Hollywood critics often dismiss Nollywood's emotional register as excessive. The tears come too fast, the music swells too soon. But this misunderstands what melodrama is doing.
Melodrama is not failed realism. It is a mode of storytelling that externalizes internal states, making invisible emotional truths visible and legible. It is the cinema of people whose lives are genuinely high-stakes.
Nollywood's melodrama works because it speaks to audiences living melodrama. For marketers and storytellers: know who your audience is and what register speaks their truth.
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