February is known as the month of love, so it is no surprise that most of the films that came out this month revolved around love and romance (A Sunday Affair, Before Valentines, Love in A Pandemic). A few films touch other subjects varying from lynching (Black October) to trust (The Plan). 

Bside’s monthly guide highlights the best films to watch on every major streaming service this month, from the timeless wonders of cinema to the new frontiers of streaming offered by ShowMax, YouTube, Amazon Prime, and Netflix. Here are our picks for this month, in no particular order.

A Sunday Affair

A Sunday Affair  premiered on Netflix on Valentine’s Day. It centres on a love triangle among two best friends, Uche (Nse Ikpe-Etim) and Toyin (Dakore Egbuson-Akande), and Sunday (Oris Erhuero). The 96-minute film was produced by Ebonylife films and takes the audience through different emotions, making it difficult to know which character to root for. 

Before Valentine’s

This film, as the name hints, is set on the eve of Valentine’s day. It follows the lives of different hairdressers in a salon and their love lives. Directed by Michelle Bello, Before Valentine’s drags, as it tries to touch the subject of what people perceive Valentine’s Day to be. If you haven’t yet seen the film, it’s not too late to press the play button on Netflix. 

 Dark October

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU4C2X8NKog

Dark October garnered a lot of attention this month because of two reasons. Firstly, it touched a very sensitive subject: the Aluu Four lynching. The film is about four students at the University of Port Harcourt who are falsely accused of a crime and, as a result, lynched. Secondly, it was executively produced by Linda Ikeji, who went ahead with the film without getting the approval of the victims’ parents. 

Love in A Pandemic

Directed by Akay Mason,  Love in A Pandemic tells the story of Bolanle (Nancy Isime) and Alex (Deyemi Okanlawon) meeting and falling in love during a pandemic. They both look for ways to make the relationship work despite the situation they find themselves in. This film premiered in the cinemas, unlike other films on this list that can be found on a streaming platform. 

The Plan

This limited series premiered on Netflix on February 3rd. It is the first Nigerian project with all its executive producers and directors being of northern descent.  Unlike the other films released this month, it does not treat love or romance as its major subject. The five-episode series follows the story of a young widow, who needs the help of her two best friends in order to hide her late husband’s stolen gold from the authorities. If you are looking for something different, you should definitely see the series (44-46 minutes). It stars Ali Nuhu, Mofe Duncan, Yakubu Mohammed, and Adam Garba. It follows a story focused on themes such as trust, friendship, and loyalty.