by Deborah Ojetunde
Nollywood, Nigeria’s booming film industry, has captivated audiences with its thrilling storylines. Its reliance on suspense has also led to a predictable and formulaic approach to storytelling, sacrificing depth and originality for the sake of keeping viewers on the edge of their seats.”
According to Google, suspense is a state or feeling of excited or anxious uncertainty about what may happen. Suspense is a tool in the film industry used to tie down an audience during the course of a movie play. Causing many to think about and reason out what the outcome is likely to be.
A movie void of suspense is like a meal without seasoning; it may be nourishing but lacks the zest that makes it memorable. Also, I can say: A movie void of suspense is like meat with a bone to crack to make the teeth remember the meat. I have been coming across Nigerian movies since my childhood days, and as a young adult, I love Nigerian movies, which makes me understand and be able to assimilate more of what the actors say.
I have been able to find out that in most Nigerian movies, I can predict what will happen next. Sometimes, looking at the title, I understand how the film will be acted. After interviewing some young teenagers, I have been able to gather that the lack of suspense has driven a lot of people to prefer watching films outside of Ningeria.
Let’s look at the various responses from those interviewed.
According to Matthew James, he says that I prefer Outside Nigeria movies because they have a straightforward plot and are mostly filled with suspense. When asked about how lack of suspense has affected him watching Nigerian movies, he said most of their suspense can be easily perceived even before we get to see it.
Also, according to Delight Ojetunde, sometimes I look forward to how it ends and not the end because the end is most often predictable. Also, when asked how lack of suspense has affected her watching of Nigerian movies, she says that it has made her and many others resort to foreign movies.
In order to improve the film industry, especially Nollywood in suspense, good professionals from international countries in the film industry should be brought to give seminars and also join them in creating an appealing story for the film industry.When it comes to suspense, directors or script writers should avoid overusing cliché tropes like sudden music cues, excessive close-ups, and contrived cliffhangers. Instead, build tension through clever writing, camera work, and atmospheric sound design.