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.
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.
Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin
A new generation of teens is tormented by an unknown assailant determined to make them pay for the sins of their parents.
The Rising
A woman realises that she has been murdered and seeks out her killer and justice in this thriller based on the original Belgian series.
Looking for something lighter?
Faizon Love joins Laugh Africa Comedy Festival as new headliner
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Poppa’s House S1
Comedian Damon Wayans stars as a talk radio host who finds himself challenged when a new female co-host is hired and by still having to parent his adult son.
Showmax and Laugh Africa reveal the panel for the Roast of Helen Zille
The star-studded lineup of panelists at the Showmax Roast of Helen Zille includes Patricia de Lille, Loyiso Gola, Zwai Bala, JJ Tabane and more.
Made in South Africa
Perfect Match (2024)
A man seeks to secure his future by hastily proposing to his girlfriend. However, a case of mistaken identity during lobola negotiations leads him to enlist the help of a spirited woman.
Made in South Africa
April’s fools: Catch 10 of SNL’s biggest stars on Showmax
Documentary series SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night takes us behind the scenes of the longest-running sketch comedy series in the US. And while you might not know the show, you do know its stars!
Showmax and Laugh Africa announce the 2025 Roast of Helen Zille
Get ready for the Roast of Helen Zille at this year’s Laugh Africa Comedy Festival, happening from 2 May to 4 May at Sandton Convention Centre.
Made in South Africa
Sterring (2024)
A passionate action movie fanatic from Soshanguve dreams of becoming a big action star – and after accidentally stopping a robbery, his dreams might come true …
Made in South Africa
The Righteous Gemstones and 5 more Danny McBride hustles
As The Righteous Gemstones returns for its final season, we look at 5 of writer-creator-actor Danny McBride’s best side hustles, from Eastbound & Down, to Halloween.
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
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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 Africa
And Just Like That S2
Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Nicole Ari Parker reprise their iconic roles in this mini-series about their new chapter.
The most binge-worthy series
The Catch S1
In a high-stakes dating reality show, eight ladies are on a quest to find their suitor. Little do they know, among them lurk six secret imposters ready to break hearts and steal the prize.
Made in South Africa
The Real Housewives of New York City S15
The Real Housewives of New York City gives viewers a one-of-a-kind look inside the intriguing lives of women navigating life in the Big Apple.
Juffrou X S1
The final exams are just one of the challenges facing the pupils of a rural school. Poverty, crime and drugs stand between them and graduation.
Made in South Africa
Northern Lights S1
An emotional and funny drama series based on a stage play of the same name about two grieving strangers whose worlds collide on a rainy night in Dublin.