Local movies to binge on Showmax

Looking for a local fix of some great movies to watch? Say no more. Showmax has added some new and classic South African movies to watch and we bet you haven’t seen all of these before.

Also read about the best Afrikaans movies to stream.

Knuckle City (2018) | First on Showmax

A professional boxer whose career is coming to an end teams up with his criminal brother to set up a life-changing fight. But they get more than they bargained for in this acclaimed Jahmil XT Qubeka sports drama.

Sew the Winter to my Skin (2018) |First on Showmax

This isn’t an easy watch – it’s set in the 50s when racial hatred was peaking – but it is an important one.

It’s written from a journalist’s viewpoint, recalling a hero hidden in the shadows who robs from the rich white farmers to help his oppressed community. It’s a poignant look inside the oppressive government and how there were rebels – like sheep thief John Kepe – willing to fight the cruel, unethical, immoral and violent system. Some of the scenes are graphic, but it is at its core a seriously good movie.

It’s directed by Jahmil XT Qubeka, who has mastered the craft of storytelling in cinema over decades in the business. And if you needed any more reason to stream it, it was SA’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 2019 Academy Awards.

Bypass (2017) | First on Showmax

Dr Lisa Cooper is a renowned cardiac surgeon, used to playing by the rules. But when the van carrying her critically ill son’s new liver is set alight, she is forced to confront the question: how far will she go to save him? What would she do, and what laws will she break?

Bypass shines a light on organ trafficking and illegal operations that take place in hospitals around the country. The movie stars Natalie Becker as the doctor, alongside Deon Lotz (last seen as Diederik Brand in Trackers) and well-know actors Hakeem-Kae Kazim and Greg Kriek.

Inxeba: The Wound (2017)

This movie had South Africa up in arms debating its content and whether it was correct for a movie to expose a sacred tradition to outsiders. The tradition in question is initiation, where teenagers are sent into the wilderness to perform rites and customs, be circumcised and return to their communities as men.

The movie won 14 awards internationally, as far away as Taiwan and Sarasota in the US, and speaks to the audience about things that are often swept under carpets and deemed taboo when in fact, there is nothing more important than exploring them – whether the elders accept it or not.

Five Fingers for Marseilles (2017)

This noir Western is set in the late 80s/early 90s and combines a mixture of genres into a melting pot of brilliance. Besides the stellar cast of SA acting superstars, the story it tells is more important in the current political climate than ever before. It follows a small remote community which is under siege from invaders who take everything in sight, from land to cattle, leaving decimation in their wake. Until the community fights back. A split timeframe sees the past and future, as the struggle against apartheid sparks the fight for a different kind of freedom.

Happiness is a Four-Letter Word (2016)

In this uplifting South African romantic drama, three friends try to find love, happiness and success in Johannesburg. Based on the novel by Cynthia Jele and directed by award-winning Thabang Moleya, who also brought us Jacob’s Cross.

Lucky (2012)

A young orphan Lucky leaves his rural village for the city. But it is a cruel place and he is lost – until he meets an old Indian woman… 

More South African gems

Also watch these Afrikaans movies