Nigerian filmmaker Kunle Afolayan has said his movies are primarily created for intellectually curious audiences, noting that those who struggle to understand them can seek explanations from people who do.
The director made the statement in a widely shared video as he reacted to the mixed feedback and criticisms surrounding Anikulapo Series Season 2: The Ghoul Awakens, currently streaming on Netflix.
Afolayan thanked fans who have consistently followed his work and reflected on how some of his earlier projects were initially misunderstood before gaining international recognition and awards.
According to him, he does not expect every viewer to enjoy or fully grasp his films, explaining that his focus is on storytelling that appeals to people who enjoy deep thinking and layered narratives.
He also stressed that the new Anikulapo installment is a multi-episode series and should not be judged based on only a few episodes.
In the video, he said, “I just want to say thank you to everybody who have seen Anikulapo Series Season 2, The Ghoul Awakens. And, um, you know, I’ve seen and I’ve read — I don’t read them — but I’ve come across, you know, different types of reviews and, you know, critiques.
“But all I want to say is, um, for those who have followed my work, you know, from inception, I remember when I did Irapada, when the film came out. Some people, of course, came out, critiqued it, and they call it all sorts. At the end of the day, the film, you know, travelled. It got awards. It was internationally, you know, uh, uh, recognised.
“And then we moved to The Figurine. And I remember when we did The Figurine, you know, some people were like, no, you know, all sorts. And we’re here now. Look, all I want to say is, you know, as a filmmaker, don’t listen. Just keep making your films.”
He added, “And there’s something that, for those who follow our film, there’s something that is very peculiar with the kind of films that we make. We make films for the intellectual, not gbas gbos. We make films for people who can think.
“And again, I’m not making film for — and I don’t expect that, you know, everybody will like the film. And I don’t even expect that everybody will understand the film. But I expect that the people that I’m trying to appeal to, the people that, you know, I had at the back of my mind when I was even conceiving the ideas, I know they’ll get it, and they got it.”
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He continued, “And I’ve read, you know, from scholars, from professors, from deep thinkers, from people who don’t only think about now — from, you know, I’ve heard from them.
“And look, I just want to say, I appreciate. To those who really don’t get it or who are saying they don’t understand it. Let me break it down in layman’s terms. It is a series that has many episodes. What you have seen are just a few of the episodes. How do you conclude in your brain that it is not good when you have not even seen the entire thing?”
Comparing the series to global productions, he said, “When you watch a series like Game of Thrones and the rest of them, in fact, you have to wait every week before the new episode comes out. So you haven’t even seen, and then, you know, you concluded that, oh, okay, how come the stories are all over the place? We have created new plots.
“Those who understand literature, understand and they got it. Those of you who do not understand, maybe you should go and ask those who understand so that they can explain to you.”
He concluded by promoting the series, saying, “For us, we’ll keep appealing to those who have sense, common sense. Anikulapo, The Ghoul Awakens is still streaming on Netflix platform in over 100 countries all over the world. And we’re trying to get it to non-English speaking countries as well. Catch it now.”