In 2025, African films are making waves internationally, with some vying for Oscars and gaining global recognition. Movie lovers are set to be enthralled and fascinated by a stellar lineup of African movies emanating from the Continent. This ranges from thrillers to romance to historical epics to heartwarming comedies. Five movies have been selected out of many and will be hitting the cinemas and streaming platforms soon. They showcase the richness and versatility of African storytelling as well as diverse cinematic experiences and cultures. Tolulope Omotunde of Afrik Digest Magazine has selected a top five as a must watch.

Dahomey (Senegal)

Mati Diop’s history-making,Golden Bear-winning documentary feature, Dahomey, follows the restitution of 26 artifacts forcefully taken by France in the 19th century as they return to the Republic of Benin. The film does more than celebrate this feat; it’s an inquisitive look into the true meaning of restitution while the lasting effects of colonialism and neocolonialism are still evident today. From its animistic elements to fierce debates among young Beninese reckoning with the very pillaged soul of their country, Dahomey isa riveting cultural journey.

Disco Afrika: A Malagasy Story (Madagascar)

Inspired by the moods, fashion and civil rights movements of the 1970s, Luck Razanajaona’s Disco Afrika: A Malagasy Story is an engrossing portrayal of being torn between personal wants and communal needs. 20-year-old Kwame works in the clandestine sapphire mines, where he struggles to make a living. He returns home, reunites with his mother and friends, and faces the norm of corruption and cutting corners head-on. Parista Sambo’s turn as Kwame is as invigorating as the palmwine music and highlife grooves that waft through the film.

Everybody Loves Touda (Morocco)

Nabil Ayouch’s Everybody Loves Touda, selected as Morocco’s recent Oscars entry, is about the young singer Touda, who dreams of becoming a famed folk singer, partly to give her deaf son a better life. Between her small town and her eventual move to Casablanca, Touda has to deal with patronizing men, who only see her as a sexual object, and club owners who have a strict vision of what she can do. Nisrin Erradi turns in a powerful performance as the lead character, enlivening the screen with radiant energy during the musical performance, but it is in the somber moments that she holds viewers in an affecting haze.

Hanami (Cape Verde)

Hanami is a coming-of-age film, but it’s also more than that. Nana (Sanaya Andrade) is a young girl living in Fogo, Cape Verde, a volcanic island with black sand beaches. Just after birth, her mother, Nia (Alice da Luz), left Cape Verde for a better life, and now a young teenager, Nana has to grapple with emigration being front and center of every young person’s life in her country. Denise Fernandes’ film is a ruminative effort on the emotional and spiritual aspects of exiting your home as the best option a person has as soon as they’re born. Hanami feels its way through longing and a warmth that is familial and familiar.

Finding Me (Nigeria)

A mini super story movie. It harkens back to old Nollywood. In this story of betrayal, self-love, and money. Tinuke Phillips, a beautiful, socially-naïve and laid-back young lady, has struggled with low self-esteem. This has her believing she is incapable of finding love until she meets Kola, a handsome goal-getter, who treats her with love and respect. Finding Me” is more than just a movie-it’s a wake-up call. It dives deep into how society pressures women to believe their worth depends on marriage and having children. Funke Akindele delivers a stunning performance, making Atinuke’s transformation feel real and raw. We see her go from a woman desperate for love to someone who finds the strength to walk away.