A roundup of our fav titles from African cinema this month.
At the beginning of the year, it was impossible to predict just how much the moviegoing experience would change over the following months as theaters across the world began to adapt to the new normal and many films shifted to a streaming-only release strategy. Additionally, blockbusters got delayed by a year or two later in the wake of the pandemic.
However, September seems to be a golden month for African cinema as many African films and TV shows were commissioned and released in cinemas and on streaming platforms for cinephiles across the globe.
In this month’s edition of Film Club, we’ve compiled some of the best films and TV shows for your viewing pleasure. Below are comedies, family dramas and coming-of-age stories making our lists for the finest movies this September.
The Ghost and The Tout Too (2021)
Directed by Micheal Akinrogunde, The Ghost and the Tout Too takes a cue from its prequel. This time, Isla (as portrayed by Toyin Abraham) is in tune with her supernatural powers, and she tags in her best friend Amaka (Mercy Johnson) on her adventure as a psychic. Soon after, her life is thrown into a series of dramas that only she can see and understand.
Where to watch: Cinemas across the country.
The Smart Money Woman (2020)
This month, the Arese Ugwu-produced motion picture headlined by Osas Ighodaro, Toni Tones, Ini-Dima Okojie, Lala Akindoju and Eby Eno, came to Netflix! Published as a book by Arese in 2016, the seven-episode series directed by Bunmi Ajakaye seeks to provide a social guide to financial literacy for young women.
Where to watch: Netflix
Omo Ghetto: The Saga (2020)
Also new on Netflix this month is Omo Ghetto: The Saga, the third installment in Funke Akindele’s trilogy, Omo Ghetto. Dubbed as the highest-grossing Nollywood film of all time and released late last year, it follows the polar opposite lives of twin sisters Ayomide and Lefty who are reunited as they take on family, crime and all of the trouble that follows them.
Where to watch: Netflix
Castle and Castle season 2 (2021)
In a better upgrade from the first installment, season two of Netflix’s original project Castle and Castle (aka C&C) offers a good storyline for a legal drama series. The six-episode series follows the lives of the Tega Castle (Richard Mofe Damijo) and Remi Castle (Dakore Akande), a power couple who run one of the most successful law firms in Lagos. The couple’s conflict of interests and career dimensions tear them apart further after a case that divided the loyalties in the firm separated them in the first season.
Where to watch: Netflix
Blood and Water season 2 (2021)
As the search for answers intensifies, the South African teen crime drama series sees Puleng encourage Fikele to consider a complex truth, while navigating a close-knit community of allies and enemies. The five-episode series, directed by Nosipho Dumisa, captures an Africa that might be a shock to some audiences in the West, who are used to very specific, limited depictions of the African continent and its people.
Where to watch: Netflix
