What to watch on Showmax in May 2025

Showmax brings you the widest variety of what to watch this May, including: 

• Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, the fourth biggest box office hit of 2025
• 2025 Oscar nominee Gladiator II
• Twisters, Rotten Tomatoes’ fifth highest-rated Action & Adventure Movie of 2024
• Die Tragiese Saak van Pamina Vermaak, winner of four Silwerskerm awards in 2024
• The Bikeriders, #2 on Indiewire’s Critics’ Poll for 2024
• The Agency, Showtime’s record-breaking spy series with Michael Fassbender
• Starz’ popular spinoff Power Book III: Raising Kanan S4
• Third series of the Emmy-winning documentary series 100 Foot Wave

Football

Showmax Premier League | May

Chelsea v Liverpool: Sunday, 04 May: 17:30 

Liverpool v Arsenal: Saturday, 10 May: 16:00 

Arsenal v Newcastle: Sunday, 18 May: 16:00 

Chelsea v Man Utd: Sunday 18 May: 16:00 

Nottingham Forest v Chelsea: Sunday 25 May: 17:00  

FA Cup Final | 17 May 

Betway Premiership

Kaizer Chiefs v Orlando Pirates: Saturday, 03 May: 15:00 

Cape Town City v Mamelodi Sundowns: Sunday, 04 May: 17:30 

Comedy specials

Laugh Africa Presents The Showmax Roast of Helen Zille | Stream from Friday, 16 May

As a journalist, she exposed the coverup around Steve Biko’s murder. As a politician, she was selected as World Mayor of the Year and is the current Chairperson of the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance. As an author, she’s published books like #StayWoke Go Broke. She’s lost voters for the DA with her notorious tweets and gone viral for her cover of Brenda Fassie’s Vuli Ndlela. She’s appeared on Showmax in drag on Die Tollie en Manila Show. Now Helen Zille is making her boldest and bravest move yet: taking the hot seat in this year’s Roast on Showmax, filmed during the Laugh Africa Comedy Festival.

Movies

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy | Stream from Monday, 12 May 

Twenty-three years after Bridget Jones’s Diary, Renée Zellweger is back in the fourth instalment of the beloved romcom series based on Helen Fielding’s bestselling books.  

Now in her 50s and single again after the untimely death of her husband, Bridget finds herself grappling with solo parenting and the challenges of re-entering the dating world.  

Hugh Grant is back as Daniel Cleaver, with Leo Woodall (Jack in The White Lotus S2) as Bridget’s much younger love interest and Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor as her son’s teacher. The romcom has an 86% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Independent (UK) calling it “vulnerable, honest and very funny” in their four-star review. 

Gladiator II | First on Showmax | Stream from Friday, 2 May  

Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honour to return the glory of Rome to its people. 

As Lucius, Paul Mescal (Normal People) was nominated for Best Lead Actor at this year’s Irish Film and Television Awards, while Oscar winner Denzel Washington was up for Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes as Macrinus. Also look out for Emmy nominees Pedro Pascal and Connie Nielsen.

Twisters | Stream from Monday, 26 May 

From the producers of the Jurassic, Bourne and Indiana Jones franchises comes Twisters, a current-day chapter of the 1996 blockbuster Twister.  

Directed by Oscar nominee Lee Isaac Chung (Minari), Twisters stars Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People) and Glen Powell (Anyone But You) as opposing forces who come together to try to predict, and possibly tame, the immense power of tornadoes.
 
The critics’ consensus on Rotten Tomatoes says: “Summoning a storm of spectacle and carried along by the gale force winds of Glen Powell’s charisma, Twisters’ forecast is splendid with a high chance of thrills.” 

Die Tragiese Saak van Pamina Vermaak | Stream from Sunday, 11 May

Based on Annie Klopper’s novel of the same name, Die Tragiese Saak van Pamina Vermaak centres on a young journalist who, following an outburst at work, finds herself jobless, potentially homeless, near-penniless and completely plan-less.  

Fleeing to her mothers’ house in the West Coast town where she grew up, Pamina crosses paths with one-hit-wonder rocker Wolf de Jager (Christiaan Schoombie from Troukoors), who’s battling a creative slump after his engagement fell apart.  

The feature film directorial debut of TV presenter Kabous Meiring, Die Tragiese Saak van Pamina Vermaak premiered at Silwerskerm in 2023, where it won Best Actress, Best Script, Best Cinematography and Best Editing.  

Calling Pamina Vermaak a “romcom with a leather jacket”.

The Bikeriders | Stream from Thursday, 1 May 

After a chance encounter, headstrong Kathy is drawn to Benny, a member of Midwestern motorcycle club the Vandals. But as the club transforms into a dangerous underworld of violence, Benny must choose between Kathy and his loyalty to the club.
 
Oscar nominees Austin Butler and Tom Hardy play Benny and Johnny, with Emmy winner Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) as Kathy. The crime drama has an 80% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes after ending at #2 on Indiewire’s Critics’ Poll of the Best Films Opening in 2024. 

Bet I Love You | Showmax Original | Stream from Friday, 23 May

Rex, a compulsive gambler, lands himself in hot water when he loses the lobola money meant for his sister’s wedding. Realising that his addiction is jeopardising both his family’s reputation and his relationship, he scrambles to make things right.  

Khumbuza Meyiwa (The Queen) stars as Rex, with Nosipho Majola (Uzalo) as Nthabi and Smangele Mhlongo (Sibongile and the Dlaminis) as Aunt Lungi, the opportunistic wedding planner. Also look out for SAFTA nominee Gabisile Tshabalala (The Black Door) as Wendy, Rex’s supportive yet frustrated girlfriend.
 
Part of Showmax’s first-time directors slate in partnership with the Joburg Film Festival, Bet I Love You is helmed by Nigeria’s Joseph Duke and produced by multi-award-winners Urban Brew, in partnership with Elects Network & Synergy Limited.  

Never Let Go | Stream from Monday, 5 May 

Oscar winner Halle Berry stars in the psychological thriller Never Let Go, from award-winning director Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes).  

As an evil takes over the world beyond their front doorstep, the only protection for a mother and her twin sons is their house and their family’s protective bond. Needing to stay physically connected at all times, they cling to one another, urging each other to never let go. But when one of the boys questions if the evil is real, the ties that bind them together are severed, triggering a terrifying fight for survival.  

Variety says its themes of “grief, sanity, rebellion and redemption are intrinsically intertwined to harrowing, claustrophobic effect, heightening the hallucinatory horrors and dread-soaked atmospheric pull.”

Bobo | Showmax Original | Stream from Friday, 23 May 

Bobo’s dreams are dashed when she misses a chance to secure a bursary and discovers her family is on the brink of losing their land to a loan shark. 
 
Bobo introduces newcomer Faith Muthoni in the title role, supported by Kelly Njeri Gathoni (Jiji), Zak Matasi (4Play), Elvis Makutsa (Selina), Thuita Mwangi (Pepeta), Naitwa Louisa (Kina), and Catherine Buluma (Tehanani).   

Part of Showmax’s first-time directors slate in partnership with the Joburg Film Festival, Bobo is helmed by Kenya’s Maurice Muendo and produced by African Dopler Limited (County 49, Volume).  

The American Society of Magical Negroes | Stream from Thursday, 29 May 

This satirical comedy centres on Aren, a young man who is recruited into a secret society of magical Black people who dedicate their lives to a cause of utmost importance: making white people’s lives easier.  

Justice Smith (The Get Down) stars as Aren, with David Alan Grier (The Colour Purple) and Drew Tarver (The Other Two) co-starring.

Variety calls it “a deftly observant fantasy comedy that stays true to its own irreverence.”

Kwame’s Gambit | Showmax Original | Stream from Friday, 23 May

Kwame Amponsah’s life unravels after he gambles away his family’s savings. Desperate and cornered, the accountant is forced into a dangerous alliance with a ruthless drug cartel. As he struggles to protect his family, stay ahead of the law, and find a way out of the criminal world that seeks to consume him, he must confront not only his enemies but also his past mistakes. 
 
Shot in Accra, the crime thriller stars House of Klu’s Karl Sackeyfio and Kwaku Elliot. 
 
Part of Showmax’s first-time directors slate in partnership with the Joburg Film Festival, Kwame’s Gambit is produced and directed by Ghana’s Nicholai Williams. 

Apartment 7A | Stream from Thursday, 15 May 

A prequel to the 1968 horror classic Rosemary’s Baby, Apartment 7A stars Julia Garner (Ozark) as an ambitious young dancer. After her dreams of fame in New York City are cut short by a devastating injury, a wealthy older couple welcome her into their home in a luxury apartment building – but something evil is living not only in Apartment 7A, but in the Bramford itself.  

Turtles All the Way Down | Stream from Thursday, 22 May 

With hits like The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns, John Green is a master at transforming raw teenage emotions into cinematic gold.  

Based on his bestselling novel of the same name, Turtles All the Way Down stars Isabela Merced (The Last of Us S2) as Aza Holmes, a teenager navigating complex emotions, who reconnects with her childhood crush (Felix Mallard from Ginny & Georgia). 

Turtles All the Way Down has an 86% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert calls it a “charming, delightful YA romance” that will “find the youth identifying and everyone else remembering.”

Wicked Little Letters | Stream from Thursday, 15 May 

Based on a true story, Wicked Little Letters co-stars Oscar winner Olivia Colman and Oscar nominee Jessie Buckley as two neighbours in a 1920s English seaside town: conservative Edith and rowdy Irish migrant Rose.  

When Edith and fellow residents begin to receive wicked letters full of unintentionally hilarious profanities, foul-mouthed Rose is charged with the crime after a national uproar. 

Wicked Little Letters has an 80% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Roger Ebert praising its “light-hearted eccentricity” that is “flexible enough to allow for real sentiment”. 

Widow Clicquot | Stream from Thursday, 8 May 

Widow Clicquot is based on the true story of the “Grande Dame of Champagne”, Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin (1777–1866) who, at the age of 20, becomes Madame Clicquot after an arranged marriage into a winemaking family. 

Haley Bennett stars opposite Tom Sturridge (The Sandman), Sam Riley (Control), and Natasha O’Keeffe (The Wheel of Time).  

Based on the 2008 book The Widow Clicquot by bestselling biographer (and winemaker) Tilar J Mazzeo, the biopic premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and has an 80% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Deadline hailing it as “fast-paced and sexy.”

Gunner | Stream from Monday, 19 May

Liam Hemsworth (Westworld) stars as war veteran Colonel Lee Gunner, who takes his two sons on a camping trip to reconnect with them after being at the battle front. The trip goes awry when they cross paths with a gang of violent bikers in the midst of a massive drug operation.

Morgan Freeman plays drug kingpin Kendric Ryker, with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son Joseph Baena as Deputy Wally Harper. Gunner has won nine awards on the independent movie festival circuit, including seven for action director and producer Dimitri Logothetis.

Classics on the couch 

• Showmax is also bringing back a host of favourites this May, including: 
• The multi-award-winning martial arts film Ip Man 2 (from 8 May)
• Multi-award-winning romcom City of Angels, starring Meg Ryan and Nicolas Cage (from 12 May)
• Kids’ Choice Favourite Movie winner Austin Powers in Goldmember and the Oscar-nominated Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (from 15 May)
• Ryan Gosling in his Golden Globe-nominated performance in Crazy Stupid Love (from 22 May)

Series

Power Book III: Raising Kanan S4 | First on Showmax | Binge the second half of the season from Wednesday, 14 May 

Family makes you. The game defines you. 

Kanan, Raq and the rest of the Thomas family return for a new season, filling in the gaps leading up to the deadly showdown in the Season 3 finale.  

Already renewed for a fifth season, Raising Kanan is a prequel to the hit crime drama Power and stars Mekai Curtis as the young Kanan Stark (played in the original series by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, who once again exec produces here).  

The Hollywood Reporter says: “Raising Kanan is both more narratively meticulous and emotionally grounded than a threequel/prequel crime drama spinoff has any right to be.”

Tulsa King S2 | Binge from Friday, 2 May

After being released from prison after 25 years, New York mafia capo Dwight ‘The General’ Manfredi is exiled to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Realising that his mob family may not have his best interests in mind, Dwight set out to establish a new criminal empire – in a place that might as well be another planet. 

In his first TV lead role, Sylvester Stallone stars as Manfredi – a role that’s already earned him a Critics Choice Super Awards nomination for Best Actor in an Action Series. 

With a rare 100% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Season 2’s first episode became the most-watched global premiere ever on Paramount+.

Happy Face | First on Showmax | Binge from Saturday, 10 May 

Happy Face is based on the true-life story of Melissa Jesperson-Moore, who at age 15 discovered that her father, Keith Hunter Jesperson, was the serial murderer known as the Happy Face Killer.

The Paramount+ series centres on the now grown-up Melissa (Annaleigh Ashford from Welcome to Chippendales). Her serial killer father (Dennis Quaid) forces his way back into her life after decades of no contact; the talk show she works for decides to run her story; and a possibly innocent man is set to be put to death for a crime her father may have committed.

Mashable calls Happy Face “ruthlessly gripping,” saying, “True crime fans, your next TV obsession has arrived.”  

Grosse Point Garden Society S1 | Mondays from 21 May 

Grosse Point Garden Society follows four members of a suburban garden club who get entangled in a scandalous murder and are forced to bury the body – in their own well-manicured flower beds. In this juicy drama from the creators of Good Girls, everyone’s got dirt … but some secrets never stay buried. 

The cast is led by Melissa Fumero (Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Amy Santiago), Aja Naomi King (Lessons in Chemistry), Critics Choice nominee AnnaSophia Robb (The Way Way Back), and Ben Rappaport (The Good Wife).  

Daily Beast calls Grosse Point Garden Society “a spiritual sequel to Desperate Housewives cross-pollinated with Big Little Lies.”

S.W.A.T. S8 | Binge from Monday, 19 May 

Sergeant Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson and his elite tactical team Twenty Squad are back for the action-packed eighth season of S.W.A.T.  

Season 8 of the Emmy-nominated action drama is set to be the final season (though the show has been cancelled twice before, and pulled through both times). The LAPD’s Special Weapons and Tactics unit (aka S.W.A.T.) will have no time for drawn-out goodbyes though, as they face an explosive prison hostage situation, a blackout, a kidnapping close to home and a nuclear threat this season.

Reality TV

The Catch S1 | Binge from Monday, 5 May 

Hosted by Kat Sinivasan, Mzansi Magic’s The Catch is a high-stakes dating reality show, where eight single ladies are on a quest to find love.  

Little do they know, among the suitors lurk eight imposters, whose mission is to sabotage their romantic pursuits and claim the cash prize for themselves. As love blossoms and tensions rise, the game of hearts becomes a battle of wit and deception, where every connection could lead to romance or ruin. 

The Real Housewives of New York City S15 | First on Showmax | Binge from Thursday, 1 May 

In the city so nice they named it twice, this glamorous group of friends is flourishing. But things can change in a New York minute. When rumours start spreading among the ladies, only time will tell if longstanding loyalties are strong enough to weather the storm. 

The Real Housewives of New York City’s cast includes fashion designer and style icon Jenna Lyons, Somali-Canadian model and businesswoman Ubah Hassan, content creator and lifestyle influencer Sai De Silva, serial entrepreneur Erin Lichy, fashion publicist Jessel Taank, and marketing and communications consultant Brynn Whitfield, with fashion designer and entrepreneur Rebecca Minkoff coming in as a friend of the housewives this season. 

The Real Housewives of Atlanta S16 | First on Showmax | Stream from Thursday, 8 May 

They’re fiercer than ever. The Real Housewives of Atlanta are upping the stakes of glamour, glitz and juicy drama as the show’s familiar faces meet some dynamic new housewives ready to stir the pot and add some spice. With shocking revelations and a whirlwind of divorces, rumours, strained relationships and redefined alliances, will the ladies be able to keep things peachy in the A?  

Ama Grootman S1 | Binge from Thursday, 15 May 

Jump into the world of Ama Grootman, a Mzansi Magic reality show diving into the lives of Port Shepstone’s most talked-about gents. 

Having tasted the sweet fruits of newfound wealth, these friends have enjoyed a dramatic transformation, but don’t let the lifestyle of luxury fool you. 

Known as “Omalume beSoft Life”, these wealthy friends have experienced a dramatic transformation thanks to their financial success. But behind their polished exteriors lie a tangle of personal struggles and untold stories. 

Pastor Wants a Wife S3 | Binge from Thursday, 8 May 

The road to finding the perfect match in love can be challenging, especially for pastors.  

In Season 3 of the SAFTA-nominated Pastor Wants A Wife, the Mzansi Wethu reality series follows Pastor Cebisa Hlatshwayo, who is looking for a loving, God-fearing lady to marry.  

Pastor Hlatshwayo will be introduced to seven carefully chosen single women, who will get to experience his family and church life. Which of the ladies will capture the pastor’s heart? 

Siza Mina S2 | Binge from Sunday, 18 May 

Mzansi Wethu talk show Siza Mina empowers South Africans as they confront their toughest challenges head-on.  

MaBlerh, a Showmax favourite from The Real Housewives of Durban reunions, steps in as the new host this season.  

Don’t miss South Africa’s family meeting, where everything is up for discussion.  

Documentaries 

Anatomy of Lies | First on Showmax | Binge from Wednesday, 7 May 

Grey’s Anatomy writer and co-executive producer Elisabeth Finch wowed Hollywood with her extraordinary life story, but one woman’s quest to discover the truth revealed a jaw-dropping web of lies.

Building on the shocking Vanity Fair exclusive, Anatomy of Lies gives audiences insight into a scandal that engulfed one of the biggest and most beloved television shows of the past 20 years. 
 
Anatomy of Lies has a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score. As Common Sense Media says, “For fans of Grey’s Anatomy, it’s particularly fascinating to see how Finch used her fabricated persona to create episodes inspired by the real stories of the people she manipulated. A story as dramatic and shocking as anything Finch wrote for TV, viewers will be left stunned by the real-life impact of her deceit and the devastating consequences it had on those around her.” 

Wild Wild Space | Binge from Wednesday, 28 May 

Wild Wild Space follows Astra Space, Planet Labs, and Rocket Lab in their race to launch satellite-carrying rockets into low Earth orbit. The documentary highlights both their successes and failures, revealing the fierce competition for space. It also explores the darker side of capitalism’s drive for profit and the global impact of space control. Directed by Ross Kaufmann and inspired by South African-born journalist Ashlee Vance’s book, it has an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Ongoing

Weekdays

Suidooster S11 

Mondays

The Last of Us S2

Empini S2

The Righteous Gemstones S4 (until 12 May)

Suits L.A. S1 (until 19 May)

100 Days To Fall in Love

False Identity 

Looking for Frida
 
Wednesdays

The Handmaid’s Tale S6

Reënboogrant S1

The Cleaning Lady S3
 
Thursdays 

The Chocolate Empire S1 (until 22 May)

Fridays

The Real Housewives of Durban S5

The Mommy Club: Van Die Hoofstad

Saturdays:  

The Mommy Club (until 10 May) 

Also coming this month 

1 May 

The Hunted  

2 May 

Love Back Zimbabwe  

5 May 

Due Date | House of Fury | Small Town | Big Story; The Silent Hour | Two Weeks Notice | Valentine’s Day 
 
6 May 

Blocco 181 S2  

8 May 

Big Trip 3: Race Around The World | Oppi Kassie S2  

11 May 

Analyze This | Analyze That | Blended | Ip Man 2 
 
12 May 

City of Angels | Sherlock Holmes | Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows | Undercover Punch and Gun 
 
15 May 

Austin Powers in Goldmember | Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me | Disciples of Shaolin Temple | Sold on SLC S1 | The Lego Movie 
 
19 May 

Executioners | Inception | Interstellar | Into the Storm  

21 May 

1972: Munich’s Black September 
 
22 May 

Crazy Stupid Love | Demolition Man | I Am Legend | Made In Bondi S1 
 
23 May 

89 
 
25 May 

Beng’semathandweni S1 | Gracie & Pedro: Pets to the Rescue  
 
26 May 

Ocean’s Eight | Miss Congeniality 1 and 2  

29 May 

Strangers