Alive Till Dawn

Name: Alive Till Dawn (2026) Review
Item: Alive Till Dawn
Rating: 5.3
Author: Lana Emmanuel

Director Akin Omotoso Year 2026 Runtime 1h 40m Country Nigeria Genre Horror, Zombie

5.3 /10

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Editor Score

Lana Emmanuel

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"Ambitious genre experiment that doesn't fully land. Historic as Nigeria's first zombie film, but derivative in execution."
— Lana Emmanuel, NaijaSabi

Score Breakdown

Storyline & Writing 25% 4.0

Direction 20% 5.5

Acting Performance 25% 6.0

Cinematography 15% 6.0

Soundtrack & Score 15% 5.5

Director: Akin Omotoso
Cast: OC Ukeje, Toke Makinwa, Uzor Arukwe
Genre: Horror, Zombie
Where to Watch: Nile Entertainment
NaijaSabi Score: 53/100
Box Office / Awards: Cinema release, January 2026

Billed as Nigeria’s first major zombie thriller, Alive Till Dawn represents Nollywood’s boldest genre experiment in years. The attempt matters, even when it partially fails.

The zombie sequences are competently staged and the makeup department deserves credit. But the screenplay is derivative and politically oblivious. For a city with Lagos’s specific history of survival and organised chaos, the missed opportunities for commentary are spectacular. OC Ukeje does what he can with thin material. Toke Makinwa shows more range than her detractors predicted.

Verdict: A historic attempt that doesn’t fully deliver. The next filmmaker who makes this subject work will owe this film a debt for clearing the path.

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