Nollywood, the Nigerian film industry, which has its base in Lagos has been a compelling and dominant promoter of the Nigerian image locally and globally. The image of Lagos in the films is profiled by the ambivalence that characterise Lagos city. First, as an El Dorado where success is mainly achieved through sedulousness; second, as a turbulent and dangerous terrain endemic with mischief, intrigues, treachery, and a mixture of other eccentricities to ensure continued survival. This significantly creates a shared realism that informs the filmmakers’ representation of the city and synchronously portray the effects of these representations on the audience. This article examines the dynamics of representation of cosmopolitan and hybridised Nigerian metropolises in cinema and investigates the connectedness of the medium of film and urban cultures, principally apropos of Lagos. Using the theory of New Realism, it examines the various dimensions of representation of Lagos city and the challenges of visibility and interpretation of some of these representations. It attempts a critique of select films: The Outkast (2001) by Chico Ejiro, This is Nollywood by Franco Sacchi (2007), and Jenifa (2008) by Funke Akindele by investigating