5 March 2020
Three Identical Strangers (2018)
On the first day of college in New York in 1980, a young man who’d been adopted at birth discovered he had an identical twin. Then the boys learned there was a third. And then, after the fairytale reunion that made feel-good headlines across the world, the triplets started asking questions – and their quest to find out why they’d been split in the first place revealed an increasingly bizarre and sinister mystery.
The true story of Robert Shafran, Edward Galland and David Kellman has captivated audiences and critics alike. Newsday calls it “a riveting, stranger-than-fiction documentary that plays out like a mystery novel,” while Times (UK) says “it never loses sight of the three scarred subjects at the core of the tale, and of the sense of profound injustice inflicted on blameless children. Unmissable.”
Three Identical Strangers won the Special Jury Prize at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and has garnered a further 11 wins, including a Critics’ Choice Documentary Award, and a further 53 nominations, including three Emmy and one BAFTA nominations.
(#3 Best Documentaries of 2018 and #9 Best Limited-Release Movies of 2018, with a 97% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes; 81/100 aggregated critics’ rating, Metacritic; 5.2m views across two trailers on YouTube.)
Original African stories by local talent
4Play
4Play follows four men who, despite their chaotic personal lives, find friendship, love and perseverance in Nairobi’s concrete jungle. Stream from 21 November, with new episodes every Thursday.
Die Tollie & Manila Show
A bold talk show where SA celebs join drag queens Tollie Parton and Manila von Teez for an evening of conversation and games… in drag. Stream now, with new episodes every Monday.
The Station Strangler
The Station Strangler is a true-crime documentary investigating the serial killer who is believed to have killed 21 young boys and one adult from the late 80s to the mid-90s on the Cape Flats. Now available to stream.
Black & Blue S1
Black & Blue, a Showmax Original police-based mockumentary series, now streaming, with new episode every Wednesday.
Ubuthe Uzobuya
Ubuthe Uzobuya delves into the lives of couples torn apart when one partner abruptly disappears without explanation. Stream now, with new episodes every Tuesday.
Princess on a Hill
Princess on a Hill is a compelling drama series that explores themes of power, ambition, and the cost of success. Stream now, with new episodes every Thursday.
Brasse Vannie Kaap
Brasse Vannie Kaap is a documentary about the iconic, game-changing 90s group who helped make hip hop South African. Stream now on Showmax.
Soft Life
Soft Life follows Owami who enters into the secretive world of high-society companionship. Landing on Showmax soon!
Princess on a Hill, now streaming
Wura Season 3 on Showmax
The best of West Africa
Princess on a Hill S1
Zara, the naive winner of a reality show, must save a massive company from decline while resisting the dark influence of the enigmatic tyrant pulling her strings.
The 5 best local dramas to watch this November on Showmax
Stream these addictive Nigerian series, from Princess on a Hill to Fairytale Wedding, there’s something for everyone.
The co-directors of Princess on a Hill on their creative journey
Nigerian filmmakers’ Abiolo Sobo and Tolu Ajayi corporate drama, Princess on a Hill, is now streaming on Showmax. New episodes every Thursday.
Showmax Nigerian Original Princess on a Hill to screen at AFRIFF 2024
Showmax joins AFRIFF 2024 to celebrate African stories by screening the limited drama series Princess on a Hill on 7 November 2024.