Dika's List: Five African Romantic Comedies You Should See

This piece should have come in last month. February. The supposed month of love. But I was occupied with other things to draft it and writing this meant seeing these films again. I needed to be sure of the things I’d say and confirm if the films were really worth recommending. That said, there is no set day, month, or time for when you can love or feel mushy about others in love. Romantic comedies are watched in March too. So you are welcome. I don’t know how listicles like this are done. Am I expected to say cute but pretentious things about love, telling you why it’s a needed supplement for living life on earth, as a preamble? Sure, the world would be a drab and probably uninhabitable place if we didn’t love one another but you see the type of love depicted in these films, I've never experienced it, nor exactly pining for it. So I'm recommending these films simply because I think they are enjoyable and because they are the finest African romcoms, the finest African romcoms I have seen.

Keeping Faith (2002)

I saw Keeping Faith for the first time in 2018 and I couldn’t believe it was a Nollywood film made in 2002. I found the dialogue refreshingly witty and crispy, and not only did the actors have beautiful chemistry, but they were also at ease in their roles as young, single, middle-class women. (The actors I speak of here are Genevieve Nnaji, Bimbo Akintola, and Funola Aofyebi-Raimi.) I found most Nollywood actors from that time awfully stilted in their performance of such roles, with the phony accents making matters even worse. The story is about Genevieve's character, the insecure Nadine who aspires to marriage with the right man. After she discovers her boyfriend of years is married to another woman, she navigates her new relationship with caution lest her heart is broken again. Her friends pressure her into using juju (sorry, jazz) to secure her place in the man's heart. But she finds in the end that true love is possible. It doesn't need help.  Keeping Faith is directed by Steve Gukas and produced by Ego Boyo.

Watch Keeping Faith on YouTube

Letters to a Stranger (2007)

A mini MTN ad but one of the finest Nigerian romcoms. The story centres on Jemima (Genevieve Nnaji),  who is dissatisfied with her relationship with her fiance Fredrick but finds comfort in expressing her frustrations to an imagined caring stranger in letters. What happens when this imagined stranger takes on a human form and embodies all that she desires in a partner? This is what this film explores. But ultimately, its message is communication is key to a successful relationship. It’s a beautiful film and it's written by Victor Sanchez Aghahowa and directed by Fred Amata. I think Letters to a Stranger is where I saw Yemi Blaq for the first time and became a fan for a while. Same for Elvina Ibru, who was such a joy to watch in this. She was hilarious.

Watch Letters to a Stranger on YouTube

Isoken (2017)

Isoken is a fine film. There are many things I love about this film. I like that it's the first and maybe only time Nollywood offered a romcom about a woman who wasn’t desperate for marriage. The film also offered thoughtful commentary on the pressure the Nigerian society mounts on women to get married. Isoken did this without being didactic and remained entertaining through to the end. I loved Funke Akindele, especially, in this. She was sassy and funny but did not in any way remind me of Jenifa. She was completely Agnes. And I know that we can argue that she was playing an educated middle-class character here, hence the difference. But still, other comedic roles have often felt like an extension of Jenifa, even in the films where she wasn't mixing up her tenses. I guess it's the boisterousness of those other performances. In Isoken, she found the beauty of subtlety. There are many other things to love about Isoken: the warmth in Isoken's family, the fine dialogue, the gloriousness of Tina Mba. I also think that Isoken doesn't get as much praise as it deserves because people think of it as a simple romcom aka chick flick, but I do not know many other Nigerian films as resolute about its themes as this and with a clear underlying message. Isoken is written, produced, and directed by Jadesola Osiberu.

Watch Isoken on Netflix

Cook Off (2017)

Cook Off is a beautiful Zimbabwean film. I’d let the synopsis sell the movie to you. Cook Off concerns Anesu (Tendaiishe Chitima) whose life is upturned when her son enters her into a cooking reality show. She finds unexpected love but is forced to confront her baggage and trauma. It’s a beautiful, lighthearted, and heartwarming film. It is directed by Tomas Brickhill.

Watch Cook Off on Netflix

Catching Feelings (2018)

Now, I’m not so sure it's fitting to describe Catching Feelings as a romcom, but it’s another film I like that has lovers in it. I do not want to call it a study on modern-day relationships, but I do think it is. It's almost satirical. One of the many beauties of Catching Feelings is the "intellectual" conversations the characters have, which go from commentary on race to marriage and to even Hitler. Just interesting musings here and there, and it’s done in such a fun and refreshing way. Kagiso Lediga, the writer and director, is also effortlessly funny in this as the neurotic and insecure college professor Max. Pearl Thusi, who stars alongside him as his ever-supportive wife Sam, is as always, charming. 

Watch Catching Feelings on Netflix