What to watch on Showmax in October 2025

Whether you’re most excited for Pride Month or Halloween, Showmax has something for everyone this October, including:

• Award-winning SA film Finding Optel, fresh from the BFI London Film Festival
• The Office spinoff The Paper
• IT: Welcome to Derry, just in time for Halloween
• Cate Blanchett & Michael Fassbender in Black Bag, one of the best-reviewed films of 2025
• Pride Month picks like Jerrod Carmichael stand-up comedy special Don’t Be Gay, Mindy Kaling romcom A Nice Indian Boy; and local doccie Young, Gifted and Queer
• Smash hit serial killer sequel Dexter: Resurrection
• Middle-earth animated in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
• Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren in Guy Ritchie series MobLand
  Medical mockumentary St. Denis Medical, fresh from two Critics' Choice nominations
• New seasons of The Real Housewives of Potomac and Salt Lake City

Week One: 1-5 October

Football pick of the week

Liverpool vs Chelsea

Stream live at 18:30 on Saturday, 4 October on Showmax Premier League
Defending champions Liverpool take on the Blues at Stamford Bridge hoping to continue their momentum at the top of the table.

Pride Month picks

A Nice Indian Boy

Stream from Thursday, 2 October on Showmax | Movie

When Naveen brings his fiancé Jay home to meet his traditional Indian family, they must contend with accepting his white-orphan-artist boyfriend and helping them plan the Indian wedding of their dreams. 

The award-winning romcom stars Karan Soni (Deadpool) and Jonathan Groff (Hamilton), supported by the likes of Sunita Mani (GLOW) and comedian Zarna Garg.

Executive produced by Mindy Kaling (The Sex Lives of College Girls), A Nice Indian Boy has a 96% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Collider calls it, “One of the funniest, most heartfelt romcoms in years.”

Young, Gifted & Queer

Stream from Thursday, 2 October on Showmax | Documentary feature

“As Black and queer people, we have this gift of just being cool, of knowing what’s hot, of knowing what’s gonna pop, and we’ve always done this,” says kwaai diva Umlilo. 

Umlilo is one of three trailblazers featured in the documentary, alongside Andiswa Dlamini, founder of Other Village People, and rapper S’bo Gyre. Also look out for queer icons like Dr Bev Ditsie, LeloWhatsGood, Keval Harie, Sibs Matiyela and Lulu Obida.  

Described as “a powerful and unapologetic documentary celebrating Black queer voices at the forefront of Mzansi’s cultural revolution” by Joburg Film Festival, Young, Gifted & Queer is the second documentary from Renaldo Schwarp, who was also behind the award-winning Skeef. 

Also on

Wednesday, 1 October

Crawl | The Best Man Holiday | The Croods

Thursday, 2 October

Bean

Friday, 3 October

No Country for Old Men | No Hiding Here | Sesame Street S52 | Vimba S1

Sunday, 5 October

Sneaks

Week Two: 6-12 October

Picks of the week

Dexter: Resurrection S1

22:00 on Tuesdays from 7 October on M-Net and Showmax | Crime series

He’s alive. And killing it.

With a 95% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a second season already in the pipeline, Dexter: Resurrection returns Michael C Hall to his multiple-Emmy-nominated role as everyone’s favourite serial killer.

Weeks after he took a bullet to the chest from his own son in Dexter: New Blood, Dexter awakens from a coma to find Harrison gone without a trace. He sets out to find him and make things right. But closure won’t come easy as Dexter realises his past is catching up to him fast. 

Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Uma Thurman, Krysten Ritter (Breaking Bad), Neil Patrick Harris and John Lithgow are among the guest stars. David Zayas is also back in his award-winning role as Detective Angel Batista, while Jack Alcott and James Remar return as Harrison and Harry Morgan.

You can also binge all eight seasons of the original Dexter as well as the hit prequel series Dexter: Original Sin on Showmax. 

The Paper

First on Showmax | Wednesdays from 8 October | Mockumentary series

In The Paper, the documentary crew that immortalised Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch in The Office have set their sights on a new subject: historic Midwestern newspaper the Toledo Truth-Teller, and the publisher trying to revive it with volunteer reporters.

The Paper is a true ensemble, starring Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina); Sabrina Impacciatore (The White Lotus); the Emmy-winning fan-favourite from The Office, Oscar Nuñez, as well as Nigerian BAFTA winner Gbemisola Ikumelo (Black Ops) and Emmy-winning comedian Alex Edelman, who are also part of the writing team.

The Paper has an 85% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with The Times (UK) hailing it as  “laugh-out-loud funny… a worthy successor to the beloved US Office.”

Pride Month pick

Jerrod Carmichael: Don’t Be Gay 

First on Showmax | Stream from Thursday, 9 October | Stand-up comedy special

Comedian Jerrod Carmichael returns to the stage for his fourth HBO stand-up special, Don’t Be Gay, three years after he came out publicly in the Emmy-winning special Rothaniel. 

Variety hails the “laugh-out loud” special from the “master storyteller” as “witty, brash, guttingly honest and slightly heartbreaking.”  

Special mentions

Skemergrond

15 episodes every Tuesday from 7 October on Showmax | Afrikaans telenovela

Nominated for six awards at this year’s Silwerskerm Festival, Skemergrond is set in the idyllic town of Gemoedsdrif, where the Louw family runs their beautiful flower farm, Everlasting. Their peaceful existence is turned upside down when unexpected guests arrive and threaten to reveal shocking family secrets. 

From multi-award-winners Penguin Films (Arendsvlei, Diepe Waters), the kykNET&kie series was nominated in the telenovela or soap category at the 2025 Silwerskerm Festival for Best Actor (Gershwin Mias and Dann-Jaques Mouton), Best Supporting Performer (Shimmy Isaacs, Gretchen Ramsden and Dirk Stoltz) and Best Newcomer (Hunter Plaatjies).   

Sesame Street S53 and The Nutcracker (Special)

Binge from Thursday, 9 October on Showmax | Children’s series

Sharpen your crayons and hide your cookies! Join your favourite furry friends for more fun, laughs, and lessons devoted to helping children grow up with a healthy self-identity and sense of belonging.

One of the longest-running shows in the world and arguably the most impactful children’s series in TV history, Sesame Street has won more Emmys than any other children’s programme and introduced millions of children in over 150 countries to the joy of early learning. 

Celebrity guests this season include Ava DuVernay, Brett Goldstein, HAIM, Samuel L Jackson, Zazie Beetz, and the former First Lady of the USA, Dr Jill Biden. 

Also look out for the 26-minute Emmy-nominated animated special, The Nutcracker, which retells the classic story with new music, as Elmo and his puppy, Tango, set off on a magical holiday adventure. 

Also on

Monday, 6 October

Alarum | Sesame Street Mecha Builders S1

Tuesday, 7 October

D’lozlam | Jack Reacher | Jack Reacher: Never Go Back | Jack Reacher: Shadow Recruit 

Thursday, 9 October

Bagman

Friday, 10 October

Isencane Lengane S7 | Mayfair | New Material | Vimba S2 | World War Z

Week Three: 13-19 October

Pick of the week

Black Bag

Stream from Monday, 13 October on Showmax | Spy movie

Metacritic’s seventh best-reviewed film from the first half of 2025, Black Bag is a gripping spy drama from Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh. 

Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett co-star as legendary intelligence agents George Woodhouse and his beloved wife, Kathryn. When Kathryn is suspected of betraying the nation, George faces the ultimate test: loyalty to his marriage or his country.

Also look out for Marisa Abel (Industry), Naomie Harris (No Time To Die), Regé-Jean Page (Bridgerton), and Pierce Brosnan.  

Black Bag has a 96% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with ScreenDaily praising it as “highly entertaining from start to finish.” 

Football picks of the week

Liverpool vs Manchester United

17:30 on Sunday, 19 October on Showmax Premier League

Defending champions Liverpool take on a struggling Manchester United at Anfield. The Red Devils will be determined to get a positive result at Anfield, having last recorded a win there in 2016.

Betway Premiership

Various on Showmax Premier League

The Betway Premiership is delivering some must-watch encounters of its own. On 18 October, we'll see Sekhukhune United take on Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates face Polokwane City. The following day, 19 October, all eyes will be on the Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs as they go head-to-head with Siwelele.

Special mentions

Mobland

Binge from Wednesday, 15 October on Showmax | Crime series

Power is up for grabs as the Harrigans and Stevensons, two warring London crime families, clash in a kill-or-be-killed battle that threatens to topple empires and ruin lives. Caught in the crossfire is Harry Da Souza, a street-smart fixer as dangerous as he is handsome. Harry knows too well where loyalties lie when opposing forces collide. As kingdom goes up against kingdom, lines will be crossed – and the only saving grace is a bet-your-life guarantee: family above everything.

Tom Hardy stars as Harry Da Souza, opposite Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, Paddy Considine, and Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey). It’s executive produced by Guy Ritchie.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

Stream from Sunday, 12 October on Showmax | Animated feature

Set 183 years before the events of the original films, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim follows the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and vengeful lord, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg – a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction. 

Executive produced by Oscar-winning The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, the animated epic’s voice cast is led by Brian Cox (Succession), with Miranda Otto as the narrator, reprising her award-winning role from the original trilogy as Éowyn. Listen out for Nigerian actor Jude Akuwudike (The Little Mermaid, Beasts of No Nation) as Lord Thorne.

No Accident

Stream from Thursday, 16 October on Showmax | Documentary feature

No Accident chronicles a shocking legal battle between everyday citizens and white supremacists in the civil rights trial against organisers of the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, USA, in 2017.

In real time and with intimate, behind-the-scenes access to the lawyers, their dedicated team and six of the brave plaintiffs, the HBO documentary chronicles the shocking turns over three years in this seminal civil rights trial.

The film has a 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes and earned a 2024 News & Documentary Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary.

As Decider says, “This is a trial that is so much more than just a legal proceeding. No Accident documents nothing less than an early salvo in the war over information.” 

The Insurrectionist Next Door

Stream from Thursday, 16 October on Showmax | Documentary feature

Multiple Emmy nominee Alexandra Pelosi turns her camera on some of the people who stormed the US Capitol on 6 January 2021. 

Pelosi was inside the US Capitol that day, witnessing the events first-hand. Through a series of candid interviews, she talks to several individuals charged with crimes for their participation. She also explores how their views may or may not have shifted since. 

The HBO documentary feature has an 83% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the New York Times calling it “compulsively watchable”, and saying Pelosi’s “brisk emotional portraits of Americans are disarming, unpredictable, funny, sad, and, yes, at times enraging.” 

Also on

Tuesday, 14 October

10 Cloverfield Lane | Cloverfield | Dloz’lami S11

Thursday, 16 October

Mamazala S17 | The Inspector Wears Skirts | The Radleys | Young Heroes of Chaotic Time

Friday, 17 October

Broken Promises 4 Ever | Kandasamys: The Wedding

Week Four: 20-26 October

Pick of the week

Finding Optel

Showmax Original | Stream from Friday, 24 October | Family movie

Teenager Claire Abrahams runs a lost and found service where she locates anything and everything that has been misplaced. When Optel, the community dog, goes missing, Claire must confront her brother’s painful disappearance in order to solve her biggest case yet.   

Finding Optel has just had its international premiere at The BFI London Film Festival, which describes the film as “heartwarming … a quirky detective story that skilfully tackles childhood grief.”

Finding Optel had its South African premiere at the kykNET Silwerskerm Festival in August, where the whimsical detective story received a standing ovation, a nomination for Paul Guyeu’s cinematography, and the Best Production Design award for Sumaya Wicomb. 

Mikayla stars as Claire, supported by an all-star cast that includes award winner Oscar Petersen (Joe Barber) as her father, SAFTA nominee Zenobia Kloppers (Fiela se Kind), Rodney “Rotas” Goliath and Sherman Pharo (both Arendsvlei), Maurice Carpede and Euodia Samson (both Summertide), Elton Landrew (Spinners, Carissa), and Omar Adams (Barakat, The Umbrella Men).

Award winners Quanita Adams and Dominique Jossie are producing through Blended Films, which won four Silwerskerm awards last year for Hier.Na.

Special mentions

Showtrial S2

Binge from Wednesday, 22 October on Showmax | Legal series

When high-profile climate activist Marcus Calderwood is left for dead in a violent hit and run, he uses his dying moments to apparently identify his killer: a serving policeman. But who is this unnamed “Officer X”? What does his own history reveal about the nature of trauma and revenge, and was Marcus’ death a careless accident or cold-blooded murder? As public outrage reaches fever-pitch, Showtrial questions if a fair trial is possible when tensions are riding so high, and if the truth is ever clear-cut.

From the makers of Line of Duty and Vigil, Season 2 has an 88% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with The Guardian calling it “tense and twisty.” The first instalment of the BBC anthology series was nominated for BAFTA and International Emmy Awards. 

Caddo Lake

Stream from Thursday, 23 October on Showmax | Thriller movie

When an eight-year-old girl mysteriously vanishes, a series of past deaths and disappearances start to link together, forever altering a broken family’s history.

Produced by M Night Shyamalan, the paranormal thriller stars Eliza Scanlen (Old) and Dylan O’Brien (Love and Monsters).

Forbes says: “Caddo Lake is an excellent genre-bender where its direction is almost impossible to predict. And once it reveals its true nature, it only gets more interesting from there.”

Navajo Police: Class 57

Binge from Thursday, 23 October on Showmax | Documentary series

Navajo Police: Class 57 follows the lives of a group of young Navajo Police cadets as they fight to protect and serve people on the reservation. They must contend with rising crime and centuries of neglect to hold their community together.

Filmed over the course of a year, the Emmy-nominated HBO documentary miniseries is set against the sweeping backdrop of the Navajo Nation. The largest Indian reservation in the United States, it has a landmass the size of West Virginia, a population of over 190 000 people, and just 180 police officers.

With pressure on the department to increase numbers, the Navajo Police Department has become the only tribal law enforcement agency in the country with its own Police Academy. All of the recruits are Navajo and drawn from the community, but with an attrition rate of over 50%, the training officers have their work cut out for them.

Also on

Monday, 20 October

Black Cat | Dragon Squad | Old Guy

Tuesday, 21 October

Dloz’lami S12 | Vreemde as Fiksie S2

Thursday, 23 October

AKA Mr. Chow | Mamazala S18 | The Ones

Friday, 24 October

Baywatch | Conversations on a Sunday Afternoon | Rekere S1 | Witchboard

Week Five: 27-31 October

Halloween pick

IT: Welcome to Derry

First on Showmax | Fridays from 31 October | Horror series

From Stephen King and the filmmakers behind the multi-award-winning It films, the prequel series It: Welcome to Derry is set in the 1960s as a group of children set out to investigate a series of disappearances in the town of Derry, Maine.

Taylour Paige (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom), Jovan Adepo (Watchmen), and Chris Chalk (Marcus in Shining Girls and Paul Drake in Perry Mason) co-star, with Bill Skarsgård (Nosferatu) reprising his role as Pennywise the Dancing Clown.

ScreenRant is already predicting the six-part series could overthrow The Last of Us as HBO’s reigning horror series, calling it “2025's Most Exciting Horror Show”, and saying, “It: Welcome to Derry has all the right material to become one of the best Stephen King TV adaptations ever made.” 

Special mentions

Die Stories Van Afrikaans

Binge from Tuesday, 28 October on Showmax | Documentary series

As Afrikaans celebrates its centenary this year, Die Stories Van Afrikaans embarks on an epic journey to explore the origins of the language and the rich tapestry of people who shaped it.

Each episode has its own narrator: Sandra Prinsloo, Zane Meas, June van Merch, Albert Pretorius, Dean Balie, Frank Opperman, Lee-Ann van Rooi and Tinarie van Wyk-Loots.

As Ready D from Die Brasse Vannie Kaap puts it: "Afrikaans is energy. Afrikaans is cool. Afrikaans is Khoi. It's Dutch. It's Malay. It's human. Afrikaans is the soil. Afrikaans is the dust, and Afrikaans is part of who we are. It's not going anywhere."

St Denis Medical 

Binge from Wednesday, 29 October on Showmax | Mockumentary series

Co-created by Justin Spitzer (The Office), St Denis Medical is a mockumentary set in an underfunded and understaffed Oregon hospital, where the dedicated doctors and nurses are trying their best to treat patients while maintaining their own sanity.

At the 2025 Critics' Choice Awards, St Denis Medical was up for Best Comedy Series and Best Actor (David Alan Greer). Allison Tolman (Fargo) and Wendi McLendon-Covey (The Goldbergs) co-star. 

St Denis Medical has an 83% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Time hailing it as “the most promising network sitcom since Abbott Elementary”.

Also on

Monday, 27 October

Fight or Flight | Seoul Raiders

Tuesday, 28 October

Dloz’lami S13

Thursday, 30 October

Mkhonto O Gwaza S1 | The Curse of the Necklace

Friday, 31 October

Home: Adventures With Tip & Oh S2 | Rekere S2