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Halloween 2025: Old Nollywood Classic Films that Haunted Our Childhood Dreams We’ll Never Forget - What a Scare!

  • Sakah Siona & Oluwaseun Mary (Contributor)
  • Oct 31
  • 4 min read

Film List Curated By Editor in Chief, Sahndra Fon Dufe

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This year’s Halloween, we are remembering those Nollywood films that scared and  stole our Sleep, I know Halloween is not an African holiday, but if there’s one thing we’ve always known how to do on this continent, it's to tell a good scary story. Long before the pumpkins and costumes era, our nights were already filled with tales of spirits, witches and ancestral vengeance whispered around kerosene lamps. And for those who grew up in the ‘90s and 2000s, old Nollywood made sure those stories came to life, in the most taunting way possible.

Imagine being a kid, hiding behind the living room blinds, trying not to be seen while the adults insisted it was time for bed. The TV flickered with demons, cursed forests, and screaming spirits, and every scene made your heart race. That was Nollywood horror in the ‘90s and 2000s, so frightening that even grown-ups warned us away. Yet we couldn’t help ourselves: wide-eyed, frozen with fear, clutching the blinds for safety, we watched anyway, every shadow on the screen drilling deep into our bones, leaving us tense and desperate to keep the lights on long after the movie ended.

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For many, the earliest taste of true horror came from those grainy VCDs with blood-red titles and soundtracks that could freeze your soul. We had to buy the thick VCD cassettes from local sellers and pop them into those big VCD decks, hearts racing as we watched, sometimes hiding behind the blinds to see everything without being caught. So, while in the Halloween spirit, let’s reminisce about the movies that kept us wide awake at night:


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First on the list is, KARASHIKA. Karashika was about a seductive demon, who was sent to tempt successful men with wealth and power. One unforgettable scene ws where a man returns from the hospital carrying a yam instead of a baby,and the terror begins, but nothing compares to the spine-chilling chant of “Karashika! Queen of Darkness, Lucifer Lucifer King of Demons”, making hearts pound and kids hide behind the blinds.


WATCH HERE:

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This is one of the most scaring thing to me as a child, End of the Wicked is about Chris’s mother, Mama Chris, is secretly a witch who torments her own family, orchestrating nightmares and manipulating children. Her betrayal from within makes every family gathering a living nightmare and watching the evil unfold in what should have been a safe home made it impossible to look away.

Watch the puff puff scene from the movie HERE, I know you’d be laughing but these were thing that taunted us!!!


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This is an Igbo movie about Nneka, empowered by a river goddess, seduces trusted men and lures them to destruction. The terror lies not in monsters, but in the twisted consequences of greed and temptation, as ordinary lives are upended by her supernatural power.

Watch Clip from movie Here:


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Sakobi: The Snake Girl was about Frank, A man desperate for wealth, who was told to sacrifice his daughter and marry Sakobi, a beautiful serpent woman. The forest scenes and the climax, where Frank is swallowed by the serpent, make viewers clutch their seats in horror.

Watch clip here:


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A man, struggling to survive, turns to ritual money to escape poverty. One of the most haunting sequences shows a child picking up “free money,” only to vanish and reappear changed, a grim reminder that dealing with dark forces always comes with a price.


Cast (original): Kenneth Okonkwo & Nnenna Nwabueze; sequel also stars Ramsey Nouah

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Living in Bondage featured Andy as he joins a secret cult and sacrifices his beloved wife Merit. Her ghost begins haunting him, appearing in mirrors and shadows, ensuring he never forgets his crime. In Breaking Free, Ramsey Nouah’s character carries the terror into the next generation, showing that the darkness never truly dies.


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A prince born an Ogbanje must be saved by seven maidens sent on a dangerous quest. Spirits confront the girls one by one, testing their courage and loyalty. Every time the Priestess appears, her haunting chant “Efuru ooo, Efuru ooo” sends shivers down the spine, blending suspense and dread with the girls’ tragic fates.


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Zed is lured into a secret occult society that demands the ultimate sacrifice. His wife Victoria is stabbed with a crocodile‑knife while searching for their baby, who is pounded in a mortar. The haunting background music amplifies the horror, sending chills down viewers’ spines while stirring deep sorrow and empathy for Victoria, making it both terrifying and heartbreakingly emotional.

Old Nollywood horror was never just about fear. It taught us about faith, morality, contentment and consequence. Every scream carried a lesson that greed leads to downfall, betrayal brings curses and disrespecting tradition invites chaos. And maybe that’s why they remain unforgettable; they didn’t just scare us; they spoke to us. They drew from stories our grandparents told and fears our communities lived. These films were mirrors of belief, not just nightmares.

So this Halloween, let’s celebrate the magic, mystery, and madness of African horror, the kind that doesn’t just scare you, but stays with you.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

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