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By Adebowale Johnson
A Nigerian horror film is about to give Central and Eastern European audiences their next streaming obsession, and it’s coming straight out of Lagos.
‘The Weekend’, the psychological thriller from independent production house Trino Motion Pictures, is now streaming on Max across 15 countries in Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, and Croatia. The move marks the first time an independently produced Nigerian thriller has been acquired by the platform, a milestone that’s sending shockwaves through the global film industry.
The film follows Nikiya (Uzoamaka Power), an orphan who travels to meet her fiancé Luke’s (Bucci Franklin) family for the first time. What starts as a nerve-wracking introduction quickly unravels into a terrifying ordeal as dark secrets and sinister family traditions crawl to the surface. The ensemble cast includes Meg Otanwa, Keppy Ekpenyong-Bassey, and Gloria Anozie-Young.
Directed by Daniel Oriahi and produced by Uche Okocha, the film has been turning heads on the festival circuit since its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival where it also made history as the first independently produced Nigerian film to earn a selection. It went on to screen at the BFI London Film Festival and Screamfest, the U.S.’s longest-running horror festival, before scooping the Best Film “Monster Award” at the Monsters Fantastic Film Festival.
Back home, it dominated the 2024 Africa Movie Academy Awards with a record-breaking 16 nominations, walking away with Best Film, Best Nigerian Film, Best Screenplay, and Best Cinematography.
“Nigerian stories belong on the world’s biggest stages,” said Okocha. “This is proof.”
The Weekend is now streaming on Max in Albania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Slovenia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Moldova, and Serbia.
