The best thrillers to watch online
Some adrenaline junkies jump out of planes to get their fix. Others, they just need to put on a top quality thriller and that’ll do the trick! If you want to watch thrillers online rather than getting your heart pounding IRL, Showmax has a great selection of thriller series and movies! Take a look at some below.
Strap in for pulse-pounding suspense, heart-stopping twists, and nail-biting tension as you immerse yourself in the captivating world of thrilling entertainment.
Trap (2024)
In this tense M Night Shyamalan thriller, a father takes his daughter to a live show by her favourite artist as a treat … but all is not as it seems.
Magpie (2024)
Secret desires and lies threaten a couple’s marriage in this thriller. Their relationship begins to fracture when their daughter gets a role alongside a glamorous movie star.
Speak No Evil (2024)
James McAvoy leads this intense, disturbing psychological horror about a family spending a weekend at a country house. Things take a turn when the host family’s evil side is uncovered.
Insomnia S1
Emma fears losing her mind after suffering from sleep deprivation two weeks before turning 40. Only by confronting her past can she find the answers.
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.
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.
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.
Desert Rose S1
An M-Net Original family crime thriller following the Greyling family, crippled by debt and haunted by their father’s actions.
Made in South Africa
The Beta Test (2021)
An engaged Hollywood agent’s life is upended when he accepts an anonymous invitation to a no-strings-attached sexual encounter.
Fall (2022)
After climbing an abandoned 2000-foot radio tower, best friends Becky and Hunter find themselves trapped at the top with no way down.
The Fear Index S1
A genius scientist-turned-Wall-Street-tycoon becomes the target of a plot to destroy the world’s financial markets in this tense thriller.
Nope (2022)
Two siblings (Keke Palmer and Daniel Kaluuya) discover a mysterious otherworldly phenomenon in the skies above their horse ranch.
Gold (2022)
Zac Efron stars in this survival thriller about gold and greed. When two men find a gold nugget in the desert, one guards it while the other gets equipment to excavate it.
Beast (2022)
In this action-packed movie shot in South Africa, Idris Elba fights for his family’s survival as a rogue lion hunts a father and his teenage daughters.
Made in South Africa
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?
Made in South Africa
Kimi (2022)
This thriller from Steven Soderbergh stars Zoë Kravitz as an agoraphobic woman who finds evidence of a crime.
The Ipcress File
As the Cold War rages, an ex-smuggler turned spy is drawn into a dangerous undercover mission to locate a missing British nuclear scientist.
Diiche
When her fiancé is found dead, celebrated actress Diiche must confront her dark side and the secrets of her past.
Made in NigeriaLooking for something lighter?
Felix Hlophe on his comedy special, fat jokes, sex and cheating
Comedian and radio personality Felix Hlophe opens up about his stand-up comedy special at Laugh Africa Comedy Festival 2025, landing on 15 August on Showmax.
South African
Everyone Else Burns and 8 more cult classics
Strap in for armageddon! British sitcom Everyone Else Burns is set in a rigid sect – but they’re not the only ones with weird haircuts. Let’s all join a cult show and become one big, happy family.
Everyone Else Burns S2
This hilarious comedy series, which has drama and heart, follows a family devoted to a religious cult as they navigate modern-day life and prepare for the world’s end.
Bringing Beetlejuice Beetlejuice back from the grave
Production designer Mark Scruton and The Beetlejuice Beetlejuice production team reveal how they brought Tim Burton’s cult horror comedy movie into the modern world.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)
A family tragedy brings Lydia Deetz back to Winter River, where her daughter discovers the portal to the afterlife … and meets the creepy Beetlejuice.
Khanyisa Jam Jam opens up in Laugh Africa Comedy Club special
Comedian Khanyisa Jam Jam talks about being part of the Laugh Africa Comedy Club special, now available to stream on Showmax.
South African
Laugh Africa Comedy Club
A high-energy celebration of stand-up, spotlighting the continent’s finest comedic talent and international guests, straight from the iconic Laugh Africa Comedy Festival.
Made in South Africa
Embrace the cringe in The Rehearsal Season 2
Hateable or relatable? We’re here to look at our 10 favourite characters with awkward, offputting energy – starting with The Rehearsal’s Nathan Fielder.
Want shows for adults only?
The White Lotus S1-3
Follow the outrageous exploits of the employees and guests of an exclusive resort in this buzz-worthy HBO comedy drama.
The Sex Lives of College Girls S1-3
This fun series follows four freshmen roommates trying to balance their newfound independence with the challenges of college life.
Adulting S1-3
Adulting follows four varsity friends on their journey to find love and success in modern-day South Africa. Adulting S1-3 is ready to binge on Showmax.
Made in South Africa
7 edgy R-rated movies and series for adults only
Looking for a winter warmer? Here are seven sets of adults-only, NSFW series and movies on Showmax that’ll hit the hot button.
After We Fell (2021)
Tessa and Hardin face another test when Tessa makes a life-changing decision and shocking revelations threaten everything they’ve built.
Wyfie S1-2
An edgy, youthful and urban Afrikaans drama that follows four friends as they navigate the complicated world of university life.
Made in South Africa
Fellow Travelers S1
Follow the decades-long chronicle of the risky, volatile and steamy relationship between the charismatic and ambitious Hawk and the pious and idealistic Tim, who fall in love at the height of the 1950s Lavender Scare.
Koek S1
A despondent housewife, convinced her husband is having an affair, is inadvertently thrust into the underbelly of a crime syndicate.
Made in South AfricaThe most binge-worthy series
Matlock S1
Retired 70-year-old Madeline Matlock rejoins the work force at a prestigious law firm, where she uses her wily tactics to win cases and expose wrongdoing in this hit reboot.
Nelly & Ashanti: We Belong Together S1
Follow the electrifying journey of Nelly and Ashanti as the beloved couple reignite their love while navigating the ups and downs of being newlyweds and parents.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta S16
These sassy women of Atlanta’s entrepreneurial spirits are in full bloom as they juggle their personal and professional lives, along with their busy social calendars.
Love Island USA S5-7
The American version of the hit show moves the action to Las Vegas, but the premise remains: the most beloved couple will sashay away with $100 000.