Top crime series to binge-watch on Showmax
Feel like sinking your teeth into a gritty thriller, crime caper or police procedural series? Here are some of the most addictive series that fit the bill, all available on Showmax.
Prepare to be gripped by police procedurals that take you behind the scenes of law enforcement, gritty stories of ordinary people turning to a life of crime to secure their families’ futures, and shows about the pursuit of justice in all its forms. These crime series on Showmax are sure to keep you hooked for hours on end.
Tokyo Vice S1-2
In this powerful HBO crime thriller based on true events, a Western journalist working in Tokyo takes on one of the city’s most powerful crime bosses.
Grosse Pointe Garden Society S1
Four members of a garden club get entangled in a scandalous murder, and are forced to bury the body in their own flower beds in this crime drama.
Accused S2
An engrossing anthology courtroom drama based on the acclaimed BBC crime series. Each episode follows a new defendant as they await their verdict, while flashbacks reveal how they ended up in court.
Red Eye S1
A London police officer is escorting a man back to Beijing where he has been accused of a crime, when an escalating conspiracy unfolds on board flight 357.
The Rookie S6
The oldest rookie in the LAPD uses his life experience, determination and sense of humour to keep up with colleagues 20 years his junior.
Get Millie Black S1
An ex-Scotland Yard detective returns to Jamaica to work on missing persons cases, and soon finds herself on a the toughest quest case of her career.
The Day of the Jackal
Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne stars as the unrivalled and highly elusive lone assassin, the Jackal, who makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee.
Found S2
Found follows recovery specialist Gabi Mosely as she and her team work tirelessly to find missing people forgotten by the system.
White Lies S1
Natalie Dormer drives this thrilling crime drama set in the Mother City. When an investigative journalist’s estranged brother is murdered, she’s drawn into the underworld of Cape Town.
Made in South Africa
Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent S1
This spin-off of the hit crime drama franchise follows an elite squad investigating corruption and high-level criminality in the Greater Toronto.
Sweetpea S1
Rhiannon Lewis doesn’t make much of an impression – until she is pushed over the edge and loses control. Her life transforms, but can she keep her killer secret?
Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist S1
An explosive star-studded limited series based on the infamous story of an armed robbery after Ali’s historical comeback fight.
Devil’s Peak S1
This crime series follows Detective Benny Greissel in his quest to track down a righteous vigilante killer in Cape Town.
The Penguin S1
Based on the DC Comics character, Penguin, this limited series explores the transformation of Oswald Cobblepot (Colin Farrell) from a disfigured nobody to a noted Gotham gangster.
Alert: Missing Persons Unit S1-2
Showrunner John Eisendrath and Jamie Foxx are behind this police procedural. After her son goes missing, Nikki Batista joins the Philadelphia Missing Persons Unit, helping find people’s loved ones as she searches for her own.
True Detective S1-4
Anthology series in which police investigations unearth the personal and professional secrets of those involved, both within and outside the law.
The Sixth Commandment S1
Follow the events that unfolded after the real-life deaths of Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin in a Buckinghamshire village.
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 AfricaCatch Me A Killer S1
A thriller based on the book of the same name, Catch Me a Killer tells the harrowing true story of psychological profiler Micki Pistorius.
Trompoppie S1
Luna, a talented gymnast from the wrong side of the tracks, is awarded a bursary to a prestigious private school to join their elite group of drum majorettes. But then a hazing ritual goes tragically wrong…
Eye-opening documentaries to stream
Eye-opening homegrown documentaries to stream
These unmissable South African shows and movies deliver surprising insights on the country we’re living in today.
Made in South Africa
Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy
This sensational documentary delves into the rise and fall of Diddy, offering insight into his childhood, his meteoric rise, and his arrest.
The Stroll (2023)
When director Kristen Lovell began to transition in the 90s, she was fired from her job. Like many transgender women of colour during this era, she began sex work in an area known as The Stroll.
The Rehearsal S1-2
In this bizarre HBO docuseries people get a chance to rehearse for their own lives in a world where nothing ever works out as expected.
Must-watch trailer: The ABC Killer, about serial killer Moses Sithole
Watch the chilling trailer for the Showmax twisty true-crime documentary The ABC Killer, about serial killer Moses Sithole. Premiering 22 July on Showmax.
Made in South Africa
How Do You Measure A Year? (2022)
In this deeply personal Oscar-nominated documentary short, longtime HBO collaborator Jay Rosenblatt interviews his daughter on her birthday for 17 years.
Chimp Crazy S1
Tiger King filmmaker Eric Goode delivers another view into exotic animal owners – this time, focusing on the lengths chimpanzee “owners” go to keep their ape babies.
All That Breathes (2022)
Two Muslim brothers devote their lives to protecting black kites, a majestic bird of prey falling from New Delhi’s skies at alarming rates.
Looking for something lighter?
Khanyisa Jam Jam opens up in Laugh Africa Comedy Club special
Comedian Khanyisa Jam Jam talks about being part of the Laugh Africa Comedy Club special, now available to stream on Showmax.
South African
Laugh Africa Comedy Club
A high-energy celebration of stand-up, spotlighting the continent’s finest comedic talent and international guests, straight from the iconic Laugh Africa Comedy Festival.
Made in South Africa
Embrace the cringe in The Rehearsal Season 2
Hateable or relatable? We’re here to look at our 10 favourite characters with awkward, offputting energy – starting with The Rehearsal’s Nathan Fielder.
Mr Throwback S1
In this hilarious basketball comedy, a down-on-his-luck memorabilia dealer looks for redemption by reuniting with his sixth-grade teammate, NBA legend Steph Curry.
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.
Stream Julio Torres’s fantasy film Problemista on Showmax
Emmy nominee and Peabody Award winner Julio Torres makes his dazzling feature debut with Problemista, now streaming on Showmax.
Shows you'll find only on Showmax
Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy
This sensational documentary delves into the rise and fall of Diddy, offering insight into his childhood, his meteoric rise, and his arrest.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3
When Team Sonic meets their match in Shadow, they must form an unlikely alliance with Dr Robotnik to save the world.
Bravo’s Love Hotel S1
The Real Housewives stars Shannon Beador, Gizelle Bryant, Ashley Darby, and Luann de Lesseps visit Mexico’s Grand Velas Hotel to find love among eligible bachelors.
The Rehearsal S1-2
In this bizarre HBO docuseries people get a chance to rehearse for their own lives in a world where nothing ever works out as expected.