DAM S1-2
Made in South Africa
Secrets pushed down will rise to the surface in this psychological thriller series. Binge S1 and S2 now.
Something’s in the water … The second season of the small-town psychological thriller shot in the Eastern Cape is now streaming, with new episodes dropping every Thursday.
Created by four-time SAFTA winner Alex Yazbek, the first season of twisty and twisted thriller was one of the 10 most-watched titles of 2021 on Showmax and the most nominated drama series at the 2022 SAFTAs, earning rave reviews for breaking the mould of South African TV.
Silwerskerm Best Actress winner and SAFTA nominee Lea Vivier (Wonderlus, Fynskrif) stars as Yola Fischer, who returns from Chile to the Eastern Cape to bury her father, only to be tormented by spirits in the farmhouse she has inherited. But with her mother institutionalised, and her own meds running out, Yola has to wonder if the spirits are real or just in her head?
Two-time SAFTA winner Pallance Dladla (Shadow, Isibaya) co-stars as Themba, her love interest, a biker on the run. He was also SAFTA nominated for his role.
Natasha Loring, who won a SAFTA for her role in DAM, plays Yola’s sister, Sienna. The second season picks up three months after the Spring Festival, when Yola disappeared without a trace.
The cast includes SAFTA winner Antoinette Louw (An Act of Defiance, Die Laaste Tango) plays her aunt Dora; Faniswa Yisa (Blood Psalms, Knuckle City) is Lindiwe; with aKing frontman Laudo Liebenberg (Die Byl) and Gerald Steyn (Meisies Wat Fluit) as brothers Rudy and Max Reese.
“It’s the story of a family – and a town – with dark secrets, and about how what you push down will eventually rise up,” says Alex Yazbek (The Wild, Unmarried, Isibaya), a four-time SAFTA winner who wrote and directed the eight-part series.
Made in partnership with Picture Tree and the Eastern Cape Development Corporation, the Showmax Original also won Best Art Direction for Sue Steele at the 2022 SAFTAs.
Binge Seasons 1 and 2 on Showmax now »
Who's who in town
Sienna
Forever in the shadow of the sister she loves, shadows of doubt appear. Natasha Loring plays Sienna.
Rudy
Even reasonable men can have their reasons for giving into darkness. Laudo Liebenberg plays Rudy.
Dora
Sister, mother, aunt and matriarch, she’ll do anything to keep it all in the family. Antoinette Louw plays Dora.
Lindiwe
A healer by nature. But there’s nothing natural about what awaits her. Faniswa Yisa stars as Lindiwe.
Themba
A rebel with a cause even greater than he imagined. Pallance Dladla plays Themba.
Yola
Going home means going deeper into a past that could tear her apart. Lea Vivier stars as Yola.
More about DAM
DAM S1-2
Secrets pushed down will rise to the surface in this psychological thriller series. Binge S1 and S2 now.
Meet the cast of the Showmax Original thriller series DAM
An all-star ensemble cast drives this psychological thriller series about demons from the past and evil that’s alive in the present day.
Pallance Dladla on his SAFTA-nominated role in the hit Showmax Original DAM
Perennially popular Pallance Dladla returns in his SAFTA-nominated role as Themba in Showmax Original thriller DAM.
Lea Vivier on her SAFTA-nominated role in the hit Showmax Original DAM
Reprising her SAFTA-nominated role in DAM, Lea Vivier once again delivers a haunting performance as Yola.
DAM S2
Rain has finally come to Fischerhaven – but Yola has no memory of anything since her return for her father’s funeral. Will she ever put the missing pieces together?
What happened in DAM Season 1?
Season 1 of DAM won multiple awards at the SAFTAs and acclaim from critics. Here’s a recap of what went down, ahead of Season 2, landing on Showmax from 16 February.
Watch the creepy trailer for Showmax Original DAM Season 2
Showmax has just released the freaky first trailer for Season 2 of DAM, which premieres on 16 February 2023, with new episodes on Thursdays.
First-time SAFTA winners react to their awards
Hear from Kate Normington from Tali’s Baby Diary, Natasha Loring from DAM and more first-time SAFTA winners you’ll find on Showmax.
Thriller series and movies to keep you glued
Your Lucky Day (2023)
The late Angus Cloud (Euphoria) drives this gritty, tension-filled heist thriller about a dispute over a winning lottery ticket.
Eileen (2023)
In this period thriller, a woman working at a prison has her dull life change when she befriends the new prison counsellor.
River Wild
A whitewater rafting trip between a pair of siblings and a small group takes a terrifying turn as there’s a killer amongst them.
Inside (2023)
When his heist goes wrong, an art thief gets trapped in a penthouse, and he must use all his cunning and ingenuity to survive.
SAS Rogue Heroes S1
Follow how the world’s greatest Special Forces unit, was formed under extraordinary pressure in the darkest days of World War Two.
Knock at the Cabin: Dave Bautista and M Night Shyamalan? Yes, really
Based on the 2018 novel The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul G Tremblay, this Shyamalan flick grapples with – what appears to be – the apocalypse.
Knock at the Cabin (2023)
A holidaying gay couple and their daughter are taken hostage by four strangers who demand an unthinkable sacrifice.
The Black Phone (2021)
A young boy is abducted by a sadistic killer and kept in a basement, where he gets calls from the killer’s past victims on a broken phone.
Looking for brilliant Afrikaans shows?
Die Byl S1-5
Byl and his elite unit are reeling from the Adriaan Klopper nightmare. They’re traumatized, have no offices, and Byl’s about to lose his job…
Minke Marais puts on her blazer to play Shani in Reënboogrant
Minke Marais talks about her role as Shani in Reënboogrant, inspired by Louise van Niekerk’s bestselling 90s novels. Catch new episodes every Wednesday on Showmax.
Reënboogrant S1
Follow the Brink siblings as they navigate teenage drama, family conflicts, love, aspirations and fierce rivalries in this wholesome Afrikaans telenovela.
Desiré Gardner on updating Reënboogrant for a new generation
The Showmax Original telenovela Reënboogrand lands on Wednesday, 15 January 2025, inspired by Louise van Niekerk’s Afrikaans YA novels.
Magda Louw
This tongue-in-cheek, lump-in-the-throat mockumentary looks at life’s unavoidable tragedies. Time doesn’t stand still, ageing is a given, and everything is temporary. Follow Magda as she gives us a look into a middle-aged woman’s life.
Huisgenoot Ware Lewensdramas: Vlees en Bloed S2
A gripping new true-crime series that focusses on the most shocking cases of familicide in South Africa.
Outopsie S1-3
Senior forensic pathologist Dr Hestelle van Staden reveals what really happens behind closed doors in captivating cases where forensic pathology played a central role.
Zarelda de Bruin on her breakout debut role in Spooksoeker
The 17-year-old Zarelda de Bruin plays Melissa in the Showmax Original Spooksoeker, now available to stream. Catch new episodes every Thursday.
The best series to binge
Power Book II: Ghost S4
The story of Power continues as Tariq St Patrick grapples with a new world order and faces the task of rescuing his family.
Die Byl S1-5
Byl and his elite unit are reeling from the Adriaan Klopper nightmare. They’re traumatized, have no offices, and Byl’s about to lose his job…
Yellowstone S1-5
Kevin Costner drives this western drama about a Montana ranching family battling groups encroaching on their land and way of life.
The Real Housewives of Orange County S18
In The Real Housewives OG series, we follow the lives of some of the wealthiest women and their families who live in Orange County, California.