The rich man, poor girl trope, classist plots, village witchcraft and curses that always end with a moral lesson. Or the vengeful widow, the scheming mother-in-law, the heroic struggling man. Sound familiar? That’s because Nollywood loves to recycle the same stories over and over again.

Some will defend it, saying, “These are classic Nigerian themes and people relate to them” which is true but here’s the problem: when 70% of new releases follow the same formula, creativity dies, audiences get bored, and the industry looks amateurish to international viewers.

Why does it keep happening? Because these tropes sell fast. Producers know that if you have a cursed village, a rich man, and a struggling girl, you’re almost guaranteed clicks, box office cash, or streaming views. Originality is risky and experimental storytelling is expensive. And honestly, some filmmakers just don’t want to think beyond what’s proven to work.

Nollywood can be so much more. The talent exists. The actors are amazing. But until producers start prioritizing story over formula, we’ll keep getting movies that look different but feel exactly the same.