Showmax Countdown to Christmas

From award winners to box office hits, critical favourites to South African flavour

Showmax is counting down to Christmas with new festive season movies coming every day until 25 December 2021.

Here’s a taste of the highlights from this advent calendar for film fans, including some rather untraditional options that may make you rethink everything you thought you knew about the genre:

CHRISTMAS, SOUTH AFRICAN-STYLE

BOXING DAY | Stream from 23 December 2021

Unable to afford to bury their gogo, Vele and her hot-headed younger brother become amateur kidnappers on Christmas Day, taking a government minister hostage in exchange for ransom money that they want to use to be able to celebrate her life and give her a fitting farewell.

Directed by Black Brain Films co-founder Mandla N (2021 SAFTA winners Loving Thokoza and Lockdown), this multilingual comedy stars SAFTA winners Zola Nombona (Lockdown) and Hamilton Dlamini (Five Fingers For Marseilles), as well as S’thandiwe Kgoroge (Shuga) and newcomer Phumlani Magadla.

ASSEBLIEF & DANKIE | Stream from 25 December 2021

A homeless woman saves the life of a wealthy CEO, and in an unusual moment of Christmas spirit, he invites her to recover in his luxury penthouse. He laughs off her claims to be from another world – until his own starts tipping over.

Directed by SAFTA winner Tertius Kapp (Gaia, Dis Ek, Anna), this Afrikaans comedy stars Laudo Liebenberg (Black Sails, DAM), SAFTA winners Crystal-Donna Roberts (Krotoa, Arendsvlei) and Jill Levenberg (Ellen: Die Storie van Ellen Pakkies), SAFTA nominee Cintaine Schutte (Fynskrif) and Silwerskerm winner Carel Nel (Gaia, Raised by Wolves).

Asseblief & Dankie is produced by Marche Media (Kanarie).

A SAFE BET | Stream from 16 December

Pearl is the most sought after attorney in the country – at the cost of her love life. When her boyfriend dumps her just as the Christmas family gathering is around the corner, Pearl’s increasingly impatient mother drags her to church for some divine intervention. She receives a life-changing prophecy about who she’ll find her happily ever after with: a man with the surname Dlamini. But will Pearl follow her heart or the prophecy?

A Safe Bet’s stellar cast is led by actress, fashion icon and presenter Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa (Queen Sono, Rockville), with Jerry Mofokeng’s son, actor and musician Lerato Makhetha (Isidingo), Cedric Fourie (Skeem Saam, Durban Gen), and SAFTA winner Charmaine Mtinta (Scandal!, Yizo Yizo) co-starring.

A Safe Bet is directed by Weldun Media executive producer Kgosana Monchusi, who won awards at the Silicon Valley African FIlm Festival and Jozi Film Festival for his short film Opus, and was nominated for a 2020 SAFTA for The Big Secret Season 2.

SEASON’S FEELINGS | Stream from 16 December 2021

In Season’s Feelings, on their way to a not-so-conventional Christmas party, a band of outsiders collide with themselves and each other as they try to figure out quarter-life, half-loves and family.

Co-directed by 2021 SAFTA winner Jozua Malherbe (Griekwastad) and Nagvlug Films co-owner Zandré Coetzer, the young adult comedy co-stars Natalie Robbie and Zandile Lujabe (Ayeye, Isidingo).

Season’s Feelings is produced by Nagvlug Films (Skemerdans, Barakat).

NATIVITY | Stream from 24 December 2021

In Nativity, a group of well-intentioned community members tries to produce an amateur Christmas show to save their community hall.

The feature film directorial debut of Fleur du Cap-nominated actress Bianca Flanders (Troukoors [Wedding Fever],Address Unknown), Nativity co-stars the likes of SAFTA nominee David Isaacs (Hotel, Dwaalster) and 2021 SAFTA winner June van Merch (Sara Se Geheim).

The Christmas comedy is produced by Nagvlug Films (Skemerdans, Barakat).

EVE’S CHRISTMAS | Stream from 24 December 2021

In Eve’s Christmas, two feuding siblings, Carl and Eve, are forced to face their differences when Carl’s son asks (in a prayer) that Eve come to visit for Christmas. This sets in motion some seriously comical (and bittersweet) events involving a toy, Father Christmas, and maybe even honouring their father’s dying wish.

Co-directed by Ephraim Gordon (co-director of Skemerdans and producer of Barakat) and Marvin-Lee Beukes (Die Bylactor; One Night Kwa Mxolisi writer), this comedy-with-heart co-stars Juliette Pauling (Tali’s Baby Diary) and Mark Elderkin (Reyka, Black Sails).

Eve’s Christmas is produced by Nagvlug Films (Skemerdans, Barakat).

THE AWARD-WINNERS

CAROL | Stream now

Carol is at #9 on Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the best Christmas films of all time. As Indiewire says, “There are few better Christmas film images than the sight of Rooney Mara in a Santa Claus hat. Todd Haynes’ Carol weaves such an intense romantic spell that it’s really the only film you need to watch during the holiday season.”

Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara were nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress respectively at the 2016 Oscars for their roles in Carol, a powerful drama about a married woman in 1950s New York, who risks everything when she embarks on a romance with a younger department store worker. Carol, which was also nominated for Oscars for Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Costume Design, and Score, won 79 awards worldwide and was recently named the fourth best LGBTQIA+ movie of all time by Rotten Tomatoes, where it has a 94% critics’ rating.

Based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Price of Salt and directed by Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven, Mildred Pierce), Carol also stars Emmy winners Sarah Paulson (Ratched, American Crime Story, American Horror Story) and Kyle Chandler (Bloodline, Friday Night Lights, Super 8), as well as Screen Actors Guild Award nominee Jake Lacy (The White Lotus, The Office).

Little White Lies calls Carol “one of the most beautiful love stories ever told”, while The Telegraph praises the “career-best performance from Cate Blanchett” and The Evening Standard calls the film a “masterpiece.”

ONCE UPON A SESAME STREET CHRISTMAS | Stream now

There’s no place more magical than Sesame Street – especially during the holidays! Join Elmo, Grover, Big Bird and their friends for the magical, musical 50-minute special Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas, in which Elmo’s father tells him a bedtime story about the time, way back, when joy, kindness and caring first came to Sesame Street.

The show won an Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Programme and has 4/5 stars on Common Sense Media, where they recommend it for ages 4+, calling it “a sweet story about holiday spirit and… an excellent reminder of the value of even the smallest acts of kindness. Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas is lively, spirited holiday entertainment that’s great for families to enjoy together…. While Christmas gets the biggest billing in the story, many characters make references to other timely holidays like Kwanzaa and Hanukkah and the traditions that go along with them.”

Special guests include Emmy, Tony and Grammy winner Audra McDonald (The Good Fight), Emmy-winning comedian Jim Gaffigan (Hotel Transylvania 3), and Zosia Mamet (The Flight Attendant).

Other Christmas specials to look out for on Showmax include Peppa Pig Christmas Party and Timmy Time Christmas Surprise.

STICK MAN | Stream now

“Stick Man lives in the family tree with his Stick Lady Love and their stick children three,” until he’s taken further and further away from home on an epic adventure across the seasons. He runs from a playful dog, gets thrown in a river, escapes from a swan’s nest, and even ends up on top of a fire, as he tries to get back to his family in time for Christmas.

Animated in Cape Town by Triggerfish and co-directed by South African Daniel Snaddon (Zog, The Snail and the Whale), this 27-minute BBC One Christmas special by Magic Light Pictures (The Gruffalo, Revolting Rhymes) won the top prizes at leading animation festivals like Annecy and Kidscreen, among others.

Based on the much-loved picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, Stick Man is voiced by the likes of Martin Freeman (Black Panther, The Hobbit) and Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), with Jennifer Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous) narrating.

Also look out for the Oscar-nominated animation The Polar Express, about a young boy’s magical Christmas Eve journey to the North Pole.

THE CRITICAL FAVOURITES

THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS | Stream now

Teen Choice winner Dan Stevens (Downtown Abbey) stars as Charles Dickens, while the late, great Christopher Plummer (The Sound of Music) is Scrooge in The Man Who Invented Christmas, about the creation of A Christmas Carol, the timeless tale that redefined Christmas.

The Man Who Invented Christmas is at #25 on Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the best Christmas films of all time. As the critics’ consensus there says, “The Man Who Invented Christmas adds holiday magic to the writing of A Christmas Carol, putting a sweetly revisionist spin on the story behind a classic yuletide tale.”

A CHRISTMAS FEAST | Stream now

A warm slice of life story that follows a large Italian family on Christmas Eve, A Christmas Feast (aka Feast of the Seven Fishes) has an 88% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes – a Christmas miracle for a Christmas film.

Rising star Skyler Gisondo (The Righteous Gemstones, Booksmart), Madison Iseman (Jumanji: The Next Level), and Addison Timlin (Fallen) star alongside the likes of Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix, Memento) and Ray Abruzzo (The Sopranos, The Practice).

The Los Angeles Times calls A Christmas Feast “charming and heartfelt”, adding that the film has “the familial warmth of a holiday classic, the aching earnestness of a teen rom-com, and the well-observed specificity of a good regional film.”

THE BLOCKBUSTERS

LAST CHRISTMAS | Stream now

Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones), Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians), Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and Emma Thompson (Years and Years) star for director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids) in the romantic comedy Last Christmas.

Kate (Clarke) harrumphs around London, a bundle of bad decisions accompanied by the jangle of bells on her shoes, another irritating consequence from her job as an elf in a year-round Christmas shop.

Tom (Golding) seems too good to be true when he walks into her life and starts to see through so many of Kate’s barriers. As London transforms for the most wonderful time of the year, nothing should work for these two. But sometimes, you gotta let the snow fall where it may; you gotta listen to your heart.

Last Christmas features new music from Grammy winner George Michael, as well as his bittersweet holiday classic of the film’s title. The film was the 62nd biggest box office hit of 2019.

OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY | Stream now

When his uptight CEO sister threatens to shut down his branch, the branch manager throws an epic Christmas party in order to land a big client and save the day, but the party gets way out of hand…

Office Christmas Party stars Emmy winners Jennifer Aniston (Friends, The Morning Show), Jason Bateman (Ozark), Courtney B. Vance (Lovecraft Country), Rob Corddry (Ballers), and Kate McKinnon (Bombshell, Ghostbusters), as well as the likes of Critics’ Choice winner T.J. Miller (Silicon Valley), Kids’ Choice nominee Olivia Munn (The Newsroom) and Critics’ Choice Super nominee Abbey Lee (Lovecraft Country, Mad Max: Fury Road).

The New York Times calls it “naughty, inappropriate fun.”

A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS | Stream now

As if creating a perfect holiday for their families wasn’t hard enough, our three under-appreciated and over-burdened moms now have to do it all while entertaining their own mothers, who have dropped in unexpectedly.

A Bad Moms Christmas reunites People’s Choice winner Kristen Bell (The Good Place), People’s Choice nominee Mila Kunis (Black Swan), and Emmy nominee Kathryn Hahn (Mrs. Fletcher) as the bad moms, with Emmy winner Christine Baranski (The Good Fight), Oscar winner Susan Sarandon (Ray Donovan) and Emmy nominee Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm) as their mothers.

The Guardian calls it a “an entertaining film largely unconcerned about good taste and where, or if, an apostrophe should go in the title…a silly, sentimental and very funny follow-up.”

CHRISTMAS: THE ACTION MOVIE?

FATMAN | Stream now

Oscar winner Mel Gibson (Mad Max, Braveheart) stars as a rowdy, unorthodox Santa Claus who must contend with a hitman sent by a spoiled kid, who’s looking for revenge after receiving a lump of coal for Christmas.

Oscar nominee Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Secrets & Lies, Without a Trace, Homecoming) and Emmy nominee Walton Goggins (Ant-Man and the Wasp, The Righteous Gemstones, Justified) co-star.

The Australian calls this Christmas action film “one of the weirdest movies you will ever see.”

Alternatively, you can catch Mel in Lethal Weapon, dubbed “the most relatable holiday action film in the blood-stained Christmas canon” by Den of Geek.

For even more magical Christmas movies, with new titles being added daily until Christmas, check outhttps://www.showmax.com/eng/boxset/8cuo7bbk-christmas-countdown-collection.

Temptation Island South Africa No 1 on Showmax

In its first seven episodes, Temptation Island South Africa has already seen two couples give in to temptation, and four singles eliminated without finding love.

We asked Pietermaritzburg’s Kwanele ‘Finch’ Thusi, Durban’s Lilitha Mlahlwa, Gqeberha’s S’bu Nqini, and Joburg’s Zinhle Nkosi for their take on the hit reality show, now that they’re off it.

Why do you think you got eliminated?
Zinhle Nkosi: I expected to be eliminated because I didn’t really connect with any of the guys romantically. It was a struggle for me because they are not what I would normally go for.

Kwanele ‘Finch’ Thusi: The biggest reason was that the four ladies from day one had already decided who were the strongest and weakest amongst the single guys. I feel like their strategy is to first eliminate the strongest men. By doing so, this automatically eliminates the need for them to be challenged by the alphas in the villa. The ladies found that myself and S’bu challenged them a lot, especially when it came to us questioning why they’re on this show, and they found that too intense.

Lilitha Mlahlwa: I wasn’t connecting with the guys, so I’m happy with the decision they made to eliminate me. I couldn’t pretend that there was a connection when in fact there was none.

S’bu Nqini: Shout out to all the girls but physical attraction is a big deal to me. I wasn’t connecting with any of those girls. We were just not vibing at all but it’s all love.

Who did you connect with the most?

Kwanele: Nthabi, from day one. We spoke about a lot of things, from her childhood to her relationship with MJ.

Lilitha: There might’ve been a slight connection with Sifiso but then he did something that put me off. He had connections with three other girls, and I was the fourth. There was a time where he wanted me to accompany him to his room for a chat. What put me off is that he then asked permission from one of the girls for us to go to his room. I didn’t like that. I don’t like a man that doesn’t take charge. He could’ve just told me to go with him instead of asking permission from another woman.

Zinhle: I did connect with Grant and I gave him a chance. Even with him, he wasn’t what I would normally go for, but I was still willing to get to know him. But what Grant said to me when I got eliminated just did not make sense. He should’ve just said that we did have a connection and that I was a distraction, not that other stuff.

If given a second chance, what would you have done differently?

Lilitha: Nothing, because I wouldn’t be myself. If I did things differently, I would’ve faked everything and it was going to show on camera. So I’m happy for being myself and not forcing connections. I was going to regret it later on if I did.

Kwanele: I would’ve entered the villa with a strategy. I know this sounds disingenuous and like I won’t be honest about my feelings, but I feel like that’s what most of the girls came in with, and some of the gentlemen. They came in with a strategy of wanting to stay in the villa and on camera for as long as possible. Some people came onto this show with pure intentions and some came here to find fame. If I knew that there were strategies in place, I would’ve also come in with a strategy of how I would’ve wanted to be perceived. But I didn’t: I was just being myself, looking for real connections.

Zinhle: Nothing actually. I have no regrets; I only regret not going into the pool. I did the best that I could and I would like to believe that I handled every situation like I normally would off-camera.

S’bu: Nothing, because thanks to the elimination I found this remarkable girl I’m with. I’m just happy right now, man. Shout out to the girls. Thank you so much for eliminating me because you brought me closer to another remarkable girl.

Who do you think is genuinely vibing with each other?

Kwanele: Definitely Dane and Precious.

Zinhle: There are so many vibes in the villa but one person that is a hit is Sifiso. The girls are vibing with him but I’m not sure if his intentions are genuine. One minute he’s vibing with Dimpho, then Eve, then Gigi. The guy’s vibing, hey!

And which relationships do you think are in danger?

Lilitha: I don’t think anyone’s relationship is in danger. I don’t think MJ and Bontle are going to be in a relationship after this. I don’t think MJ is here for love. I think it’s more for clout.

Zinhle: All of their relationships are in danger. Mainly Grant’s. Even though I didn’t go on a date with him, he was vibing with me. He decided to choose Nicole but yet he was also entertaining me, so for me, that was a red flag.

What was the best thing about being on Temptation Island South Africa?

S’bu: Temptation Island is a remarkable platform and show. The intention I had for coming onto this show was not only to learn more about myself but it was to also unlearn things that I felt were holding me back from moving forward in terms of romantic relationships. Coming onto this platform made me feel that I am considerate and that I do have a heart. Being on the show helped me connect with my softer side. A lot of guys don’t want to speak about their vulnerable side, but guess what? I got vulnerable and I’m now comfortable with speaking about it. I’m loving this soft living; this softer S’bu is a vibe!

Lilitha: Definitely the friendships that I made. I developed a sisterhood with the ladies which I appreciate. I also enjoyed discovering myself while on the show. If I wasn’t OK, I was able to go to the diary room and vent. I probably cried in that diary room every day but it helped; it felt as though I was in a therapy session, which I appreciate.

Kwanele: Being in the villa and having an all-access pass to the entire house. I also walked out having developed a lot of strong friendships with the gents. And I learned a lot about loyalty. I will add that the best thing was also meeting the four ladies, even though they are very indecisive and play too many mind games. But I do wish them all the best.

Zinhle: Definitely the connections I made with the other girls. Even though I’m one of the first people to be eliminated, I’m glad I got to build those friendships and I feel like what we built was genuine.

Binge the first seven episodes of Temptation Island South Africa on Showmax now, with new episodes every Thursday.:https://www.showmax.com/eng/tvseries/zxqagjia-temptation-island-south-africa-coming-soon

Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/ITO98aCC-0o

Follow the conversation on #TemptationIslandSA on Twitter.

What’s new on Showmax in August 2021

While we’re all glued to our screens watching the Olympics on Showmax Proat the start of the month, there’s plenty to keep you entertained after the closing ceremony. Kaley Cuoco will leaved you charmed in The Flight Attendant, while a Discovery of Witches fans will be doing some Olympic binge-watching themselves when Season 2 drops on the 1st. Then there are the latest seasons of Batwoman, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl, plus the horror smash-hit Midsommar to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Showmax Original

Temptation Island SA | Thursdays from 26 August

Showmax Originals’ first international reality TV series format, Temptation Island SA, hits our screens this month, putting a local spin on the Teen Choice-nominated pop culture phenomenon, which has been adapted 25 times and counting.

The ultimate relationship test, Temptation Island South Africa follows couples at a crossroads in their relationship, where they must mutually decide if they are ready to commit to one another for the rest of their lives — or go their separate ways.

Together, the couples experience a luxurious holiday in paradise (aka Knysna), where they live separately – with 20 sexy single men and women who are looking for love. This last taste of the single life is meant to help answer their most difficult questions about their relationship, like, “Are we meant to be?” and “Is there someone better out there for me?”

Afrokaans Film & Television (Survivor SA) is producing the 12-episode Showmax Original, which is hosted by Phat Joe (The Real Housewives of Durban reunion).

International series

The Flight Attendant | Binge from 5 August

HBO comedy-drama The Flight Attendant stars Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory) as reckless flight attendant Cassie Bowden, who wakes up in the wrong bed, with a dead guy beside her, and no idea what happened.

The Flight Attendant was nominated as Best Comedy Series and Kaley as Best Actress at the 2021 Emmy, Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Awards. At the Emmys, The Flight Attendant is up for seven more awards, including Supporting Actress for co-star Rosie Perez.

The Flight Attendant has been renewed for a second season.

A Discovery of Witches S2 | First on Showmax | Binge from 1 August

Adapted from Deborah Harkness’s bestselling All Souls trilogy, A Discovery of Witches is a vampire-meets-witch story of forbidden love, starring Matthew Goode (Downton Abbey) and Teresa Palmer (Warm Bodies). In Season 2, the star-crossed lovers time walk from the present back to 1590, to hide from the Congregation while Diana learns to control her magic.

Season 2 has an 87% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics consensus praises the leads’ “infectious chemistry” and the show’s “visual splendour.” James Purefoy (Rome) and Sheila Hancock (Unforgotten) join the cast this season.

Your Honor S1 | Binge from 5 August

Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) stars as a New Orleans judge who is forced to confront his own deepest convictions when his teenage son Adam (Hunter Doohan) is involved in a hit and run linked to an organised crime family. As a storm of vengeance, lies and deceit threatens to engulf the entire city, he faces a series of increasingly impossible choices and discovers just how far an honest man will go to save his son’s life.

From the producers of The Good Wife and The Night Of, Your Honor also stars Emmy nominees Hope Davis and Michael Stuhlbarg, and Black Reel winner Carmen Ejogo (The Girlfriend Experience).

The Flash S7 | Binge from 13 August

With his wife Iris missing, Eva McCulloch on the rampage, and Barry fresh out of “flash”, the team has their work cut out for them this season as they wrap up the dangling threads from the abruptly shortened Season 6, before taking on a new story arc kicked off by Abra Kadabra, hellbent on revenge.

The Flash has already been renewed for an eighth season.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow S6 | Binge from 13 August

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow returns to the show’s sci-fi roots in Season 6 when Caity Lotz (Sara Lance) is abducted by time-travelling aliens.

The series has an 89% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with Season 6 finally cracking that elusive 100% score. AV Club praises it as a “marvellous, irreverent, stupid-like-a-fox show,” with “oh-thank-god-let’s-have-some-dumb-fun energy,” and says, “Punch aliens! Roll your eyes at Spartacus! Drink a cocoon! Talk about John Constantine’s ass! Do whatever you want, Legends — we’re just glad to see you.”

Supergirl S6 | Binge from 13 August

Multi-award-winning series Supergirl is gearing up for its final showdown. The first seven episodes of the final season are available to binge now, with another 13 (!) due towards the end of the year, since not even superheroes are immune to the global pandemic.

Last season’s cliffhanger means Supergirl (aka Kara Danvers, played by Melissa Benoist) will face her nemesis, Lex Luthor (Two and a Half Men’s Jon Cryer), this season.

Batwoman S2 | Binge from 13 August

The second season of the superhero drama Batwoman swoops onto our screens this month, and with Kate Kane missing in action, a new heroine has to take up the mantle to bring hope to Gotham.

Actress Javicia Leslie (God Friended Me) makes history as the first black actress to play Batwoman in a live-action series, following Ruby Rose’s exit due to a back injury. Javicia’s Ryan Wilder is nothing like Kate Kane, bringing a whole new feel to the series. Athletic, raw, passionate, fallible and even goofy, Ryan is not your stereotypical all-American hero, but she could be exactly what Gotham needs.

Nominated for a 2021 Saturn Award for Best Superhero Adaptation, Batwoman also picked up nominations at the 2020 GLAAD Media Awards and the Queerties.

Movies

Midsommar | First on Showmax | 12 August

In Midsommar, a troubled couple travels to Scandinavia to visit a rural town’s fabled Swedish midsummer festival. But what begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.

Florence Pugh (Black Widow) stars alongside Jack Reynor (Strange Angel) and William Jackson Harper (The Underground Railroad).

Written and directed by multi-award-winning director Ari Aster (Hereditary), Midsommar won five 2020 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards, including Best Wide-Release Film, and 21 other accolades around the world.

Pinocchio | 9 August

Pinocchio, based on the beloved tale by Carlo Collodi, stars Oscar winner Roberto Benigni (Life is Beautiful) as the old woodcarver Geppetto whose puppet creation magically comes to life. Naive and curious, Pinocchio tumbles from one misadventure to the next as he is tricked, kidnapped and chased by bandits on his quest to become a real boy.

Directed by BAFTA-winner Matteo Garrone (Gomorrah), Pinocchio was nominated for two 2021 Oscars, for its costume design and makeup and hairstyling.

Freaky | 29 July

Less-than-popular teenager Millie unintentionally switches bodies with the middle-aged serial killer terrorising her town. As the body count rises and the clock ticks down, Millie and her friends have less than 24 hours to stop Murder Barbie before the change becomes permanent.

Starring Kathryn Newton (Big Little Lies) and Vince Vaughn (Wedding Crashers), Freaky’s cast also includes Alan Ruck (Succession).

Freaky won Best Actor in a Horror Movie (Vaughn) at the 2021 Critics’ Choice Super Awards, where the film was also up for Best Horror Movie. Newton was nominated for both Best Actress in a Horror Movie and Best Villain. Produced by triple-Oscar nominee Jason Blum (Get Out) and directed by Christopher Landon (who directed Happy Death Day and wrote four of the Paranormal Activity films).

Run | 23 August

Psychological thriller Run stars Sarah Paulson (Ratched) and introduces Kiera Allen as a homeschooled, wheelchair-bound teenager who begins to suspect her mother is keeping a dark secret from her.

The first female wheelchair-using actress to star in a suspense film since 1948, Allen won the 2021 Spotlight Award from the Hollywood Critics Association. Run also broke records to become Hulu’s most successful original film on its release late last year.

Run has an 88% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with The Hollywood Reporter saying, “Dueling excellent performances from a deranged Sarah Paulson and spunky newcomer Kiera Allen make it hard to look away from the screen, not that the pacing of Chaganty and Sev Ohanian’s script allows much opportunity for distraction.”

Becky | 26 August

In Becky, a teenager’s weekend at a lake house with her father takes a turn for the worse when a group of convicts wreaks havoc on their lives.

Lulu Wilson (Sharp Objects) shines in the title role, with Kevin James (The King of Queens) playing against type as the neo-Nazi villain. Emmy nominee Joel McHale (Community) co-stars.

What’s new on Showmax in July

From highly rated romance to Oscar winning fantasy and action, to the latest seasons of local favourites, to a Showmax Original reality show that’ll have people talking across South Africa, Showmax has plenty to keep you entertained through July and beyond.

Uthando Lodumo | Showmax Original | Binge now

The much-anticipated three-part reality series Uthando Lodumo follows Bongekile Simelane and Mandla Maphumulo, better known as gqom superstars Babes Wodumo and Mampintsha, from Mapintsha’s sensational proposal live on air on Gagasi FM in October 2020, through marriage counselling, lobola negotiations and pregnancy, all the way to their vibrant traditional wedding in April 2021.

Babes burst onto the gqom scene with Wololo, featuring Mampintsha and Distruction Boyz, which racked up over 11m views on YouTube alone and nabbed nominations as Record of the Year at the MTV Africa Music Awards and the South African Music Awards, among others.

But their relationship hasn’t always been a fairytale, with an incident of gender-based violence trending on social media in 2019. In Uthando Ludumo, we’ll see that West Ink Records founder Mampintsha is still dealing with the aftermath of that controversy, as his initial letter to Babes’s family is rejected, and Babes worries that his apology to her parents may not be enough to keep her family from turning Mampintsha’s family away at the gate…

Uthando Lodumo is produced and directed by SAFTA winner Thomas Gumede and SAFTA nominee Lungile Radu.

Devilsdorp | Showmax Original | Binge from 29 July

Hell comes closer to home in the first-look trailer for Devilsdorp, the first Showmax Original true crime docu-series.

In 2016, a spate of brutal Appointment Murders gripped the town of Krugersdorp, leaving sales people and consultants terrified to book meetings in case they were the serial killer’s next victims. The investigation led detectives to a series of unsolved cold cases, the so-called Satanic Murders, and to links between 11 Krugersdorp killings between 2012 and 2016. They discovered these were the work of Electus per Deus (Chosen by God), a cult with more victims than members.

“The result of an 18-month research process, Devilsdorp shows again that truth is stranger than fiction, especially in South Africa,” says director David Enright. “This is the story of devout Christians trying to help a convert claiming to be a 42nd generation satanic witch. Of a cop who compares himself to Chuck Norris. Of a mother who kills with her children. And of a mastermind who is never at the scene of the crime. It may all sound too far-fetched to be believed, except it really happened – just down the road from us.”

Alongside extraordinary footage of exorcisms, church meetings, and trial testimonies and judgments, Devilsdorp features first-hand accounts from the likes of Captain Ben Booysen, the senior investigating officer; Advocate Gerrit Roberts, the senior state prosecutor; Discovery claims specialist Shane Chatzkelowitz; and journalist Marizka Coetzer. The family of the victims also share their stories, as do church members who knew the perpetrators. Jana Marx, author of The Krugersdorp Cult Killings: Inside Cecilia Steyn’s Reign of Terror, narrates the series.

International series

Normal People S1 | 9 July | First on Showmax

BBC limited series Normal People follows the forbidden relationship between Marianne and Connell, two young people with different backgrounds from the same small town in Ireland, as they weave in and out of each other’s romantic lives.

With 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, Normal People has scooped its fair share of awards and nominations, including for both its leads and an Emmy nomination for its script, co-written by novelist Sally Rooney.

The Globe and Mail called the series “beautifully made… an achingly powerful story of intimacy, affection, power-dynamics, class division and money.”

A Black Lady Sketch Show S2 | 1 July

In May, HBO announced that A Black Lady Sketch Show has been renewed for a third season. “Making A Black Lady Sketch Show is a dream come true,” says creator and star Robin Thede. “I see this show as a budding comedy institution, where Black women can play fully realised, non-stereotypical characters, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to continue to create that space for today’s premiere comedians.”

It’s been nominated for six Black Reel Awards, including Best Actress for Thede, and three Emmys. “Robin Thede is as dynamic as ever,” New York Times says of the new season, while Paste described the series as “refreshing, sharp and funny,” and A.V. Club praised the show’s “excellent cast chemistry.”

Baghdad Central S1 | 1 July

It’s 2003. Saddam Hussein has been ousted, Iraq is under foreign control, and tensions run high. Waleed Zuaiter (The Men Who Stare at Goats) plays Muhsin al-Khafaji, a former police inspector who has lost everything except his determination to find his missing daughter Sawsan. But to find her, he’ll have to choose a side…

Baghdad Central has an 83% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics consensus reads, “Waleed Zuaiter proves a strong lead in Baghdad Central, a multilingual geopolitical thriller with a sense of humanity.”

The Bold Type S5 | Binge from 2 July, express from the US Finale | First and only on Showmax

Big on girl-power, and even bigger on real friends, the six-episode final season of The Bold Type comes to our screens this month, right after the finale airs in the US.

The Bold Type has a 91% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. AV Club calls the show, “A heart-on-its-sleeve, good-for-you affair that’s also a glossy, giddy comic workplace drama.”

The new season holds the promise of tantalising hook-ups, fan-favourite make-ups, heart-breaking split-ups, character clean-ups (for those messy loose ends left by the pandemic-enforced abrupt end to Season 4) and level-ups for Jane (Katie Stevens), Kat (Aisha Dee), and Sutton (Meghann Fahy) as they navigate life, work and love in New York City.

Avenue 5 S1 | 16 July

HBO sci-fi comedy Avenue 5 follows the beleaguered crew and spoiled tourists aboard a space cruise ship that gets thrown off course, turning an eight-week trip around Saturn into a three-year journey back to Earth. Labelled “galactically good” by Independent (UK), Avenue 5 has already been renewed for a second season.

Created by Oscar nominee and Emmy and BAFTA winner Armando Iannucci (Veep), the show’s cast is led by Hugh Laurie (House) and Josh Gad (the voice of Frozen’s Olaf).

Young Rock S1 | 26 July

Even the world’s biggest star started out small. Young Rock is a sitcom based on the life of Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock), going back to his roots as a ten-year-old in Hawaii, his high school years in Pennsylvania, and his university years in Miami, all within the (for now) fictional framework of the actor and pro wrestler running as a candidate in the 2032 US Presidential Election.

Already renewed for a second season, the series has a 90% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics consensus says: “Anchored by a winsome ensemble, Young Rock is an endearing peek behind the curtain of both Dwayne Johnson’s childhood and the wild world of wrestling.”

The Goes Wrong Show | 1 July

Theatrical hilarity and farce get the full treatment in the recently renewed six-episode British comedy series The Goes Wrong Show. Developed by British theatre company Mischief Theatre, which produced the acclaimed The Play That Goes Wrong, each half-hour episode of The Goes Wrong Show delivers a new theatrical catastrophe in a different genre, presented by the fictional Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society.

Financial Times gave it a five-star review, saying, “This stuff has to be directed and performed with pinpoint accuracy if it’s to succeed. Fortunately, it’s perfectly, deliberately, terrible.”

Movies

Oslo | 1 July | First on Showmax

HBO’s riveting political drama Oslo is based on the true-life, previously secret, back-channel negotiations in the development of the pivotal 1990s Oslo Peace Accords between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization.

Starring Golden Globe winner Ruth Wilson (His Dark Materials) as Mona Juul, a Norwegian foreign minister, and Emmy nominee Andrew Scott (Fleabag, His Dark Materials) as Terje Rød-Larsen, a Norwegian sociologist and Mona’s husband, the film details the secret talks, unlikely friendships and quiet heroics of a small but committed group of Israelis, Palestinians and one Norwegian couple.

Parasite | 1 July

Considered one of the best films of the century so far, the South Korean black comedy thriller Parasite won over 300 awards worldwide, including the first-ever Best Picture Oscar for a non-English language film. #30 in IMDb’s Top Rated Movies of all time, Parasite has a 98% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Co-written and directed by Bong Joon Ho, the film weaves a tale of class discrimination and greed as a poor family schemes to infiltrate a wealthy household by posing as highly qualified, unrelated individuals.

Vulture calls Parasite “a nerve-racking masterpiece,” sayings, “You expect Parasite to be one thing, but it mutates into something else,” while New York Times says it’s “Bong at his best” in “an urgent story of class, told in the most sensationally entertaining way.”

Joker | 5 July | Day after M-Net Sunday Night

IMDb’s 62nd highest rated film of all-time, Joker won 2020 Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Critics Choice Awards for Joaquin Phoenix (Best Actor) and Hildur Guðnadóttir (Best Score), as well as over 100 other awards around the world.

Joker centres on Arthur Fleck, a man struggling to find his way in Gotham’s fractured society. A clown-for-hire by day, he aspires to be a stand-up comic at night… but finds the joke always seems to be on him. Caught in a cyclical existence between apathy and cruelty, Arthur makes one bad decision that brings about a chain reaction of escalating events in this gritty character study of the iconic arch nemesis.

Just Mercy | 8 July

Michael B Jordan (Creed) and Oscar winners Jamie Foxx (Ray) and Brie Larson (Room) star in Just Mercy, the true story of an idealistic young lawyer working to free a wrongly condemned death row prisoner.

Just Mercy has an 85% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes and won 2020 NAACP Image Awards for Best Film, Best Actor (Jordan) and Best Supporting Actor (Foxx), among other awards.

The Way Back | 15 July

Back in high school, Jack Cunningham (Ben Affleck) had everything going for him. A basketball phenom, he could have punched his ticket to college or even the pros, but, instead, he chose to walk away from the game.

Jack’s glory days are long gone…but, as it turns out, not forgotten. Years later, he gets the chance to take back his life when he is asked to coach the struggling basketball team at his alma mater. Jack reluctantly accepts, and as the team starts to win, Jack may get his last shot at redemption.

Directed by Gavin O’Connor (Warrior), The Way Back earned Affleck a People’s Choice and Critics Choice nomination, among other honours. The film has an 83% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with The Atlantic praising “the rawest and most natural performance Affleck has given in his career.”

Greenland | 22 July

Gerard Butler (300) and Morena Baccarin (Homeland) must survive a planet-killing comet in the action drama Greenland, directed by Ric Roman Waugh (Angel Has Fallen).

Rotten Tomatoes says, “to prove once and for all 2020 was a crazy year, Gerard Butler was actually in a movie critics like: Greenland, his first Certified Fresh live-action movie since 2011’s Corolianus.” Perhaps, as Time Out puts it, because “Gerard Butler finally faces an adversary he can’t punch.”

Empire calls Greenland not only “Butler’s best star vehicle in years” but also “one of the best disaster movies in years.”

The Lord of the Rings trilogy | 29 July

The ultimate epic fantasy binge, The Lord of the Rings trilogy includes The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King.

Set in the fictional world of Middle-earth and based on the classic novel by Bloemfontein-born JRR Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings follows hobbit Frodo Baggins as he and the Fellowship undertake a dangerous quest to destroy the One Ring and ensure the downfall of its maker, the Dark Lord Sauron.

Shot in the epic landscapes of New Zealand, the ensemble cast includes Elijah Wood, Sir Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Sir Christopher Lee, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Liv Tyler, Andy Serkis, Sean Bean, John Rhys-Davies, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, and Dominic Monaghan.

The trilogy won 17 Oscars, grossed almost $3billion worldwide, and is still considered one of the most influential film series ever produced.

Also watch The Hobbit trilogy: An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug, and The Battle of the Five Armies on Showmax ahead of the upcoming TV series, tentatively due later this year and set to be the most expensive TV series ever made.

Also watch:

5 July

A one night stand has unintended repercussions in the romantic comedy Knocked Up, directed by Judd Apatow (Girls, The King of Staten Island) and starring Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, and Jason Segel. The film has an 89% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

12 July

One of the biggest films of 2020, After We Collided, based on the 2014 young adult novel by Anna Todd, continues the romantic saga of Tessa and Hardin, played by Teen Choice winners Josephine Langford and Hero Fiennes Tiffin. Watch the original, After, also on Showmax.

19 July

Tom Cruise is a soldier caught in a time loop as he relives the same day over and over again in a war against a force of alien invaders in the 2014 science fiction blockbuster Edge of Tomorrow, which grossed over $370million, won a Critics Choice Award (for Emily Blunt), and holds a 91% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Sylvester Stallone’s legendary Rocky franchise is arguably the first and last word in boxing dramas, grossing a collective $1.7 billion over three decades at the worldwide box office. Along the way, the films picked up 12 Oscar nominations (including Best Actor for Stallone), with three wins, including Best Picture and Best Director for the 1976 classic that started it all. The full Rocky boxset: Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V, and Rocky Balboa, is coming to Showmax on 19 July. Also watch Creed, the first instalment of the continuation.

22 July

Will Smith is the last man on Earth (except for all the ones that want to eat him) in I am Legend. Smith won Best Actor for the role at the the MTV Movie Awards and the Teen Choice Awards, where I Am Legend also won Choice Horror/Thriller.

Denzel Washington won an Oscar for Best Actor, with Ethan Hawke nominated for Best Supporting Actor for the 2001 crime thriller Training Day. The story follows two LAPD narcotics officers over a 24-hour period in the ganglands of LA.

26 July

Showmax is adding four new movies to its Samuel L Jackson collection this July: the 2006 OTT action-fest Snakes on a Plane (with Julianna Margulies), 1999 creature feature Deep Blue Sea (with Stellan Skarsgård); 1996 crime drama, The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996, with Geena Davis); and, of course, the 2005 action comedy, The Man (with Eugene Levy).

Local

Nqobile S1 | 5 July

When Nqobile, an abused makoti of the Nkosi family dynasty, takes over as CEO of the family business and transforms it into a women’s e-hailing service, she inadvertently declares war on her abusive husband. Backed only by the confidence of her father-in-law, Nqobile is thrust into a male-dominated industry where she must thrive in order to negotiate her freedom from a position of power.

The 13-episode series is created and produced by SAFTA-winning Isibaya director Adze Ugah; Nomzamo and Isibaya star Ayanda Borotho; and business leader Nobuntu Webster.

Nqobile Nunu Khumalo (Isibaya) leads the cast as Nqobile, backed by the likes of Kagiso Modupe (Losing Lerato), Magic Hlatshwayo (The Queen), Nomsa Nene (Poppie Nongena), Lilian Dube (Isithembiso) and more.

Lui Maar Op, Belinda S2 | 5 July | Same time as kykNET

A new 13-episode season of the hilarious comedy series, Lui Maar Op, Belinda hits our screens this month, with iconic stars Brümilda van Rensburg, Annelisa Weiland, Eric Nobbs, Duncan Johnson, Wian Taljaard and Carmen Maarman back in their beloved oddball roles at the fictional shop Ian & Ander in George. Also look out for guest stars like 2021 SAFTA winner June van Merch (Sara Se Geheim), Hannes van Wyk, Marco Spaumer, André Roothman, Melt Sieberhagen and Craig Adriaanse.

The Queen S6 | 26 July | same time as Mzansi Magic

Season 6 of the acclaimed SAFTA-winning telenovela The Queen kicks off with a bang – literally – when Harriet discovers who murdered her daughter. The series sees two arch enemies, the Khozas and the Sebatas, fight to avenge their loved ones, but the new season poses an unexpected question: what if Harriet Khoza fell in love?

SAFTA winners Connie Ferguson and Themba Ndaba reprise their roles alongside SAFTA nominee and Durban International Film Festival Award winner Rapulana Seiphemo, Jessica Nkosi and Zenande Mfeyana.

Seng’khathele S3 | 12 July

Hosted by Isibaya star Lerato Mvelase, reality show Seng’khathele returns with a new season, giving ordinary South Africans a chance to officially end things with their toxic partners.

Boer Soek ‘n Vrou S14 | Sundays at 9pm from 11 July, same time as kykNET

Not even a global pandemic could stop love in Season 13 of the ever-popular reality series Boer Soek ‘n Vrou, so just imagine what the journey might hold for the lucky eligible farmers this season as host Marciel Hopkins returns to guide them through the ups and downs of searching for the perfect partner.

Non-fiction

Painting With John S1 | First on Showmax | Binge from 19 July 2021

“I was hoping this show would be educational, but I really don’t know what the fuck I’m doing,” says John Lurie, co-founder of musical group The Lounge Lizards.

Painting With John, a new unscripted series written, directed by and starring Lurie, is part meditative tutorial, part fireside chat. Each episode has Lurie at his worktable at his home in the Caribbean, honing his watercolour techniques and sharing what he’s learned about life. With images of Lurie’s paintings, original music and his point of view all rolled into one, the series strikes an irreverent tone while reminding us to prioritise some time every day for creativity, fun and a bit of mischief.

Painting With John has a 100% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus says, “A celebration of art and life through the eyes of a delightful curmudgeon, Painting with John is a surprising, intimate feat of TV joy.”

Kids

Takalani Sesame S6 | TBC

We are all special, and we all belong! Takalani Sesame turns 21 this year, and to celebrate, Showmax is bringing the beloved local take on Sesame Street (the multi-award-winning US mega-show that’s been running for over 50 years) to our screens from this month. Join the lovable three- (and-a-half, thank you very much!) -year-old Elmo and six-year-old Zuzu as they go on new adventures with their friends to find out what makes them special, and learn heaps of clever stuff along the way. Look out for fresh seasons of the show coming up from next month, along with content from Sesame Street.

The Lego Movie | 1 July

Everything is awesome in the brilliantly animated comedy The Lego Movie. With a voice cast that includes the likes of Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will “I’m Batman” Arnett and Morgan Freeman, the film won multiple awards in 2015, and was nominated for an Oscar for its very catchy theme song. Also catch The Lego Movie 2 on Showmax.

Shrek 2 | 1 July

Hilarious and heartwarming, DreamWorks’ animated adventure sequel Shrek 2 won a ton of awards and was nominated for two Oscars. Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona are once again voiced by Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz, with Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, and John Cleese joining the cast.

Also watch the original Shrek on Showmax.

The Polar Express | 5 July

Tom Hanks stars in (and co-produced) the magical, thrilling motion capture-animated adventure The Polar Express, which sees a young boy invited to board a mysterious train bound for the North Pole on Christmas Eve. Directed by Oscar winner Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, A Christmas Carol), the film was nominated for three Oscars, including Best Original Song for Josh Groban’s “Believe”, which also nabbed nominations for a Grammy and a Golden Globe.

The Secret Life of Pets | 8 July

Adorable kids’ favourite animated movie The Secret Life of Pets (from the folks who brought us Despicable Me) became the sixth biggest blockbuster of 2016 with its brilliantly funny story of Max, a terrier whose quiet life is upended when his owner takes in an oversized stray named Duke. Kevin Hart won two Kids’ Choice Awards (Favorite Villain and Most Wanted Pet) for his voice role as super bad bunny Snowball. Also watch The Secret Life of Pets 2.

Space Jam | 12 July

With the brand-new movie Space Jam: A New Legacy, starring LeBron James, releasing soon, now’s the time to catch the kids up on the original 1996 classic, Space Jam, which blends live action and animation as the Looney Tunes turn to basketball champion Michael Jordan in a desperate bid to win a basketball match and earn their freedom. Starring Bugs Bunny, Bill Murray and Jordan himself, Space Jam won an Annie Award and a Grammy (for R. Kelly’s I Believe I Can Fly).

The Croods | 15 July

If your family loved last year’s animated adventure The Croods: A New Age, you’ll have a blast with the original, The Croods. Set in the “Croodaceous” era, the story follows a caveman family who must explore unfamiliar territory when their world begins to change. With an all-star voice cast including Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds and Catherine Keener, The Croods was nominated for an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA, and won three Annie Awards.

Also watch:

1 July

Nominated for an Oscar for its beautiful costume design, Mirror Mirror stars Lily Collins and Julia Roberts in a charming and funny re-imagining of the tale of Snow White.

Also on Showmax in July

1 July

5 July

8 July

12 July

15 July

16 July

Robin’s Wish | Back on the Record with Bob Costas S1

19 July

22 July

23 July

Love Island US S2

26 July

Blackbird | The Giver | Passenger 57

29 July

Fatima | Yogi Bear

What’s new on Showmax in March 2021

Until 31 March, Showmax is running a sweet deal: pay for one month and keep streaming for three. Find out more on the Showmax website.

International series

We Are Who We Are S1 | First on Showmax | 1 March 2021

From Oscar nominee Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name), We Are Who We Are follows a group of teens growing up on an American Army base outside of Venice, Italy, struggling to find their own identities as they move into young-adulthood.

The cast includes Jack Dylan Grazer (It, Shazam!), Chloë Sevigny, Francesca Scorcese (yes, she’s Martin Scorcese’s daughter) and breakout star Jordan Kristine Seamón.

The eight-part HBO series has an 88% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The New York Times calls it “a finely detailed, living fresco of libido and intoxication.”

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist S1 | Binge from 1 March

Jane Levy (Suburgatory) was nominated for the 2021 Best Actress Golden Globe as Zoey, a young woman who suddenly gains the ability to hear other people’s innermost thoughts… in song.

Co-stars include Pitch Perfect star Skylar Astin, Glee’s Alex Newell, Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls), Peter Gallagher, and Oscar winner Mary Steenburgen.

This quirky musical comedy won a 2020 Emmy for its Outstanding Choreography and has an 8.2/10 score on IMDb. Globe and Mail says it’s “brimming with both joy and compassion, this strange contrivance, and highly recommended.”

Superstore S5 | Binge from 1 March

Golden Globe winner America Ferrera and her team are back at work at supersized megastore Cloud 9. The new season of the ever-popular workplace comedy opens with immigration officers coming for Mateo and the arrival of a robot (named Glen) that’s designed to replace some of the staff.

The fifth season has racked up a 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. “In terms of laughs per minute and laughs per character, no show comes close to touching Superstore’s large cast,” says Decider. “This is the biggest, funniest cast since The Office, and they are at the height of their power.”

Hightown S1 | Binge eps 1-4 from 12 March, eps 5 – 8 from 9 April

Murder mystery Hightown, set in the beautiful but bleak Cape Cod, follows Jackie Quiñones, a hard-partying addict whose journey to sobriety is overshadowed by a murder investigation.

The series is executive produced by multiple-Emmy winner Jerry Bruckheimer, who’s produced everything from the CSI franchise and worldwide reality phenomenon The Amazing Race to the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and Armageddon.

It stars Teen Choice nominees Monica Raymund (Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D.’s Gabriela Dawson, and Lie to Me’s Ria Torres) and has an 80% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with numerous critics praising Monica’s stellar performance. The series has already been renewed for a second season.

LA’s Finest S2 | Binge from 1 March

LA’s Finest is back! Gabrielle Union reprises her Bad Boys 2 role as Marcus’s sister Syd in this spinoff series, which earned her the 2019 Teen Choice Award for Choice Actress: Action.

Syd’s now working for the Los Angeles Police Department, where she partners up with Nancy McKenna, a working mom, played by Jessica Alba in a Teen Choice-nominated performance. LA’s Finest is executive produced by multiple Emmy winner Jerry Bruckheimer (Hightown, CSI).

Party of Five S1 | Binge from 1 March

It’s a cruel world for TV shows right now, where a gem like Freeform’s reboot of the six-season, career-launching, Golden Globe-winning family series Party of Five can get cancelled despite being #31 on Rotten Tomatoes’ Best TV Shows of 2020, with a 96% critics’ rating. Still, we have one lovely season for the whole family to enjoy.

The teen drama follows the five Acosta children – Emilio, Lucia, Beto, Valentina and baby Rafael – in the US as they navigate daily life and struggle to survive as a family after their parents are deported to Mexico.

Created by the original show’s producers, the reboot has all the heart of the 1994 series, with a social conscience for today’s world. As NPR says, “At a time when the immigration debate still involves kids kept in cages, there is no better moment for America to see a series like this.”

Movies

VFW | 4 March

Action, crime and horror come together in this grindhouse movie that sees a group of war veterans put their lives on the line to defend a young woman taking shelter in their local VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) bar when a deranged drug dealer and his relentless army of drug-addled punks come for their stash.

It’s Certified Fresh with an 81% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics consensus reads, “VFW’s solid cast, deft direction, and surprisingly weighty subtext add extra heft to a gory thriller that should hold buckets of sanguine appeal for grindhouse fans.”

Angel Has Fallen | 4 March

#1 Box office hit action thriller Angel Has Fallen – the third instalment in the Fallen film series – stars Gerard Butler as Secret Service agent Mike Banning, who’s framed for a drone attack on the President of the United States (Morgan Freeman).

The cast includes Jada Pinkett Smith, Lance Reddick (Bosch) and Nick Nolte. This action-packed crowd pleaser has a 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for a 2020 World Stunt Award. Observer calls it “a doom-invoking, cathartic and strangely satisfying head-trip.”

21 Bridges | 11 March

21 Bridges stars the late and legendary Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman (who also produced), as Andre Davis, an NYPD detective who shuts down the island of Manhattan to find two suspected cop killers.

The cast includes J.K. Simmons (Counterpart) and Sienna Miller, and is produced by Captain America and Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo. The film has a 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the Observer (UK) saying, “There’s a pulpy, comic-book noir to this highly enjoyable thriller.”

Big Time Adolescence | 13 March

Writer-director Jason Orley was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2019 for this coming-of-age film that has an 85% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

IndieWire calls it “a portrait of youth in revolt”, while Entertainment says it’s “an endearingly messy portrait of boyhood and manhood”.

Rising star Griffin Gluck (Locke & Key) is straight-laced teen Mo, who comes of age under the destructive guidance of his 23-year-old best friend, an aimless, drug-dealing college dropout played by Pete Davidson (Saturday Night Live).

Official Secrets | 18 March

BAFTA-nominated South African director Gavin Hood (Tsotsi, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) helms this dramatic docudrama based on a true story.

Keira Knightley stars as whistleblower Katharine Gun, who exposed illegal spying operations by the US and British intelligence services ahead of the Iraq War.

Ralph Fiennes co-stars, alongside Matt Smith (The Crown); Matthew Goode; Indira Varma (Game of Thrones); and BAFTA nominee Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill).

It holds an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and earned widespread praise for both Knightley’s understated performance and Hood’s co-writing and direction, with Financial Times saying, “Hood knows how to crank the tension… a certain fury ticks under the story.”

Misbehaviour | First on Showmax | 18 March

Keira Knightley leads this 2020 British comedy-drama is based on the true story of the women who disrupted and subverted the 1970 Miss World pageant.

It stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Belle), Lesley Manville (The Crown’s next Princess Margaret) and Greg Kinnear (Little Miss Sunshine). Loreece Harrison and The Crown’s Princess Diana, Emma Corrin (who spent her gap year volunteering in Knysna, and whose mom is South African) play South African contestants Pearl Jansen and Jillian Jessup respectively.

Misbehaviour is a feelgood flick with 85% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. As Guardian says, you’ll find “a very British sort of wackiness to this bizarre and farcical true story from the annals of pop culture, told here with charm and fun.”

Wild Rose | 29 March

Jessie Buckley (Misbehaviour) shines as Rose-Lynn, a fresh-out-of-jail mother of two from Glasgow who dreams of becoming a Nashville country music star.

The role earned Buckley a nomination for a 2020 BAFTA for Best Leading Actress, and a win at the 2019 Scotland BAFTAs, where the movie won Best Feature.

It’s earned its lead widespread critical acclaim. The Telegraph calls the film, “Irresistible,” saying, “In Jessie Buckley, a true star is born”. Variety says Buckley’s performance is “Pure fire”, while Hollywood Reporter calls it “Terrific”, saying the film is “Wonderful… A break-out, toe-tapping hit.” Wild Rose has a 92% Certified Fresh critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Burden | 22 March

Oscar winner Forest Whitaker (Godfather of Harlem) is an idealistic reverend facing the Ku Klux Klan in the Sundance Audience Award-winning drama Burden. Based on a true story, it stars Garrett Hedlund (Mudbound) as KKK member Mike Burden, whose journey intersects with the reverend’s, bringing hope for redemption from hatred.

Burden has a 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, with IndieWire saying, “Garrett Hedlund’s best performance anchors [a] searing true-life KKK redemption drama”, calling it “a wrenching and real story that’s both universal and eerily timely.”

Survive the Night | 25 March

Bruce Willis and Teen Choice winner Chad Michael Murray (Riverdale), star in the 2020 action thriller Survive the Night, which sees a disgraced doctor and his family held hostage at their remote home by criminals on the run, when a robbery-gone-awry requires them to seek immediate medical attention.

More movies

1 March:

Triple-Oscar-winning historical drama 12 Years A Slave, directed by Oscar nominee Steve McQueen, stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti, Lupita Nyong’o, Sarah Paulson, and Brad Pitt.

Also catch one of the greatest gangster movies of all time, the 1983 classic Scarface, starring Oscar winner Al Pacino.

March also brings new additions from KIX, including acclaimed director Wong Jing’s 1993 classics The Evil Cult (aka Kung Fu Cult Master) starring Jet Li, and City Hunter starring Jackie Chan. Also look out for 200 M.P.H., Overheard 2 and 2020’s Unleashed.

4 March:

The Oscar-winning drama Room, about a woman held captive for years in a room with her young son, stars Oscar winner Brie Larson (Captain Marvel), Teen Choice nominee and Saturn Award winner (for this role) Jacob Tremblay (Wonder, Good Boys), and Sean Bridgers (Get Shorty, Deadwood).

Jackie, the Triple-Oscar-nominated Jackie Kennedy biopic, stars Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig, John Hurt and Richard E Grant.

8 March:

Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning star in festival-favourite drama The Beguiled, directed by Oscar winner Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation), who won Best Director at Cannes for the film.

Coming on the same day is Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s 2013 directing debut, the multiple award-nominated comedy-drama Don Jon, starring Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Brie Larson, and Tony Danza.

15 March:

Two Oscar-nominated romance dramas set in the 1950s debut on Showmax on 15 March.

Brooklyn, starring four-time Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan (Little Women, Lady Bird) and Saturn Award nominee Domhnall Gleeson (Run) was nominated for three Oscars.

Oscar winner Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth, The Lord of the Rings) and Oscar nominee Rooney Mara (Lion, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) star in the six-time Oscar-nominated drama Carol, which sees an aspiring photographer develop an intimate relationship with an older woman in 1950s New York.

22 March:

Directed by Clint Eastwood, biographical drama American Sniper stars eight-time Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born, Silver Linings Playbook) as Navy S.E.A.L. sniper and Iraq War veteran Chris Kyle, with Golden Globe nominee Sienna Miller (The Loudest Voice, Layer Cake) as his wife Taya. The film won an Oscar for Sound Editing, with a further five nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor.

29 March:

You can also catch Tom Cruise and Domnhall Gleeson in the Box Office #1 hit movie American Made, the story of US pilot Barry Seal, who became a drug-runner for the CIA in the 80s.

Local

Tali’s Baby Diary | Last 6 episodes on 12 March

Tali’s back! In the hilarious mockumentary Tali’s Baby Diary, an unexpected pregnancy forces Tali (Julia Anastasopoulos, aka SuzelleDIY) into a desperate pivot from Insta-influencer to wholesome momfluencer, as Darren (Anton Taylor) and Rael (Glen Biderman-Pam) navigate the choppy waters of the Cape Town property game. But as the nine-month clock ticks down, Tali and the boys are forced to face the bigger questions about life, love and parenthood.

All our favourites are back in the new season, with a famous faces joining, including cameos from Coconut Kelz and Danny K, as well as standup comics Schalk Bezuidenhout, Nic Rabinowitz and Kate Pinchuck alongside Siv Ngesi and legend Deon Lotz.

Swirl | 21 March

Swirl is a brand-new coming of age comedy movie in English, Afrikaans and Afrikaaps.

With her inner GPS firmly set on kroes-control, hairdresser Elaine Williams has to navigate tricky and treacherous terrain in the rocky, wild landscape of hair on the Cape Flats. While this path holds the promise of being straight, her journey has many kinks, bends, waves and u-turns, until a new choice presents itself, and Elaine must decide whether she has what it takes to recalculate and forge a new path.

Produced by Nagvlug Films (who are currently filming the upcoming Showmax Original series Skemerdans), Swirl is directed by SAFTA-winner Quanita Adams (Arendsvlei) and stars Chanelle Davids, Vinette Ebrahim and Shaleen Surtie-Richards.

Non-Fiction

Brad Binder: Reflections 2.0 | First on Showmax Pro only 12 March; other Showmax packages 26 March

He’s only 25 but Brad Binder is well on his way to becoming a MotoGP legend. In 2016, he was the first South African in 35 years to win a motorcycle Grand Prix, and winning the 2020 Czech Republic motorcycle Grand Prix made him the first South African to win a MotoGP championship race. No one was surprised when Brad took home Rookie of the Year at the end of the season. Stream this brand-new doccie on his incredible story so far.

Allen v Farrow | First on Showmax | Binge from 15 March

This documentary has been dominating social media chat since its recent debut. The four-part series explores the nearly 30-year-old allegations of child abuse against director Woody Allen and takes a deep dive into the unconventional family’s life in detail.

Kobe: Life of a Legend | First on Showmax Pro only 26 March; other Showmax packages 9 April

Kobe Bryant was one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and even though he is gone, his contribution will be remembered forever. This documentary looks at his beginnings, his impact on the game and his legacy.

HBO’s The Day Sports Stood Still | First on Showmax | Date TBC

In March 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic spread across the world, sports arena fell silent. Emmy-winning director Antoine Fuqua (What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali) chronicles the abrupt stoppage, and the complex return to competition in the summer and autumn.

The HBO documentary interviews key figures, including NBA Players’ Association president, Chris Paul to an NFL Super Bowl champion who volunteers in an ER, to a defending WNBA champ who decides to sit out the season in protest at racial injustice.

The Day Sports Stood Still is coming first to Showmax shortly after its debut in the US.

Kids

Utopia Falls | TBC

Den of Geek memorably described Utopia Falls as “Divergent meets Step Up,” while Polygon preferred “The Hunger Games meet Glee.”

The domed city of New Babyl holds an annual coming-of-age arts contest called The Exemplar. When a group of young competitors uncovers a hidden archive of cultural artefacts from the old world, it throws everything they know about New Babyl into question.

Also on in March

1 March

Countdown | Love & Marriage Huntsville S1 | Droogte Documentary | Jakhalsdans

4 March

8 March

11 March

Safe House | The Secret in their Eyes | Songs of Hope: Acoustic from Groote Kerk | Tyler Perry’s Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor

15 March

18 March

Before we Go | Solace

22 March

Hateship Loveship | Lowriders

25 March

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie | The Snowman

29 March

By the Sea | Wild Wild Westi