10 December 2018
Better Watch Out: “A holiday film that decks the halls with blood”
Update: Better Watch Out is no longer on Showmax. Find your next binge in the full movies catalogue here.
Entertainment Weekly wrote, “If you want to gift yourself a holiday film that decks the halls with blood, this is one to put under the tree.”
In the gleefully unhinged holiday horror-comedy Better Watch Out, babysitter Ashley (Olivia DeJonge from The Visit) looks after precocious 12-year-old Luke (Levi Miller from Pan). What begins as a normal evening soon takes a dark turn when intruders break into the house, but this is far from a normal home invasion. ..
Better Watch Out has won eight international awards, including the jury prize at Frightfest and the audience award at Fantasia last year. The film has an 88% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where it was recently named the second best Christmas horror film ever, with the critics’ consensus saying, “Carried by its charismatic young cast, Better Watch Out is an adorably sinister holiday horror film.”
As Bloody Disgusting wrote, “Better Watch Out provides a bonkers twist on the home invasion sub-genre that had me squealing with glee from start to finish.”
Or to get more high-brow about it, Los Angeles Times-style, “In the long, sordid history of the ‘Christmas horror’ sub-genre, there’s never been a movie quite like Better Watch Out, a consistently surprising and unusually well-acted thriller, which says pertinent things about suburbia, holiday entertainment and toxic masculinity.”
Just be warned: you’ll never be able to watch Home Alone the same way ever again…
Stream Better Watch Out first and only on Showmax.
Festive highlights on Showmax
If you want to keep the Christmas carol soundtrack and snow-covered scenery, but rather watch something more suitable for the whole family, Showmax has a host of more traditional festive season content to watch, including:
Stick Man
“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, this 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 and Hugh Bonneville, with Jennifer Saunders narrating. Watch now »
Liewe Kersfeesvader
A teenage beauty queen (Mila Guy) is flung into swift adulthood when her father (Morne Visser) assumes a new identity: Father Christmas. Juggling a crazy father, an impressionable kid brother and a growing romance, Nonnie has to redefine her own meaning of family. Written and directed by Etienne Fourie (Die Windpomp), Liewe Kersfeesvader was nominated for Best Editor (Johan Prinsloo) at the SAFTAs this year. Watch now »
Klein Kroontjies
Ever felt strange singing about white Christmases in sunny South Africa? Klein Kroontjies has released five animated Christmas carols that are a lot more appropriate, featuring Nianell, Lloyd Cele, Pierre Greeff, Anna Davel and Gerry Liberty respectively. These are first and only on Showmax. Watch now »
Christmas specials for Timmy Time, Peppa Pig, Garfield and My Little Pony
When Timmy and his friends get snowed in at the nursery on Christmas Eve, they decide to create their own Christmas right there. Watch now »
Also look out for Peppa Pig and Garfield Christmas specials, coming 17 December 2018, and My Little Pony – Best Gift Ever coming 20 December 2018.
Original African stories by local talent
Untying Kantai
Untying Kantai follows King Kantai, a man who has spent 30 years of his life working hard to provide for his family, only to be conned out of his life savings. Stream from 9 May, with new episodes weekly.
Big Girl Small World
Stream the new Kenyan romcom series Big Girl Small World from 8 May, with new episodes every week.
Empini S1
Stream the Showmax Original drama series Empini from 23 May 2024.
Original Sin: My Son The Killer
Original Sin: My Son The Killer follows the murder of Andrea Venter by Gerhard Jansen van Vuuren, who then went on the run from South Africa to Brazil.
Tracking Thabo Bester
From the makers of Devilsdorp and the director of Convict Conman comes the true-crime documentary South Africa has been waiting for. All the episodes are streaming on Showmax.
The Illuminated
The Showmax Original docuseries The Illuminated explores different religious movements in South Africa. Stream now, with new episodes every Wednesday.
Koek S1
The crime comedy Koek, starring Cindy Swanepoel, now streaming on Showmax, with new episodes every Thursday.
Ekhaya Backpackers S1
Stream the Showmax Original comedy series Ekhaya Backpackers. All the episodes are now streaming.
RHONairobi S2: Your favourite queens plus 3 new faces
Big Girl Small World, coming soon
The best movies to stream
10 Rotten Tomatoes-approved movies on Showmax: ranked
From Jaws and Kanarie, to Get Out and Minari, these are the freshest movies on Showmax according to Rotten Tomatoes.
10 movies everyone’s watching on Showmax now
Stream these 10 fun, eye-popping movies that your fellow Showmax fans are loving, including Queen & Slim, Babylon, Equalizer 3 and more.
Transformers movies on Showmax: ranked
All seven Transformers movies are ready to stream on Showmax, including the 2007 original and the latest, Rise of the Beasts.
DC superhero movies on Showmax: ranked
See the ranked list of DC superhero movies now streaming on Showmax, including the feel-good Shazam! Fury of the Gods.