Nollywood has very few strong genres. There is drama, comedy, foolish comedy, romance, a little action, but perhaps the most powerful remains the horror genre.
From inception, Nollywood has always made it clear to us that they were about that horror life. Some of the most successful films out of Nigeria have had tinges of horror embedded in them and their impact still reverberates till this day.
1. Oracle
It tells the story of desperate young men willing to do anything to become rich, including the all-too-unpopular blood money.
The Impact: Nobody wanted their kids collecting sweets from strangers so they don’t turn to yam and start vomiting dollars inside one wardrobe somewhere.
2. Karishika
Before there were Yoruba demons, there was Karishika, and she was the queen of evil. Falz the Bahd guy resurrected her restless spirit in his hit single of the same name.
The Impact: Being the first really really bloodsucking horror movie, it set out to do what it wanted to, scare us shitless.
3. Witches
Lekuku leku leku leku leku lekuuu. We all remember that Witches anthem.
The Impact: It made all girls wearing long nails and fake hair witches, but the most important was that whenever you travel, always go along with your Bible or Quran. There just might be witches lurking on the highway.
4. End of the wicked
We will forever remain scarred by that woman who collected demonic penis from her coven to use to destroy her daughter-in-law.
The Impact: The foundation for Nollywood’s wicked mother-in-law (and Patience Ozokwor) was laid here.
5. Rituals
More blood. More money.
6. Diamond Ring
This was kind of like a horror thriller. It is the closest Nollywood ever got to the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, when Liz Benson returned from the dead and went all Smeagol on everyone who participated in stealing her ring.
The Impact: It addressed an important issue which was eating into the heart of many campuses across Nigeria, cultism.
7. Full Moon
This movie had Regina Askia stunning before all your favourite divas could spell stunning, even with moon spirit inside her.
The Impact: Just be scared while drooling over Ms Askia at the same time.
8. Living in Bondage
This is the first Nollywood movie ever made in English. Okay maybe Igbo and English.
The Impact: Asides from the fact that it also scared us shitless when the ghost started coming for vengeance, it made us realise one thing; we too can make movies people love, and thus, an industry was born.
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