We took some time reflecting on the Nollywood comedies that stuck with us. The ones we remembered by how we laughed, quoted them, or had to tell someone else to watch. What makes a comedy memorable is never just its jokes. It’s the tension it relieves, the truth it slips in, the oddity it leans into. Sometimes it’s the cast chemistry. Sometimes it’s just one moment that feels too real to forget. These are the ones that gave us all that, each in its own strange, specific way.

As Nollycritic, we don’t just watch for laughs. We watch for choices, risks, and rhythms that leave a mark. What makes a comedy last isn’t how hard it tries to be funny. It’s what it reveals about the moment, the culture, and the way Nigerians deal with chaos, identity, and absurdity.

Banana Island Ghost (2017)

Directed and written by BB Sasore, this fantasy comedy tells of a man who dies and negotiates three days to return as a ghost to find a soulmate so he can enter heaven. He ends up paired with a woman who must stop her father’s house from being repossessed on Banana Island. We were charmed by Patrick Diabuah’s ghost and Chioma “Chigul” Omeruah grounded performance as Ijeoma. Casting Chigul in a lead romantic role was significant. At a time when Nollywood was still boxed in by narrow ideals of beauty, Banana Island Ghost gave audiences a confident, full-bodied female protagonist who didn’t need to be toned down or apologised for.

The film also delivers subtle but pointed social commentary. By centring its story on Banana Island (Nigeria’s most exclusive and ostentatiously wealthy neighbourhood) the narrative explores themes of legacy, greed, and the illusion of permanence. What’s especially clever is how the film layers all this underneath its light, fantastical setup. It uses the supernatural not to escape reality, but to refract it.

Three Thieves (2019)

Directed by Udoka Oyeka, with screenplay by Egbemawei Sammy, Abba Makama and Africa Ukoh, this film follows three underemployed friends mistaken for professional thieves who escalate from theft to accidental kidnapping. The chemistry between Shawn Faqua, Koye Kekere-Ekun and Frank Donga was a highlight. The film is quietly confident. It never forces jokes. It paddles along and then lets absurdity erupt. Someone who loves understated chaos called it the film that sneaks up on you. This film didn’t just catch us off guard, it ran off with our attention.

Three Thieves plays like a tightrope walk between crime and comedy—fast, chaotic, and incredibly fun to watch. It is one of those rare Nollywood comedies that understands timing and tone, keeping things sharp without losing heart.

Casa De Novia (2023)

Everything about Casa de Novia screams ridiculous, and that’s the point. It’s built around a central character whose entire charm lies in her over-the-top clumsiness and unfiltered confidence. She floats through the world like a live-action cartoon, creating havoc without malice and turning the most ordinary moments into exaggerated spectacle. The tone is deliberately unserious. Even the CGI, which got its fair share of ridicule, feels like part of the joke. You can’t watch the scene where the house spins Yoyo around and believe the filmmakers expected us to take it seriously. It’s not aiming for realism; it’s aiming for amusement.

This is a film that winks at the audience from start to finish. And that’s its charm. It’s chaotic, it’s unserious, and it’s built around a lead performance that doesn’t hold back. We appreciated it for what it was a comedy that plays with form, tone, and performance.

Quam’s Money (2020)

Falz has never been one for subtlety, and neither is this film. Quam’s Money spins off from New Money, but it quickly becomes its own beast. Falz returns as Quam, now rich, reckless, and ripe for a fall. The film dives headfirst into the chaos of sudden wealth, scams, and social climbing. It’s loud, ridiculous, and knows it. Directed by Kayode Kasum, Falz returns in top form, playing the newly rich Quam as loud, gullible, and hilariously overconfident.

The story follows his entanglement in a high-level scam, turning his sudden wealth into a lesson in ego and naivety. What makes Quam’s Money work is how it plays with satire. It’s flashy, fast, and doesn’t pretend to be deep. But it pokes fun at the very lifestyle it puts on display. Falz’s comedic timing keeps things afloat, and the film delivers the spectacle it promises.

My Village People (2021)

This one took a risk and owned it. My Village People drops a playboy into a full-on supernatural trap, mixing dark humour with mythological themes that rarely get this kind of spotlight in mainstream Nollywood. The result is a film that’s part satire, part horror fantasy, and all chaos. Bovi plays the unlucky bachelor who returns home for his sister’s wedding and walks right into the middle of a witchcraft war. The storyline leans heavily on folk beliefs but never loses its sense of humour.

There’s a surreal quality to how the film balances seduction, ritual, and absurdity, making it feel like a fever dream you can’t look away from. What made it memorable was its originality. It didn’t copy Hollywood formulas or stick to safe storytelling. It made space for Nigerian mysticism and found comedy in it without mocking the source material. That’s rare. And the visuals are glossy, strange, and vivid. It’s the kind of film that splits opinions but earns points for doing something different.

Sugar Rush (2019)

Directed by Kayode Kasum and written by Bunmi Ajakaiye and Jadesola Osiberu, this is a crime-action comedy in which three sisters find $800,000 in a murder house and are pursued by both criminals and EFCC operatives. Sugar Rush starts off as a comedy dips into crime, and veers into supernatural spectacle, with invisible cars, juju-wielding mob bosses, and chase scenes that feel ripped from a video game. We embraced the chaos.

The film is chaotic by design. It leans into its absurdity and comes out the other side as one of Nollywood’s most entertaining big-screen rides. CGI-heavy and packed with stylish set-pieces, Sugar Rush was a massive box office hit when it dropped during the 2019 Christmas season. But what really made it click was the energy: fast, funny, full of personality. The Sugar sisters, played by Adesua Etomi-Wellington, Bimbo Ademoye, and Bisola Aiyeola, are the heart of it, and their chemistry makes every ridiculous turn land. It’s a film that knows exactly what it wants to be, and goes all in.

Closing Reflection

These films succeed because they have distinct flavours. Some draw on folklore, others on heists, rivalry, spiritual chaos, or mistaken identity. What keeps us talking is not perfection but presence. Each one offers a different experience depending on who you ask. But in every case, these comedies stick because they reflect Nigerian lived experiences filtered through humour, surprise, and very specific tonal risks.

What are your favorite nollywood comedy films or series? Let us know!