As we come close to the end of the year 2022, we have the pleasure of relishing what has been quite the monumental leap for the Kenyan film industry into the realm of global entertainment. With movies and shows being released almost every month, we might be at a lucky enough point in history that the future looks back on as the start of what feels like an incubation of talent and creativity at the heart of east Africa.
Netflix, boasting a catalogue of millions of hours of films and shows from every corner of the world, has cemented itself as the easiest and most reliable way to experience the movie experience in the comfort and flexibility of one’s home. Whereas a few years ago, that accessibility was only reserved for foreign films, this trend has fortunately been changing with a number of our movies slowly but surely encroaching into the streaming site to offering us a chance to showcase our work to both our audience and to the world at large. Just to prove how far we have come, this top-ten ranking didn’t exist at the start of the year, and yet we find ourselves fortunate to not only have a complete list but omit one or two. That’s growth.
Below is my ranking of some of these movie gems on Netflix that we can proudly call our own. With the surety that more films and shows are bound to not only be available on Netflix but also be funded by them in the near future, this is a list that will surely grow and change as the films and shows face the test of time. For now, I can only rank them by how appealing they were to me.
10. 40 Sticks
40 Sticks, released in 2020 by director Victor Gatonye, tries its luck in the thriller genre, offering a suspenseful whodunit that seems to borrow heavily from the legacy of the late Agatha Christie’s books and the many movies she inspired. With a production value that fringes on amateur, the film still finds compelling ways to tell the story it needs to, where a group of prisoners who’ve luckily crashed while being transported are unfortunate to find themselves at the mercy of a mysterious killer while trapped in their little bus by roaming wild animals. The premise is thrilling, and for the most part, more so in the second half, the movie has enough to hold one’s attention, building an air of curiosity as to the identity and motives of the killer. That’s all you can really ask for in a mystery.
On the flip side, a whodunit is only as good as the characters. With a bus full of convicts, all careful to hold their heinous backstories and intentions close to their chests, one hopes for a web of deceit and villainy, but an opportunity for intrigue 40 sticks fails to milk adequately.
9. Uradi
Uradi, the story of a boy moving from a consistent yet stagnant rural life into the limitless opportunities within the urban setting of Nairobi, is a story that has been told too many times before, with even more alliteration to come, all with varying results. Though inventive to some degree, uradi falls into the pitfalls of clichés and formulaic drama that fail to set it apart as anything more than a Nairobi Half-Life rehash.
However, there are some good performances from the lead actor, Chris Kamau, and the supporting cast. I especially enjoyed the opening scenes, which were one of the best depictions on screen of the day-to-day life of rural Kikuyu vullage. The tension and twists in the story were handled well, and one can only wish the potential and promise within the plot could have been better utilised to break new ground instead of cowering inside the familiarity we see so often in films of this genre.
8. Disconnect
A star-studded romantic comedy centered on the dating scene of Nairobi, Disconnect was among the first Kenyan movies on Netflix, and it’s very evident why. The movie checks all the boxes for a generic Netflix rom-com. Beautiful people, beautiful cinematography, witty comedic banter between eccentric characters, and a few twists and turns to an otherwise straight-forward narrative, the caveat of Disconnect being that it’s fully Kenyan and played by Kenyan faces
There is a lot of good in this film. The beautiful cast proves why they are time and time again the faces in front of most Kenyan projects, and their acting is also good enough. Add Tosh Gitonga behind the camera, setting the atmosphere of each scene within the confines of good production, and you see why Disconnect was a great movie to be among our first exports on Netflix.
However, the film falls short where it matters most, in the writing. With parallel plots that don’t seem to go anywhere and characters that aren’t fleshed out enough, the film skims from scene to scene without much of a solid emotional foundation, creating a disconnect with the audience. The ending, which feels like a hurried attempt at being edgy and unconventional, doesn’t do it any justice either.
That being said, if you enjoy the sugar-rushed, sappy romantic comedy genre, spruced up with the ilk of Sex and the City, offering some genuinely good moments, then you might enjoy Disconnect. It’s not for me, but it’s definitely for someone.
7. Just in Time
Just in Time is a sweet-natured family romcom set in the style of the Hallmark brand. An easy-going story of your standard book store manager having problems at work, an awkward meet-cute with an out-of-town dashing neighbour, and a precociously eccentric niece visiting and threatening to ruin her meticulously planned life that in the end sets the stage for a funny, witty, and sometimes, overly cheesy hour and a half family-friendly drama, For a casual Netflix watch, Just in Time is a perfect watch. The acting, though at times exaggerated, is complimented well with great chemistry between the leads, and except for a Kenyan native, one might be fooled into thinking the film is shot in the streets of an American city.
Just in Time is in no way a perfect film. The production leaves a lot to be desired. The editing feels very rough, holding together some sub-standard camerawork and shot choices. And the score is all over the place, sometimes undercutting the drama on screen, but like I said, for a fun casual Netflix watch without much scrutiny, Just in Time is wholesome and cute in all the right places.
6. Sincerely Daisy
Sincerely Daisy is a candid teen drama that packs quite a few feels for a 100-minute watch. A story of the melodrama of a teenage Kenyan girl facing her first hints of heartbreak, family conflict, and rejection, the film is light and comedic at the right places, with a main course of sappy teen romance and a dessert of even sappier tongue and cheek between parents that is generally wholesome and cute.
Some movies, especially the ones on Netflix, are meant to keep a smile on your face the whole way through, and this movie perfectly delivers on that. The dialogue comes up short in some instances, but the emotions it is intended to stir shine through regardless. The predictability and formulaic approach disallow heavy emotions to linger or a complicated storyline, but not every movie is meant to be Inception. Sincerely, Daisy is its own little gem.
5. Nairobby
A crime thriller reminiscent of classic movies such as Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, Nairobby is a risky narrative happening after the aftermath of a botched robbery as seven college students try and control their trigger fingers while confined to their safe house, their emotions run amok. Added to Netflix in August 2022 with a more comprehensive review here, Nairobby is a delightful watch that does well to keep one glued to the drama at hand as characters’ anxieties and fears come to light. The motives are well formed, and the many twists and turns within the short run time stir all the right emotions, for at least the right beats.
The film does have the feel of an extended short film rather than a feature, but that could be attributed to uncontrollable factors such as budgets and such. Either way, it does the most with its time and constrained set to deliver a thrilling ride, and I hope to see more from the makers with more room to work with.
4. Lusala
With only an hour for a runtime, the writers of Lusala gave themselves the daunting task of drawing up a sharp and vivid sketch of trauma and mental illness and the way PTSD curves into the psyche long into adulthood, a task they masterfully crafted. A story of a man who was fortunate to be adopted into a well-off family, coming to terms with the demons he can’t seem to run away from, Lusala is an ambitious and nuanced film. There’s a lot of emotional heft channeled through Brian Ogola’s excellent performance as the titular lead. Ogola’s performance grounds the film as it speeds through scenes trying to find a core through bouts of drama and suspenseful thrill, with one of the better surprises for an ending I’ve seen from a Kenyan film. I was lucky enough to watch Lusala during its theatrical run, and it completely sucked me in with a suppressed atmosphere that didn’t offer much in the way of drama but whose intention only became clear once the hour was over. I’m extremely looking forward to more rewatches of this fantastic film.
3. Subira
Socially and politically inclined films with powerful statements are rarely this good. Balancing telling a good story while teaching against a culture ingrained in the audience, the film is intended to represent is even harder. Subira is a passion project from the writer, director, and producer, Sippy Chadha, and the 8 years of dedication it took to write and shoot this film proves worth it, delivering a beautiful and poignant film about family, culture, love, and choice. Subira, a coming-of-age romance with a standout performance from Brenda Wairimu in the title role, follows a girl who overcomes the stereotypes and restraints of her own culture to find her version of love and freedom. Shot in Lamu, the cinematography is impressive, to say the least, with the characters grounded in a setting that feels very real and natural. This film is beautiful, with a poetic Swahili dialogue adding to an expansive array of scenic coastal environments—a beauty that earned this film the chance to represent the country in 2018’s Oscar consideration.
2. Supa Modo
I love Supa Modo with everything that I am. It’s my favorite film on this list. I could write a lot about Supa Modo, which I actually have here. This is the movie I show to people when they say there are no good Kenyan movies. And I make sure to record their faces as they come to the realisation that their lives might not be the same post-Supamodo.
Recently added to Netflix after spending a few years on Showmax, this beautiful film is the powerful story of a terminally-ill little girl (played by Stycie Waweru, Lusala) battling her illness while being the strength to everyone around her. Underneath that, there is also a story of love, family, hope, community, resilience, friendship, superheroes, and why movies are the most amazing thing since the invention of the wheel.
There are absolutely no faults in Supa Modo. Don’t go in looking for any. Lilarion Wainana, the director, and the writers created perfection, and I’m glad it’s now free, subscription fee notwithstanding, for everyone beyond Showmax’s jurisdiction to have access to our version of perfection.
1. Nairobi Half Life
My second favorite film on this list gets the first place because, regardless of what anyone feels about the quality of Nairobi Half Life, its importance to our culture supersedes any other measure of its worth. Nairobi Half Life is our Citizen Kane, our Black Panther. It ventured where no local film before had tried with a delicate yet uncompromising touch that has come to define Kenyan cinema.
In 2019, I was watching a film by the name of The Last Black Man in San Francisco, and my mind found itself drifting to Nairobi Half Life. I had to remind myself that Nairobi Half Life is just passing its decade mark. Yet there I was, for the first time in my life, watching a foreign film that felt like it was inspired by one of ours and not the other way around. It will be years before I feel that feeling again, but I look forward to it.
Nairobi Half Life, awesome title by the way, is the story of a boy who leaves his life upcountry and becomes a man in the dangerous, murky, yet courageous streets of Nairobi. The shot of him stepping out of a matatu to have everything he owns stolen immediately lives rent-free in my mind. It’s a coming-of-age story that taps into the almost ghostly reputation of the criminal underbelly of Nairobi while still finding room to tell a story of the pursuit of artisan dreams that I’m sure the makers of this film were best suited to tell, considering the pioneering steps the film took.
In the process of trying to perfectly portray the Nairobi culture in all its glory and flaws, Nairobi Half Life became part of it, living on the minds of every single kid or adult alive who was there when it first came out. I don’t remember where I watched it first, if it was at home, at a friend’s, or at school. All I know is that in 2013, I was in front of a screen watching Nairobi Half Life. And I loved every minute of it—a love that has never changed on every rewatch.
Honourable mentions
Morning After is a scintillating thirteen-minute comedy about the confusion and awkwardness of waking up from a nighttime rendezvous to the face of your parent. Short, well-paced, and immensely humorous, The Morning After can be enjoyed in its entirety on the go while you decide what to choose.
Poacher is a half-hour of impressive landscape shots with a surprisingly complex narrative as a farmer steals ivory from the wrong people. With both a commentary on the alarming effects of elephant poaching and drama to spruce it up, Poacher could definitely deliver more with a longer feature runtime, but remains a good watch as is.
Now available on the biggest stage to be discovered and cherished all over the world as proof of what we have to offer, these movies and all the many more that will find their way into lists like this deserve not only our celebration but our pride as well. We have come a long way, and by the looks of it, we are only just beginning.
