the city’s claustrophobic energy, emphasizing endurance over drama.
Critically acclaimed at the Berlin International Film Festival, with screenings at Rotterdam and BFI London, Eyimofe explores economic migration with universal resonance. However, its slow pace and lack of star power limited its local audience, making it one of Nollywood’s sharpest yet underappreciated feature debuts. Here, the Esiri brothers demonstrated that they were not interested in narrative punchlines. Their camera observes rather than imposes. Jude Akuwudike’s performance holds the first half in place, marked by unspoken grief and earned stillness. Temi Ami-Williams gives Rosa grit without reducing her to resilience. There is no climax, no arc of redemption.
Only labour, longing, and the quiet strain of living in a city that demands everything but offers little in return. The film knows what it is doing and refuses to simplify. It should be essential viewing, yet it remains a footnote.
3. With Difficulty Comes Ease (2023)
Directed by: Korede Azeez | Streaming: Prime Video
Korede Azeez’s debut feature, With Difficulty Comes Ease, is a meditative drama about alienation and resilience. Characters grapple with personal and societal disconnection, conveyed through minimal dialogue, long takes, and stark compositions by cinematographer Ola Cardoso. The absence of a traditional score and deliberate pacing create an immersive, tactile experience, reflecting themes of modern isolation.
The film’s unconventional structure, which prioritizes mood over plot and avoids clear resolutions, distinguishes it from typical dramas. Despite critical recognition, including a feature in Open Country Mag’s 2024 list of top Nollywood films, its experimental style and limited promotion led to minimal mainstream attention. This bold work represents a growing trend of auteur-driven Nollywood cinema, rewarding viewers who engage with its patient, introspective approach.
4. Shaping Us (2024)
Directed by: Kambili Ofili | Streaming: Showmax
Kambili Ofili’s directorial debut, Shaping Us, is a tense drama exploring infertility, postpartum depression, friendship, and resilience. Set during a celebratory dinner party for Ara and Biodun, a couple finally pregnant after years of struggles, the film unravels repressed secrets and simmering tensions among their close friends. With a runtime of about 1 hour 44 minutes, it delivers sharp commentary on parenthood, pain, and modern relationships through grounded performances and tight scripting, avoiding melodrama for emotional authenticity.
The film’s strength lies in its honest portrayal of human fragility, bolstered by standout performances from Uzoamaka Aniunoh, Bucci Franklin, Floyd Igbo, and Omowunmi Dada. Despite earning 10 nominations at the 2024 Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival and praise for its festival run, its niche themes and lack of blockbuster marketing have kept it under the radar. Ofili, who also wrote the script, crafts a story that prompts difficult conversations about love, exhaustion, and unspoken pain, making it a standout for its depth and relatability.
5. House of Secrets (2023)
Directed by: Niyi Akinmolayan | Streaming: Prime Video
This is Akinmolayan’s most interesting work to date, not because it is his most polished, but because it is not. House of Secrets breaks from the commercial formula he is best known for and leans into shadow, stillness, and ambiguity. The film, released on June 30, 2023, as Anthill Studios’ first straight-to-streaming title on Prime Video, is a psychological thriller blending romance, espionage, and trauma. Set in a stylized 1990s Nigeria, it follows Sarah (Najite Dede), a woman imprisoned for aiding her spy lover, Panam, whose memories hold a secret number critical to thwarting a political conspiracy led by General Sani. The film employs film noir elements—monochromatic visuals, high-contrast lighting, and a fatalistic tone—evoking classics like The Maltese Falcon with its moral ambiguity and shadowy aesthetic.
Flashbacks, written by Akinmolayan and Dolapo Adigun, unravel Sarah’s past, with black-and-white scenes enhancing the noir mood. The pacing is slow, at times hesitant, but that hesitancy is built into the story’s emotional texture. There are risks here, some successful, some not. But what matters is that Akinmolayan commits to a different kind of storytelling, one less dependent on resolution, more concerned with mood and psychological space. Despite praise for its ambitious cinematography and beautiful soundtrack s, its niche aesthetic limited its audience. This bold experiment in Nollywood’s genre landscape remains underappreciated.
Conclusion
These are not overlooked films because they lack value. They are overlooked because they do not conform. They do not chase visibility. They do not rely on formula. And in doing so, they make room for something else—something slower, stranger, and more deliberate. If the dominant rhythm of Nollywood is urgency, these films take their time. And that time is worth giving.
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