19 November 2020
Paradise Hills (2019)
Emma Roberts leads the rebellion in this gorgeous film set on a magical island. As amnesiac Uma, she’s been sent there to be reformed and more obedient. Think a watered-down Handmaid’s Tale (there’s no sexual abuse) in a world as pretty as the heaven in What Dreams May Come.
Paradise Hills is more likely to win a Raspberry Award than an Oscar, but it’s still decent. Don’t think too much about the plot holes. Rather fawn over the gorgeous colours of Paradise Island and the actors, including Milla Jovovich.
Monica Castillo at rogerebert.com comments, “When done well, sci-fis give filmmakers the chance to explore earthly problems through fantastical situations. The setting can be a futuristic world, the villains perhaps benevolent machines went bad or a society that turned technology against itself. Here, the costumes can be over the top as The Fifth Element and the design, dusty and dingy as Tatooine in the Star Wars.”
SA celebs open up about divorce on Untied
The action heats up on Empini
More Mzansi gold

The Mommy Club: Van Die Hoofstad S1
Stream the reunion of the hit Showmax Original reality show, featuring five dynamic, wealthy women from Pretoria as they manage relationships, families, businesses, and busy social lives, on 27 June and 4 July 2025.

Eye-opening homegrown documentaries to stream
These unmissable South African shows and movies deliver surprising insights on the country we’re living in today.

20+ addictive South African reality shows to stream
Stream The Catch, The Real Housewives of Durban, The Mommy Club, and more of South Africa’s best reality shows on Showmax.

MaBlerh returns to host The Real Housewives of Durban reunion
MaBlerh returns to host The Real Housewives of Durban reunion for the third year in a row. The Season 5 reunion drops in two parts on 4 July and 11 July 2025.