What to Watch in West Africa This Month

From gripping drama to rib-cracking comedies, July's streaming guide is culled from Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria.

A still from ‘The Groomsmen’ showing Adjetey Anang in the frame.

Adjetey Anang stars in the Ampong Kwaku Kwakye-directed ‘The Groomsmen.’

Still from ‘The Groomsmen’ Trailer/YouTube.

In this month’s streaming guide, suspense meets drama, comedy finds a place next to melancholic stories, and both established and emerging voices from the West African cinema scene shine as bright as ever. This month’s list is filled with films and television series from Cote d’Ivoire to Ghana and Nigeria.

Nadia Buari makes a striking comeback in The Lady With the Red Balloon, while Ghanaian icon Adjetey Anang plays an earnest, but anxious husband-to-be in the hilarious The Groomsmen. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Uzor Arukwe and Folu Storms play an embittered couple in the stirring drama What About Us?, while Seun Ajayi brings his charm and deceptive wit to the new comedy Wrong Number.

Below is a full guide to the best films and series from West Africa to watch in July.

'Le Dieu Gla' - Ivory Coast

Le Dieu Gla, is a gripping thriller starring Mahoula Kané (The Three Lascars, Invisibles), and directed by Landry Agbadou. The film follows Max, a former police officer whose life took a nosedive after the loss of his daughter. His seething rage and displeasure with the lack of justice transforms him into a masked serial killer. Max spends his time hunting down the people behind his daughter’s death, inflicting on them the same pain he has experienced through his loss. Le Dieu Gla, is a smartly directed film that shifts the pole of morality, while tactfully exploring the elasticity of revenge and grief.

Where to watch: Now showing in Ivorian theaters

'What About Us?' - Nigeria

In the Kayode Kasum-directed film, a couple’s shaky marriage is tested when new neighbors move in next door. The film stars Uzor Arukwe (A Tribe Called Judah, Momiwa), Folu Storms (Charge and Bail, Cake), Kunle Remi (Muri and Ko, Anikulapo), Atlanta Bridget Johnson (Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, Afamefuna) and others. Produced by Emmanuel Iren, a well-known Nigerian pastor, What About Us? offers a gripping look into the tussle between fidelity and self-realization. This will be a hit for fans of the classic drama Mr and Mrs.

Where to watch: In Nigerian theaters from July 12.

'The Groomsmen' - Ghana

In Ampong Kwaku Kwakye’s The Groomsmen, a man brings four of his wife-to-be’s ex-partners to be part of his groomsmen, but also to learn more about her. Starring Ghanaian heavyweight Adjetey Anang (Potato, Potahto, The Perfect Picture, Devil in The Detail), Nigeria’s Venita Akpofure (My Village People, Before Valentine’s) and Baaj Adebule, Ghana’s James Gardiner (Glamour Girls, Taste of Sin) and others, The Groomsmen is a funny, sometimes heartwarming story of love, trust and the sometimes disastrous anxieties of new beginnings.

Where to watch: In Ghanaian theaters from July 12.

‘Wrong Number’ - Nigeria

Wrong Number is the new film from director Uche Chukwu (Everybody Wants Alvin, Omoye etc). The star-studded comedy flick features Seun Ajayi (Surulere, The Lost Okoroshi, Ojukokoro), Baaj Adebule (Pay Day, Flawsome, The Men’s Club), Nancy Isime (Blood Sisters, Shanty Town), and Shaffy Bello (The Black Book, Big Love). The film is a funny and clever take on the Lagos hustle story. When two men assume the identity of a well-known star, who added his number in a song as a marketing technique, their lives are turned upside down and the price of fame and attention comes calling. The film is a smart take on the modern mechanisms of fame in Nigeria and the extent people go to break out in a difficult city.

Where to watch: In Nigerian theaters from July 19.

‘The Lady With The Red Balloon’ - Ghana

Starring Nadia Buari (Heart of Men, Single and Married) and Roselyn Ngissah (A Taste of Sin, Aloe Vera), The Lady With The Red Balloon, is a reflective story of the past connecting with the future, explosive conflict and an end that warms the heart. The film is co-directed by Nana King and James Buari.

Where to watch: In Ghanaian theaters from July 6.

‘Bottomline’ - Nigeria

Funny, smart and timely, Ndani TV’s latest offering Bottomline is a light, but satisfying workplace comedy centered around a host of incredible characters. The series stars Bisola Aiyeola (Sugar Rush, Dinner At My Place, Sista), Akah Nnani (Man of God, She Must Be Obeyed), Mike Afolarin (Ajosepo, Water and Garri, Far From Home), Blessing Nze (Momiwa, Miz Behavior) and others. The series follows the journey of a new intern at a marketing agency who is quickly thrust into the chaotic and sometimes unhinged drama each day brings. It is a witty commentary on the many downsides of the modern Nigerian corporate space.

Where to watch: Ndani TV YouTube

‘Nana Akoto’ - Ghana

The thrilling drama series Nana Akoto is an epic story of a man grappling with his destiny as an Asantehene. The series is a striking story of love, defiance, betrayal, loyalty and the unending tussle between destiny and desire. It stars Kwesi Sarkodie, Sandra Osei, Emilia Asiedu, Kwaku Sakyi, Ama Oduma and many others.

Where to watch: Akwaaba Magic from July 4.

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