Nollywood is having a moment experimenting with the ‘older woman’ subgenre in romantic dramas and comedies.
It was interesting to watch Tina Mba in ‘Brown Sugar‘. Mercy Aigbe lit up the big screen with ‘Everything is New Again‘. And this weekend, Bimbo Akintola is starring in ‘When Moremi Falls‘ alongside Daniel Etim as her younger love interest. This, of course, is not the introduction of this subgenre to Nollywood. Earlier years of Nollywood had a few love stories centered around older women. Nonetheless, this comeback has been well-received judging by comments, reviews and views.
Do you think this subgenre has the power to stand the test of time? Nollywood lovers share their opinions:
“I still prefer classic romcom that features younger women with men slightly older than them, but I am here for a good story whether it is told with an older woman or younger woman.” – Clarence
“I like the shock factor in this subgenre. I think that worked very well for Tina Mba’s ‘Brown Sugar’. The age difference was insane, but people enjoyed the story.” – Wunmi
“The older woman + younger man’ romcom has a place in storytelling. If well-told it can be very enjoyable. For instance, Mercy Aigbe is very beautiful so the viewers do not fixate on the age when watching. Sometimes the aesthetics makes the story palatable.” – Owemimi
“Love is for everybody – old and young. To think that your widowed or divorced mother or aunt is not allowed to love again is a myth that needs to be buried. Everyone deserves love. As long as it is with another adult, then the story should be told.” – Ishaya
“Ageism is constantly being addressed and we can see the result of that. People are not afraid to tell the older woman romantic stories anymore. Everyone has a story even our mothers. It is important they are seen and represented in Nollywood.” – Tare
“I love representation. Women whose stories weren’t centered before can now see themselves on big screen (cinema) and small screen (TV/YouTube).” – Ruby
“Those days, when you clock 40, they expect you to hide under a rock. These days, 40 is just the start to your life! Women fought to be seen and loved and represented, so I say YES to the older woman love story, whether paired with a younger man or older man.” – Amina
“It feels new and fresh. So yes, let us explore the stories there.” – Danny
