The best drama series and movies to stream on Showmax
These tearjerking drama series and movies will bring on all the feels – stream them all on Showmax, but be sure to keep the tissues handy, and bring along your nerves of steel.
We’ve got heart-pounding crime dramas, psychological thrillers where we know things aren’t all going to be okay, romantic dramas that clutch at our hearts, and devastating stories that unfold in emergency rooms, on the streets, in troubled homes and in workplaces of all kinds.
Die Skynwerper (2024)
After Nelis’s audition for the reality show The Spotlight fails, he starts suspecting the manipulative presenter. A Silwerskermfees 2024 short film.
Made in South Africa
Selah (2024)
A sleep-deprived mother struggling with a colicky baby finds herself unable to handle her new harsh reality. A Silwerskermfees 2024 short film.
Emperor of Ocean Park S1
When a Black candidate for the Supreme Court dies of a heart attack, his daughter, a former journalist, believes his death was foul play.
Spooksoeker S1
When he is suddenly thrust into the supernatural realm, a teenage boy must quickly learn how to banish ghosts and save his town, friends, and family.
Made in South Africa
My Brilliant Friend S4
This gorgeous HBO series recounts a 60-year friendship between two women, which began in 1950s Naples, based on the bestselling novels.
Soft Life S1
An ordinary township girl enters the secretive world of high-society companionship to settle her mother’s medical bills in this Showmax Original drama.
Made in South Africa
The End We Start From (2023)
Jodie Comer’s performance propels this compelling story of a family’s survival. As flood waters submerge London, a mother and child are forced to leave home in search of safety.
Youngins S1-2
When a teen flees from a family tragedy in rural KZN to a boarding school in Jozi, she gets entangled in a scandal of epic proportions.
Made in South Africa
The Good Doctor S7
Freddie Highmore stars as a young, autistic surgeon in this fan-favourite medical drama. Season 7 is the final season.
100 Days to Fall in Love S1
Two good friends put their marriages on the line when one takes a break from her husband and the other reunites with an old flame.
Looking For Frida S1
An upper-class family’s perfect world is shattered when their daughter, Frida, suddenly disappears. As the search unfolds, everyone is a suspect, including Frida.
How To Manifest a Man S1
Duduzile refuses to accept that her husband wants to leave her. She takes drastic steps to ensure she gets a second chance.
Made in South Africa
Lioness S1-2
A woman is wrongly convicted of fraud and, after eight years in prison, goes on a quest to reunite with her children and clear her name.
Made in South Africa
Roomies S1
After a bad breakup and going broke, besties Naledi and Tsholo move into an apartment with two guy friends, and navigate love, family and work while living in Jozi.
Made in South Africa
Belgravia: The Next Chapter S1
In the 1800s, a couple’s happiness is threatened by the scandalous world of high society that has long-buried family secrets.
Golda (2023)
Helen Mirren drives this tense and absorbing biopic that focuses on the high-stakes decisions that Golda Meir, known as the ‘Iron Lady of Israel,’ faced during the Yom Kippur War.
Magaeng S1
The wife of a vengeful crime boss, Zama Ndaba, is forced to go under witness protection in a small rural town. With her estranged teenage kids in tow, the Ndabas must stick together under their new, low-profile aliases.
Made in South Africa
Fire Country S1-2
Bode Donovan joins a fire-fighting programme to shorten his prison sentence, battling massive, unpredictable blazes across the country.
The Holdovers (2023)
A cranky New England school instructor is forced to babysit a handful of students during Christmas in this award-winning quirky movie.
Bob Marley: One Love (2024)
A heartfelt and powerful film that follows the life of the late great reggae musician Bob Marley, from his struggles to his music and art.
Looking for something lighter?
Christmas Clothes (2024)
A teenage boy goes on a quest to retrieve his Christmas clothes after they were stolen on Christmas Eve. He learns to face his fears and unlock his full potential.
Made in South Africa
Based On A True Story S2
A realtor, her ex-tennis star husband, and a plumber take advantage of people’s obsession with true crime in this dark comedy series.
Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)
Po is chosen to become the spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace in the fourth instalment. He must train a new Dragon Warrior while a wicked sorceress plans to re-summon master villains.
Celebrate the festive feels with Showmax film Christmas Clothes
The heartwarming comedy film Christmas Clothes, directed by Athi Petela, premieres on Showmax on 6 December 2024.
Made in South Africa
Hacks Season 3’s five best put downs and pranks
While veteran comedian Deborah Vance gets roasted in Hacks Season 3, she’s more than ready to fire back in five of our favourite moments.
Hacks S1-3
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.
Julia S1-2
Without Julia Child’s 1960s television series The French Chef, the modern cooking show would not exist. This series is inspired by her extraordinary life.
7 South African stand-up comedians that bring the laughs
Discover these top SA comedians ready to make you laugh out loud in their comedy specials and the 13-part Laugh Africa Comedy Festival, now streaming on Showmax.
Made in South AfricaThese shows are out of this world
Welcome to dystopia: 7 sci-fi movies that feel close to home
From The Fix to Civil War, 7 dystopian sci-fi films are now streaming on Showmax, ready to transport you to a world that’s more recognisable than you’d like.
Dune: Prophecy’s 10 000-year timeline meets its match
From Dune: Prophecy, to Yellowstone, to Transformers, we break down what happens in 7 movies’ and series’ biggest storytelling time jumps.
Dune: Prophecy S1
Power lies in the shadows in this HBO sci-fi epic set 10 000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, following the creators of the female order, the Bene Gesserit.
The Fix (2024)
In a dystopian future, a troubled model takes an illicit new party drug and suffers a shocking transformation – then discovers she may be the key to saving the human race.
Made in South Africa
Hollywood stars rave about Cape Town ahead of The Fix premiere
Hollywood stars Grace van Dien and Daniel Sharman, who star in the Showmax Original film The Fix, rave about Cape Town ahead of the film’s premiere on Halloween.
Must-watch trailer: local sci-fi Showmax Original film The Fix
Kelsey Egan talks about writing and directing The Fix, opening film at MIPAfrica. Premieres on 31 October on Showmax.
South African
Monolith (2022)
When a disgraced journalist turns to podcasting to salvage her career, she uncovers a strange conspiracy theory.
Decoding the Monolith for sci-fi fans
Not since 2001: A Space Odyssey has a big, black monolith provoked such head scratching for sci-fi fans. Fortunately the film Monolith’s director, writer and producer are here to help.
Showmax is the home of HBO in Africa
My Brilliant Friend S4
This gorgeous HBO series recounts a 60-year friendship between two women, which began in 1950s Naples, based on the bestselling novels.
Dune: Prophecy S1
Power lies in the shadows in this HBO sci-fi epic set 10 000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, following the creators of the female order, the Bene Gesserit.
5 jaw-dropping moments in HBO documentary Brandy Hellville
Being aware of something is not the same as seeing it! Check out our most shocking moments from the documentary Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion.
Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion
This documentary uncovers the toxic origins and culture of Brandy Melville and the global ramifications of mass-produced clothing.