18 January 2021

The Comey Rule (2020)

With all eyes on America right now, the turbulent events surrounding the 2016 US election that brought Donald Trump to power come under the spotlight in the topical political drama The Comey Rule.

The four-part mini-series stars Emmy winner and four-time Golden Globe nominee Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom, Godless, Steve Jobs) as former FBI Director James Comey, Emmy winner and Golden Globe and BAFTA nominee Brendon Gleeson (In Bruges, Mr Mercedes, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) as Donald Trump, and Oscar winner Holly Hunter (Succession, The Big Sick, Saving Grace) as Acting Attorney General Sally Yates.

Based on Comey’s autobiography “A Higher Loyalty”, the series is written and directed by Oscar nominee Billy Ray, who scripted the six-time Oscar-nominated Captain Phillips, State of Play, Shattered Glass, Secret in Their Eyes, and The Hunger Games.

The all-star cast also includes four-time Emmy nominee Michael Kelly (House of Cards, Person of Interest) as FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe; Scoot McNairy (Argo, 12 Years a Slave) as US Attorney Rod Rosenstein; Gotham Award winner Kingsley Ben-Adir (One night in Miami, Peaky Blinders, High Fidelity) as former president Barack Obama; BAFTA winner Jennifer Ehle (A Quiet Passion, Pride and Prejudice, The King’s Speech) as Comey’s wife, Patrice; six-time Emmy nominee Jonathan Banks (Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, Mudbound) as former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

Also look out for Amy Seimetz (creator-director of The Girlfriend Experience, Get Shorty, The Secrets We Keep), Emmy winner Peter Coyote (The Disappearance, Perception), Joe Lo Truglio (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Brian d’Arcy James (Spotlight, 13 Reasons Why), and Saturn Award winner William Sadler (Power, When They See Us, VFW).

AV Club says it’s “damned compelling… with a real-life tale that still beggars belief and a fantastic group of actors to tell it.” Slate says, “The Comey Rule is a horror film, and the monster is Donald Trump”, while The Age calls it, “a tense, dense and utterly riveting political saga that can only make you despair about the state of the States.”

“For the pro-Trump crowd, The Comey Rule is destined to be dismissed as more #FakeNews from liberal Hollyweirdos,” says Entertainment Weekly. “For everyone else, it offers the uniquely punishing experience of repeating history even as we continue to live through it.”

Original African stories by local talent

Spitch Nzawumbi hosts Unfollowed S2

Unfollowed S1-2

Unfollowed examines cancel culture in social media through real-life stories of South African celebs. Stream S2 now, with new episodes weekly.

Original
/images/za.svgMade in South Africa
The Hot Seat on Showmax

The Hot Seat S1

The Hot Seat promises bold banter as some of Kenya’s biggest celebrities face the heat. Stream now, with new episodes weekly.

Original
/images/ke.svgMade in Kenya
Nairobi Bachelor S1 on Showmax

Nairobi Bachelor S1

Nairobi Bachelor follows the journey of young bachelors and singletons on a quest to find their perfect match. Stream now, with new episodes every Friday.

Original
/images/ke.svgMade in Kenya
Spooksoeker S1 on Showmax

Spooksoeker S1

When Warno Alberts turns 15, he suddenly becomes aware of ghosts in his dorpie – and it’s now his job to banish them. Stream now, with new episodes every Thursday.

Original
/images/za.svgMade in South Africa
4Play is on Showmax

4Play

4Play follows four men who, despite their chaotic personal lives, find friendship, love and perseverance in Nairobi’s concrete jungle. Stream now, with new episodes every Thursday.

Original
/images/ke.svgMade in Kenya
Tollie en Manila

Die Tollie & Manila Show

A bold talk show where SA celebs join drag queens Tollie Parton and Manila von Teez for an evening of conversation and games… in drag. Stream now, with new episodes every Monday.

Original
/images/za.svgMade in South Africa
The Station Strangler on Showmax

The Station Strangler

The Station Strangler is a true-crime documentary investigating the serial killer who is believed to have killed 21 young boys and one adult from the late 80s to the mid-90s on the Cape Flats. Now available to stream.

Original
/images/za.svgMade in South Africa
Black & Blue on Showmax

Black & Blue S1

Black & Blue, a Showmax Original police-based mockumentary series, now streaming, with new episode every Wednesday.

Original
/images/ke.svgMade in Kenya
Youngins S2, now on Showmax
Soft Life, now streaming on Showmax