What to watch on Showmax in July

New seasons of Life With Kelly Khumalo and HBO hit Barry S3; new episodes of the explosive reality series The Real Housewives of Lagos; and new series including The Sex Lives of College Girls and The Rising. Plus Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007 and all the Godfather movies. July is going to be mega!

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Showmax Originals

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Life With Kelly Khumalo S3 | 5 July

Season 3 of the SAFTA-winning Life With Kelly Khumalo picks up in April 2022 with #KellyKhumalo trending on Twitter again after the release of a true-crime documentary series about the death of Senzo Meyiwa and the trial of his alleged murderers about to start. As Kelly says in the trailer: “They hate the fact that I am the one who did not die that day.” 

Despite the ongoing conspiracy theories, Kelly’s career has never been better: her SAMA-nominated album The Voice of Africa went gold; the AFRIMA-nominated Empini became the biggest hit of her career and went quadruple platinum; Esphambanweni went double platinum and Ngathwala Ngaye went platinum. 

Produced by G.O.A.T (Dineo’s Diary) and directed by Kuda Jemba, with Graeme Swanepoel as showrunner, Season 3 of Life With Kelly Khumalo shows Kelly at her most raw and real. Kelly has been viewed as an enigma by many, but this season’s tagline is, “Y’all gon know about me.” As she says in the trailer: “This is my life; this is my truth.”

The Real Housewives of Lagos Reunion | In two parts, launching 1 July and 8 July 2022 respectively

Big Brother Africa: All Stars winner Uti Nwachukwu is the host of the reunion for The Real Housewives of Lagos Reunion, the hit reality show that topped Twitter in Nigeria and South Africa and set a new Nigerian first-day viewing record for Showmax.

The Real Housewives of Lagos follows the opulent lives of six of the most glamorous women in Lagos, Nigeria: Carolyna Hutchings, Laura Ikeji-Kanu, Chioma Ikokwu, Toyin Lawani-Adebayo, Iyabo Ojo, and Mariam Timmer.

The #RHOLagos reunion will see all six ladies sit down to speak about all the drama that occurred on the show, and even situations that happened away from the cameras, with Uti drilling down for all the juicy details.

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International series

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Barry S3 | Binge from 1 July | First on Showmax 

Metacritic’s second-best-reviewed show of 2022, Barry S3 finds our title character desperate to leave his violent past as a contract killer behind in favour of his life as an actor. While Barry has eliminated many of the external factors that pushed him towards violence, he soon discovers they weren’t the only forces at play … 

S3 has a 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where it was among their Most Anticipated TV Shows of 2022, with Variety hailing it as “a masterpiece … funnier and sharper than ever… TV’s most fascinating protagonist,” and The Daily Beast calling it, “the best show on TV.”

The first two seasons won six Emmys, and it’s already been renewed for a fourth season. 

The Sex Lives of College Girls | Binge from 1 July 2022 | First on Showmax

Nominated for Outstanding New Series at the 2022 GLAAD Awards, HBO Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls follows four first-year roommates at the fictional Essex College in Vermont, taking on the highs and lows of the best years of their lives.

The Sex Lives of College Girls has a 97% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with AV Club saying, “The way the show tackles how teens cope with sudden freedom is both funny and truthful.” 

Time | Binge from 1 July

Time was named Best Miniseries at the 2022 BAFTAs, where Sean Bean (Game of Thrones) won Lead Actor and Stephen Graham was up for Supporting Actor. 

Eric is a prison officer who tries to protect those in his charge, including a newly imprisoned inmate consumed by guilt for his crime. When one of the most dangerous inmates identifies his weakness, Eric faces an impossible choice between his principles and his love for his family.

Time has a rare 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus says: “Strong writing and a magnificent performance from Sean Bean make for an incredible, thought-provoking watch.”

Resident Alien S2 | Binge from 1 July

Nominated for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Series at the 2022 critics’ Choice Super Awards, Season 1 of Resident Alien starred Alan Tudyk (Firefly) as an alien trying to pass himself off as a small-town human doctor, solve a murder, and decide whether he should go through with his secret mission to wipe out humanity. Tudyk was nominated for Best Actor at the Critics’ Choice Super Awards for the role. 

It has a 94% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which calls it “one of the treats of last year.” 

The Investigation | Binge from 1 July

The Investigation is a true-crime Scandi-noir that recreates the real-life investigation into the 2017 murder of young Swedish journalist Kim Wall, which made headlines around the world as “the submarine case”.

Multi-award-winning Danish actor Søren Malling (Borgen) leads the cast as Jens Møller, the head of Homicide for the Copenhagen Police. The Investigation has an 84% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the Independent praising its “radical take on the true-crime genre”.

Ragdoll | Binge from 1 July

Detectives try to untangle the case of the Ragdoll Killer, who has murdered six people and sewn their bodies into the shape of one grotesque body nicknamed the Ragdoll. 

Based on Daniel Cole’s bestselling novel, Ragdoll stars Lucy Hale (Pretty Little Liars). It has a 92% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with The Guardian saying this “wicked Killing Eve-style thriller will make you wriggle with joy.” 

The Rising | Binge from 1 July

When Neve Kelly (Danish actress Clara Rugaard) discovers she’s dead, she’s scared and confused … and furious. Determined to track down her killer, she must learn to navigate this new existence in order to find justice from beyond the grave. 

Den of Geek calls the show, “a supernatural crime mystery exploding the ‘perfect victim’ myth,” and saying, “By giving its victim a voice and not falling into the trap of pious moralising, The Rising rights several wrongs.”

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Movies

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No Time To Die | 4 July

The 25th film in the fifth-highest-grossing film franchise of all time, No Time to Die sends Daniel Craig off with a bang in his fifth and final turn as British MI6 agent James Bond. 

No Time to Die was the fourth-biggest box office hit of 2021 and won an Oscar for its Billie Eilish theme song. With Emmy winner Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) co-writing the screenplay, No Time To Die has an 83% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. As TIME Magazine says, “Craig is so extraordinary he leaves only scorched earth behind.”

A Quiet Place Part II | Stream from 14 July 

Shhh… A Quiet Place Part II, the sequel to 2018’s Oscar-nominated post-apocalyptic horror, pits the Abbott family against the terrors of the outside world as they’re forced to venture into the unknown, where the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats lurking beyond the sand path.

Part II was named Best Horror at the 2022 critics’ Choice Super Awards. Emily Blunt, writer-director John Krasinski and Millicent Simmonds return, alongside Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders) and Djimon Hounsou.

Part II has a 91% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It | Stream from 28 July 

The latest incarnation of the second-highest-grossing horror franchise of all time sees Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson return as real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. 

The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It sees the Warrens investigate a murder that may be linked to demonic possession. It’s based on the 1981 real-life murder trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson in Connecticut. 

Also watch the multi-award-winner The Conjuring (2013) and The Conjuring 2 (2016) on Showmax.

Gunpowder Milkshake | 11 July

In this action flick, three generations of women fight back against those who could take everything from them. 

The all-star cast includes Karen Gillan (Avengers: Endgame), Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones), Carla Gugino (The Haunting of Hill House), Michelle Yeoh (Crazy Rich Asians), Paul Giamatti (Chuck Rhoades in Billions) and Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever).

Chicago Sun-Times’s Richard Roeper calls Gunpowder Milkshake “an insanely over-the-top, deeply stylized, bullet-riddled and female-centric riff on the John Wick movies … featuring an outstanding cast of first-rate actors clearly having a great time shooting up the joint.”

In the Heights | 21 July

In the Heights brings us a sueñito – a little dream – for a better life, in a community powered by music (and sueñitos) in Washington Heights, New York City.

It’s based on the Tony Award-winning musical by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes and multiple award-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, Encanto). The cast includes familiar and new faces, many of whom were nominated for their performances. 

In the Heights has a 94% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus hails it as “a joyous celebration of heritage and community fueled by dazzling direction and singalong songs.” 

Worth | 7 July

Kenneth Feinberg, an attorney in Washington DC, battles against cynicism, bureaucracy and politics to help the victims of 9/11 in the biographical drama Worth.

The impressive cast includes Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci and Amy Ryan (Birdman). It has an 80% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the Guardian saying: “It’s all so human and messy.”

Those Who Wish Me Dead | 18 July 

Set against the vast (and combustible) backdrop of the Montana wilderness, Those Who Wish Me Dead stars Angelina Jolie as a firefighter who must protect a young boy from a pair of ruthless assassins.

It co-stars Finn Little (Yellowstone), alongside Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road), Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones’ Littlefinger) and Tyler Perry.

Vulture calls it “a lean, engrossing, action-packed shot of adrenaline that… proves once more why Jolie is a star.”

Also watch:

7 July

In his feature film directorial debut, The Water Diviner, Russell Crowe stars as Connor, an Australian man who travels to Turkey after the Battle of Gallipoli to try to locate his three missing sons. The Water Diviner won 14 international awards. 

14 July

The Godfather Trilogy box set

It’s The Godfather’s 50th anniversary! Among the greatest films of all time, with nine Oscar wins between them, The Godfather Trilogy, from legendary crime writer Mario Puzo, is directed by five-time Oscar winner Francis Ford Coppola and stars the likes of Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, ​​Marlon Brando and Robert Duvall. 1972’s The Godfather still holds the #2 spot on IMDb’s Top Rated Movies of All Time, with 1974’s The Godfather Part II at #4. 

Look out for the biographical drama series The Offer, about the making of The Godfather, coming in September.

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African additions

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Big Brother Naija S7 | Coming soon

The biggest reality TV show in Africa is making a comeback for its seventh season.

Big Brother Naija is a reality show that follows the lives of a group of strangers living together for about three months. They’re all competing for the ultimate goal: make it to the end as the favourite and win amazing prizes, fame and fortune.

BBNaija promises plenty of twists and turns as the housemates make friends (or more!), make enemies, complete tasks and show off their talents. Plus, the enigmatic Big Brother has plenty of surprises to spice things up.

Sons of the Sea | 4 July

Sons of the Sea, named Best South African Film at the 2021 Durban International Film Festival, is set in a small fishing community on the outskirts of Cape Town. SAFTA Best Actor winner Roberto Kyle (Leeroy in Arendsvlei) stars as Gabriel, who discovers a dead body and two bags of valuable abalone. 

It’s the debut film from writer-director John Gutierrez and co-stars Brendon Daniels (Skemerdans), Nicole Fortuin (Indemnity) and newcomer Marlon Swarts. 

Silwerskerm Short Films | 18 July 2022

All 17 short films from the 2022 Silwerskerm Film Festival are coming to Showmax.

Among the top award winners at the festival, Jordy Sank’s Leemtes en Leegheid won Best Short Film, Best Screenplay and the Audience Choice Award. The short film stars screen legend Lida Botha as a lonely widow in her 80s who creates an imaginary version of her deceased husband to help her numb her grief and pain.

My Beskermer, a post-apocalyptic short film in Afrikaaps about robots hunting the last humans in the Cape, won Best Director for DW Smith (Diana Mills Smith)​​. Carla Smith (Tydelik Terminaal) won Best Actress for Mila Guy’s Skyn, while Marlo Minnaar (Troukoors) was named Best Actor for Jurg Slabbert’s Aan/Af.  

The awards for Best Cinematography (Justin Youens) and Best Production Design went to Baber, which stars two-time SAFTA nominee Irshaad Ally (Nommer 37, Four Corners). Regardt Visser took home the award for Best Editing, for Die Horries, and Best Original Music Score went to Ryno Posthumus for Bennie Bingo. 

Also look out for Bergie, Bittersoet, Die Groensone, Katvis, Nagvoël, Net Ons, Sporadies Nomadies, Twintig Tone In ‘n Hangkas, Verstikking, and Vrywater. 

Boer Soek ‘n Vrou: The Search | Episode 1 only | 21 July

Farmers from all over the country entered to be part of the upcoming 15th season of the popular reality series Boer Soek ‘n Vrou. In this special episode, presenter Marciel Hopkins introduces the ten farmers we’ll be meeting in this season, explains how the show will work, and invites viewers who are looking for their soulmate to write letters to the eligible bachelors.

Down So Long | 5 July

The Showmax film Down So Long stars four-time SAFTA winner Tshamano Sebe (Of Good Report) as Joseph Mabena, who lives with his wife, Doreen and his extended family in an overcrowded house in the Hangberg fishing community above Hout Bay in Cape Town. Apart from the two leads, all the cast come from the community.

When he is injured in a workplace accident, Joseph is offered a substantial pay-out. His family all scramble to get a share of the money, but Joseph is determined not to part with a cent. It premiered to praise at the 2022 Silwerskerm Film Festival.

Klein Karoo 2 | 25 July

Klein Karoo 2 catches up with documentary director Frans (Projek Dina) just as life throws him a new curveball. This film is the long-awaited sequel to the Afrikaans romcom Klein Karoo. 

It also stars Leandie du Randt (Meisies Wat Fluit), Sisanda Henna (Trackers), Nicole Fortuin (Alles Malan, Swartwater) and Boer Soek ‘n Vrou’s Marciel Hopkins. 

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Non-Fiction

Two Sides | 1 July

From the creators of the award-winning Chasing The Sun, Two Sides is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at last year’s historic British & Irish Lions series against the Springboks. 

Against the backdrop of Covid-19, Two Sides looks at how the tour was rescued from the brink of cancellation. From playing in front of an empty stadium to the leaked video of Rassie Erasmus that went viral, to complaints about referees, the series became an endless stream of drama. 

Two Sides not only takes us into the Springbok changing room, but also shows the British & Irish Lions up close. There are some great personal stories from the players as well as their relatives, truly telling both sides of the story.

Two Sides really is a must-watch to give all fans a greater understanding of just how remarkable the Springboks’ achievement was.

David Beckham: Infamous | 8 July on Showmax Pro and 15 July on Showmax 

David Beckham: Infamous is an in-depth look at a remarkable football career, from being the most hated man in England to becoming the most commercially valuable player in the world. It’s the story of his England redemption, World Cup dreams, trial by media and becoming brand Becks.

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Kids

PAW Patrol: The Movie | Stream from 18 July

No city’s too big, no pup’s too small, in PAW Patrol: The Movie. Ryder and his pack of puppy hero friends to Adventure City, where greedy Mayor Humdinger is turning the bustling metropolis into a state of chaos. Plus, there’s a courageous new girl pup on the squad: Liberty.

The movie is recommended for ages 4+ by Common Sense Media, where they say, “Its themes of teamwork, trust-building, and courage are overt without being preachy, and the celebrity voice cameos will make parents laugh, like Jimmy Kimmel playing a TV reporter, Tyler Perry as a truck driver in need of saving, and even Kim Kardashian West as a fancy poodle (naturally).”

Mush-Mush and the Mushables | 4 July

Mush-Mush and the Mushables are putting even more fun into fungi with 25 all-new episodes now on Showmax. Mush-Mush and his friends are tiny guardians of the forest who go on adventures in a wondrous and wild world of nature. Join them as they learn about their unique abilities, have fun, and find there’s a lot to learn about growing up.

This adorable animated preschool series from Europe has an 8.5/10 score on IMDb. It holds 4/5 stars on Common Sense Media, where it’s recommended for ages 4+, and they predict it has the makings of a cult favourite, calling the show “a joy to watch”.

Cocomelon | 6 new episodes from 18 July 

Showmax now has over 230 bite-sized episodes of Cocomelon, the singalong hit show for tiny tots. Set in the town of Cocomelon, where baby JJ and his siblings go on fun everyday adventures, the animated series features catchy, toe-tapping songs, colourful fun and relatable stories to delight any preschooler.

Common Sense Media recommends the show for ages 2+, saying, “Toddlers and young preschoolers will love these music videos.”

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Also on Showmax in July

1 July

Ordinary Joe

4 July

Fladder | Gielie | Kansel | Kantlyn | Klarinet | Kloon | Kuberliefde | The Last Job | Moordenaars Karoo | Nuus om 6 | Outopsie S1 | Paardebloem | Patat | Seng’khathele S4 | Tjops vir Brekvis

7 July

Blunt Force Trauma | The Last Fishing Boat | Season of a Life | Uit die Slaapkamer S1 | What Lies Beneath

11 July

Aangetroud | Abazali S2 | Agent  S1 | House Party 1-3 | Kloon | Kookpunt S1 | Maya and the Bee 3: The Golden Orb | Die Staat Teen S1

14 July

Anzel in die Boland S3 | Big Brother Mzansi S3 | India Sweets and Spices | Nandi | Waarheid met Max 

18 July

Go Buster | Digley and Dazey | Little Baby Bum | Mungoma S3 | Not The One For You S1 | Side Effects 

21 July

Alomtjom | Ander | Die Begin | Kranksinnig | Op Straat | Die Smaak van Saffraan | Sousie | Speelkamer | Spreekkamer S1 & S2 | Twee | een | Woke

25 July

Aangetroud | Boetie ontmoet ‘n Alien | Date My Family S8 | The Elfkins

27 July

Kyk Wie Praat S2

28 July

The Queen S6 – Extension