Anikulapo: My Films Aren’t For Everyone — Kunle Afolayan Speaks On Latest Film
Renowned, internationally award-winning Nigerian filmmaker Kunle Afolayan has said his films including latest release, ‘Anikulapo: The Ghoul Awakens’ are deliberately crafted for deep thinkers and not necessarily for the mass market.
According to him, his storytelling style is designed for audiences who truly appreciate layered narratives and can intellectually connect with his work, noting that this often explains the negative reactions from viewers who fail to understand his creative vision.
Afolayan explained that criticism from what he described as “non-deep thinkers” has become a familiar pattern in his career, but insisted that such reactions have never stopped his films from achieving international recognition and critical acclaim.
He cited earlier works such as Irapada and The Figurine, stressing that despite heavy criticism at the time of their release, both films went on to travel widely, win awards, and gain global recognition.
The filmmaker made the remarks while reacting to the flurry of negative reviews that followed the release of his latest project, ‘Anikulapo: The Ghoul Awakens’, a five-part Netflix series that premiered in January.
The series stars Owodo Ogunde, Abike Dabiri, Bimbo Ademoye, Sola Sobowale, Kunle Remi, and KieKie, among others, and has generated widespread debate across social and traditional media platforms.
Despite the mixed reactions, Anikulapo: The Ghoul Awakens is currently the second most-watched title on Netflix in Nigeria, reflecting strong audience engagement since its release.
Responding to the criticisms, Afolayan recalled the reception of Irapada, saying negative reviews did not stop the film from achieving success.
“At the end of the day, the film travelled. It got awards. It was internationally recognised. And then we moved to Figurine. I remember when we did Figurine, some people were saying all sorts of things, and we’re here now. All I want to say is as a filmmaker, don’t listen. Just keep making your films,” he said.
Speaking further on what he described as his “signature style,” Afolayan said his films are intentionally made for intellectually curious audiences.
“We make films for the intellectual, not ‘gbas gbos’. We make films for people who can think. I don’t expect everyone to like the movie, and I don’t even expect everyone to understand the film,” he said.
He added that his greatest validation comes from scholars, professors, and critical thinkers who engage deeply with his work.
“I’ve read feedback from scholars, from professors, from deep thinkers, from people who don’t only think about now. I’ve heard from them, and I want to say I appreciate it,” Afolayan concluded.
