It can be a daunting task trying to sift through the slog of movies and TV shows released in cinemas and streaming platforms. It’s a whole lot. But I have gone through the trouble in compiling this lean, precise list for your weekend entertainment. Whether it’s comedy or Nollywood, these are the movies and TV shows you should watch this weekend.
The Royal Hibiscus Hotel
The season of love might be over, but The Royal Hibiscus Hotel is still spreading the love. This romantic comedy from EbonyLife Films feels like an imitation of a Harlequin romance novel, but you will love it for all of its campy, soapy make-up. “It isn’t deep, does not grapple with major life issues,” writes Wilfred Okichie’s in a review for YNaija, “and has no pretensions to paying service to anything serious beyond securing a happily-ever-after ending for its lead character, Ope Adeniyi.”
Ope Adeniyi, played by Zainab Balogun, is a disillusioned London chef who returns to Nigeria and struggles with her matchmaking mother and restoring the family’s rundown hotel. Kenneth Okolie also stars in the film as Deji, Ope’s love interest, but you’d have to discover how their love blossoms from their accidental bump at the airport, meeting each other for the first time.
Mummy Dearest: The Wedding
Mummy Dearest: The Wedding is the sequel to the Willis Ikedum-directed Mummy Dearest film released in 2015. The story conveys the story of a dedicated and committed mother who tries to stay in touch with her five adult children living in various cities. In the sequel, though, it’s all about Chijioke Chinda (Daniel K. Daniel), the tussel that ensues between his mum (Liz Benson) and soon-to-be wife Boma (Mary Lazarus). For those who love dramatic Nollywood, Mummy Dearest: The Wedding is fresh in cinemas.
Mascara
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The good thing about this new chick flick drama on streaming service CongaTV is that the show was released as bingeable television. Four women living in a Lagos apartment, navigating through relationships and work and life in general. It’s reminiscent of the American sitcom Girlfriends from the early aughts. Mascara provides the kind of cheesy entertainment that goes with popcorn or a snack, making it the perfect weekend stay-in treat. Also, you need a subscription on CongaTV.
Gringo
Mild-mannered U.S businessman Harold Soyinka (David Oyelowo) finds himself at the mercy of backstabbing colleagues, local drug lords and a black ops mercenary after travelling to Mexico. Crossing the line from law-abiding citizen to wanted criminal, Harold fights to survive an increasingly dangerous situation that raises the question – is he out of his depth or two steps ahead? You can find out in the closest cinema.
Black Panther
After destroying the box office and becoming a global phenomenon, Black Panther still wants your money so why not just succumb? I have already seen the movie twice and it’s still as mesmerising. T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returns to Wakanda after the death of his father, but his nascent reign as king of the uncivilised, vibranium-endowed African nation is threatened by someone close to home. Extra tip: don’t see it alone. Extra extra tip: wait for the post-credit scene.
When Bernard Dayo isn’t writing about pop culture, he’s watching horror movies and reading comics and trying to pretend his addiction to Netflix isn’t a serious condition.
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