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.
Speak No Evil (2024)
James McAvoy leads this intense, disturbing psychological horror about a family spending a weekend at a country house. Things take a turn when the host family’s evil side is uncovered.
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.
Looking for something lighter?
The F-Show (2025)
The F-Show features a strong roster led by one of South Africa’s favourite comedians skewering the daily chaos that comes with being South African.
Made in South Africa
Funny Woman S1-2
Based on the Nick Hornby novel Funny Girl, this is the story of a Blackpool beauty queen who tries to make is a comedian in the 1960s.
Hacks S1-4
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.
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Problemista (2023)
A struggling toy designer from El Salvador becomes an assistant to an erratic art-world outcast to stay in the US in this Julio Torres comedy.
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The American Society of Magical Negroes (2024)
In this satirical comedy, a man is recruited by a secret magical society of Black people. Their important cause? Making white people’s lives easier.
Seth Meyers: Dad Man Walking (2024)
Late Night host Seth Meyers ditches his political jokes and focuses on his family life and fatherhood in this refreshing and hilarious stand-up special.
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
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After We Fell (2021)
Tessa and Hardin face another test when Tessa makes a life-changing decision and shocking revelations threaten everything they’ve built.
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 AfricaThe most binge-worthy series
Married At First Sight Mzansi S1
Eight strangers, one goal – to meet their perfect match for the very first time at the end of the wedding aisle. Stream all of Married at First Sight Mzansi Season 1 while you wait for Season 2, on Showmax.
Made in South AfricaHacks S1-4
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.
100 Foot Wave S1-3
This Emmy-winning docuseries follows big-wave pioneer Garrett McNamara’s decade-long odyssey chasing a massive wave in a small fishing village in Portugal.
Binnelanders S8-14
Binnelanders, an Afrikaans soapie set in and around a fictional private hospital, follows the trials and trauma of the staff and patients.
Made in South Africa