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.
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 Nigeria
Zeros and Ones (2021)
In post-apocalypse Rome, the Vatican is blown into the sky – and it’s up to one American soldier to expose the true terrorists to the world.
Looking for something lighter?
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.
Mr Throwback S1
In this hilarious basketball comedy, a down-on-his-luck memorabilia dealer looks for redemption by reuniting with his sixth-grade teammate, NBA legend Steph Curry.
The F-Show (2025)
The F-Show features a strong roster led by one of South Africa’s favourite comedians skewering the daily chaos that comes with being South African.
Made in South Africa
Funny Woman S1-2
Based on the Nick Hornby novel Funny Girl, this is the story of a Blackpool beauty queen who tries to make is a comedian in the 1960s.
Hacks S1-4
Emmy winner Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder make an odd partnership in the acclaimed HBO dramedy Hacks, about a legendary Vegas comedian and her new writer.
Stream Julio Torres’s fantasy film Problemista on Showmax
Emmy nominee and Peabody Award winner Julio Torres makes his dazzling feature debut with Problemista, now streaming on Showmax.
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
Mary & George S1
Mary Villiers moulds her beautiful son, George, to seduce King James I, intending to gain riches and influence through outrageous schemes.
Obstruction S1
A fiery netball superstar dreams of being noticed by the Gauteng provincial coach and playing for the national team… until her mom uproots her to a new school.
Made in South Africa
Date My Family S1-12
Find your next bae based solely on the impression their family gives. That’s the format of Date My Family S1-12 on Showmax.
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