29 September 2023

What to watch on Showmax in October 2023

Delve into the mind of a South African serial killer this month on Showmax, as the new Showmax Original documentary series Boetie Boer slinks onto our screens just in time for Halloween. Then, watch scarily good series like the third season of hit show Chucky, have a laugh with American Auto, plus tonnes more.

Of course, reality TV addicts will already be glued to the new season of The Real Housewives of Lagos, exclusive to Showmax. New episodes weekly.

Local hits like Koortjies with Jonathan Rubain and Wie Word ‘n Miljoener? are also coming to lighten the mood. Binge it all this October on Showmax.

Showmax Originals

Boetie Boer | Showmax Original | Wednesdays from 18 October

The most disturbing Showmax Original true-crime series to date, Boetie Boer: Inside The Mind Of A Monster takes us back in time to 1990: as the African National Congress is unbanned and Nelson Mandela is released after 27 years in prison, Stewart ‘Boetie Boer’ Wilken starts his killing spree in Port Elizabeth, now Gqeberha. As journalist Brett Adkins says in the trailer, “When he was arrested, it sounded like something out of a movie. Suddenly, we had a serial killer.”

“Wilken was a highly unusual serial killer,” says director Jasyn Howes, who won Best SA Short Documentary at Jozi Film Festival for Dula. “Unlike most serial killers, he killed two distinct victim types: female sex workers and young boys, usually street children. He also claimed to engage in necrophilia and cannibalism with his victims.”

The five-part documentary is a co-production between Stage 5 Films and Howes’ Fifth Floor Films. It’s the third documentary, and first true-crime docuseries, from Stage 5 Films, building on the success of Unearthed, which won the Green Award at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival and the Audience Award at Encounters, and The Journeymen, which took home Best SA Documentary at Durban.

International series

Chucky S3 | First on Showmax | 2 episodes on Mondays from 23 October

Chucky is headed for the White House in the third season of the cult horror franchise. It’s up to Jake, Devon, and Lexy to figure out how to stop Chucky when he’s cosied up to America’s First Family, in the most secure house in the US. Meanwhile, Chucky’s ex and now sworn enemy, Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly), faces a looming crisis of her own this season as the police close in on her.

The series has a 91% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus praises its “absurd humour and creative horror.”

1923 | Binge from 16 October

The Yellowstone prequel 1923 stars Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford as Cara and Jacob Dutton, who head a new generation of the Dutton family in Montana during the time of western expansion, Prohibition, and the Great Depression.

Continuing the saga from the first Yellowstone prequel 1883, 1923 was conceived as a two-season series. It has a 90% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Variety saying, “Mirren and Ford make for such a potent pairing; their chemistry alone is enough to make 1923 feel like an elevated version of Sheridan’s neo-Western fare.”

1923 was partly shot in Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania, so look out for SAFTA winner Nick Boraine (The Mating Game) as safari operator Richard Holland and Colin Moss (Warrior) as Tanganyika railroad construction supervisor Charles Hardin.

The Rookie: Feds S1 | Binge from 22 October

Five-time Emmy nominee Niecy Nash (Dahmer, When They See Us) stars in The Rookie: Feds as Special Agent Simone Clark, the oldest rookie in the FBI Academy, who is assigned to support the Los Angeles field office.

A spin-off from Showmax favourite The Rookie, Feds was nominated as Outstanding New TV Series at the 2023 GLAAD Media Awards and has an 86% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Rain Dogs S1 | Binge from 19 October

Rain Dogs stars double-BAFTA winner Daisy May Cooper (Avenue 5) as Costello Jones, a devoted mother who wants more for her precocious young daughter, Iris (Fleur Tashjian).

As she hustles to survive, Costello leans on Selby (Jack Farthing from Poldark), Iris’s pseudo father and Costello’s pseudo soulmate, and Gloria (Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo from Alex Rider), the duo’s loyal yet chaotic godmother/best friend. Together they form a dysfunctional family on the fringes of society, trying to defy a system built against them to go straight in a crooked world.

Rain Dogs has a 93% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, where it’s #37 among the Best TV Shows of 2023 (So Far). Time calls Costello and Selby “easily the most compelling characters I’ve encountered this year”, hailing Rain Dogs as “magnificently dark… like no other family comedy on TV…”

Son of a Critch S2 | Binge from 11 October

In Season 2 of Son of a Critch, a new school year brings new challenges for 1980s junior high-schooler Mark Critch, including his first fight, first beer, and even his first pair of jeans. But the bigger Mark’s world gets, the more complicated things become.

Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (Zemeckis’ Pinocchio) stars as the young Mark, with Hollywood Walk-of-Famer Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange) as his grandfather, and the real Mark Critch as his dad. An award-winning Canadian actor and writer, Critch co-writes the show, which is based on his memoir.

Season 1 scooped a 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for seven Canadian awards this year. Son of a Critch has already been renewed for a third season. Common Sense Media gives the family friendly show 4/5-stars, recommending the show for ages 10+.

Six Four S1 | Binge from 23 October

Based on the best-selling novel by award-winning Japanese mystery writer Hideo Yokoyama, Six Four follows Glasgow police detective Chris and his wife, former undercover officer Michelle, who discover that the disappearance of their teenage daughter may be connected to a cold case.

Kevin McKidd (Grey’s Anatomy) and Vinette Robinson star alongside the likes of Richard Coyle (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore).

In their four-star review, the London Evening Standard praised Six Four as “tight, thrilling and full of twists and turns.”

American Auto S1 | Binge from 2 October

From Justin Spitzer (the creator of Superstore and producer of The Office), American Auto is set at the Detroit offices of Payne Motors, where the floundering corporate execs are at a crossroads: adapt to the changing times or be sent to the junkyard. Luckily, they have a bold new CEO, whose leadership, experience, and savvy are only slightly offset by her total lack of knowledge about cars.

American Auto holds a 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Globe and Mail calling it, “A mad satire of corporate life… mainly set in the boardroom, where executives prove daily that they know nothing.”

The hilarious ensemble cast includes Ana Gasteyer (Saturday Night Live), Jon Barinholtz (Superstore’s Marcus), Harriet Dyer (Colin From Accounts), and X Mayo, an Emmy nominee for her writing on The Daily Show.

International movies

Cocaine Bear | 19 October

Inspired by the true story of a drug runner’s plane crash, missing cocaine, and the black bear that ate it, Cocaine Bear finds an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists and teens converging on a Georgia forest where a 230-kilogram apex predator has ingested a staggering amount of cocaine and gone on a coke-fueled rampage for blow … and blood.

Directed by Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect 2), Cocaine Bear was nominated for two 2023 MTV Movie Awards – Most Frightened Performance for Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Mitchell in Modern Family) and Best Villain … for The Bear. Chicago Sun-Times calls it a “wildly entertaining and darkly hilarious B-movie blood-fest.”

Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul. | 26 October

Regina Hall (The Best Man: The Final Chapters) and Sterling K Brown (This Is Us) star as Trinitie and Lee-Curtis Childs, a mega-church power couple determined to rebuild their congregation in the aftermath of a huge scandal.

The mockumentary-style satirical comedy co-stars Nicole Beharie (Breaking), along with Nigerian actor Conphidance (Little America).

IndieWire praises Hall and Brown for “doing predictably divine work (do these two performers know any other way?)”, calling the film “a biting send-up straight from heaven.. a winning combination of the divine and the horrific… equal parts hilarious and painful.”

Local

Njoro wa Uba S14 | 12 October

Named Best Original Comedy at 2023 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCAs), Njoro wa Uba follows a Nairobi taxi driver struggling to make ends meet while dealing with the ordinary and not-so-ordinary lives of his passengers.

Joe Kinyua won the Kalasha Best Actor award as Njoro, who never catches a break, whether he’s dealing with his romantic relationships, his witty ex mother-in-law or his teenage daughter. In Season 14, it’s about to get worse for him. After selling his taxi and heading off to Dubai, things don’t work out, and now he’s back in Nairobi with no taxi of his own, a family to look after and nagging in-laws adding to his misery.

Diepe Waters S1 | Binge from 5 October

The hit kykNET telenovela Diepe Waters centres on the Swarts family and their competitive swimming club, Die Swartmarlyne.

Diepe Waters is nominated for six SAFTAs this year: Best Scriptwriting, Cinematography, Editing, Sound, Make-Up and Hairstyling and Most Popular TV Soap or Telenovela.

At the inaugural Silwerskerm Festival Awards for Film and Television held in August, Diepe Waters landed four nominations in the telenovela or soap category – Best Actor for SAFTA winner Justin Strydom (Silverton Siege), Best Actress for Nadia Valvekens (Alles Malan), Best Villain for Sandi Schultz (Binnelanders), and Best Newcomer for Liam Bosman (Dinge van ‘n Kind).

Diepe Waters is produced by Penguin Films, with multiple-award winner Roberta Durrant as creative producer.

Ayeye: Stripped | Binge from 27 October

Nominated for a 2023 SAFTA for Best Scriptwriting – TV Drama, Ayeye: Stripped is set in the world of cam girls and their clients.

The Mzansi Magic show centres on stay-at-home-mom Zoleka (Rosemary Zimu from The Queen, Isidingo and Savage Beauty), who is living her Instagram dreams, from catching first-class flights to shop in Dubai to checking into five-star hotels to dining at fancy restaurants.

Following a tragic incident involving her wealthy blesser and baby daddy Mguyo (Sipho Mbele from Ses’Top La), Zoleka loses everything but their son in the blink of an eye. Unwilling to give up her lavish lifestyle, she goes looking for other men to sustain her… but why go to them when she can make them come to her online? Before she knows it, things get out of hand …

Om en Om | Stream from 3 March 2023

Troukoors stars Ilse-Lee van Niekerk and Evan Hengst lead Om en Om, a kykNET romcom written by SAFTA nominee Retief Scholtz (Arendsvlei) and directed by Silwerskerm winner Willem Grobler (Strangers You Know, Hum).

The feature film follows Liesl and Sybrand, who could not be further apart. Liesl is a divorce lawyer focused on her career, and Sybrand is an accountant nursing a broken heart. Their lives are not terrible, just terribly predictable and boring, until a comedy of errors makes someone else’s blind date their problem, and a whirlwind chase around Cape Town ensues. Will these two end up having more fun than they’d like to admit?

Reality TV & Lifestyle shows

Die Real Housewives van die Wynlande S1 | Binge from 23 October

The second Afrikaans language edition of The Real Housewives franchise is set among the villas and vineyards of the Cape Winelands with a cast of strong, independent women who are not afraid to speak their minds.

Join entrepreneur and former Miss South Africa Amy Kleinhans-Curd, stock trader Mariska Thorpe, businesswoman Karen Schwendtke, singer and marketing manager Candice Bester, aesthetic doctor Michelle van Zyl and former teacher Anita Lloyd as they open the doors of their luxurious houses, their hearts, and their lives to viewers.

NBCUniversal’s hit The Real Housewives franchise started in March 2006 with The Real Housewives of Orange County. Since then, 11 different series have been made in the US and NBCUniversal Formats have introduced 22 international versions, including recent adaptations in Cape Town, Durban, Gqeberha, Johannesburg, Lagos, Nairobi and Pretoria, which marked the first Afrikaans series.

The Bala Family S1 | Binge from 21 October

In Season 1 of Mzansi Magic’s reality series The Bala Family, fans of the famous sensational singing siblings the Bala Brothers will be able to get up close and personal with them and the rest of their family.

The show takes us behind the scenes as the family tries to bury their differences and rebuild their relationships. On his Instagram, Loyiso said, “Real life is like a journey without a script… It hasn’t been easy to be part of this show, but amid the challenges I’ve strived to be as authentic as possible, letting the rawness shine through the crafted façade.”

I Blew It S5 | Binge from 30 October

Mzansi Magic’s popular reality series I Blew It follows the fortunes and misfortunes of ordinary South Africans who struck gold with an unexpected payday or good fortune, but then lost it all just as quickly.

This season’s subjects include reality TV star and musician Bongani Fassie; Petrus “Small Ma Million” Masumbuka, who blew his R1.8 million pay-out from the Road Accident Fund on expensive hotel living and nightlife; and Tim Brien, who spent his R3 million inheritance on buying love from family and friends and making bad investments.

Our Perfect Wedding (Kenya) S16 | 28 October

Hosted by Angie Mlay, Our Perfect Wedding gives viewers a front-row seat to the intimate lives of real couples as they plan their big day. In between, we experience the different cultures of the bride and groom and how these tie into the ceremony. Sometimes, it can get dramatic, but despite it all, in the end, OPW delivers a perfect wedding ceremony, giving the couples the happy endings they deserve.

Koortjies Met Jonathan Rubain S4 | 2 October

Musician and presenter Jonathan Rubain was named Personality of the Year at the Silwerskerm Festival in August, and you can now catch Season 4 of his popular gospel music and talk show Koortjies Met Jonathan Rubain, which celebrates faith and song while discussing everyday matters that are close to our hearts.

In addition to a line-up of the best local gospel music talents, the show also interviews a variety of guests, from community role models and faith leaders to local celebrities, exploring the power of faith to carry us through hard times and how to be a true neighbour in the community.

Wie Word ‘n Miljoener? S3 | Binge from 26 October

Fresh from earning host Rian van Heerden the award for Best Presenter in a Game Show at the Silwerskerm awards, Wie Word ‘n Miljoener? returns for its third season.

As with the original, megahit Who Wants To Be A Millionaire format, kykNET’s popular Afrikaans edition sees participants answering 15 multiple-choice questions to advance to the final round, where R1 million can be won.

Season 3’s celebrity contestants include Altus Theart (Getroud Met Rugby’s Fafa), Zetske van Pletzen (Bloedbroers), and comedian Melt Sieberhagen, who’s gunning to raise a whopping stash of cash for Gift of the Givers.

Makoti, Are You The One? S2 | Binge from 26 October

Mzansi Magic’s ground-breaking social experiment reality series Makoti, Are You the One? returns for a second season, to give us a front-row seat as families journey through the cultural practice referred to as ukukotiza, that sees prospective wives move into the homes of their potential in-laws in the hopes of receiving the family’s blessing to marry their son.

We’ll meet four new couples from vastly different backgrounds who are hoping to take their relationship to the ultimate step: marriage. But will their ideological, religious, socioeconomic and cultural differences get in the way of their happiness?

La’t Wiel S28 | Binge from 5 October

La’t Wiel took home the award for Best Ensemble Presenting Team at Silwerskerm 2023, and, with 28 seasons under its belt, it’s not hard to see that the iconic kykNET motoring show has earned a loyal following.

This season, presenters Hannes Visser, Waldo Van Der Waal and André Weidemann will once again be testing, and talking, cars and all things with four wheels – and even some with two.

Documentaries

Love to Love You, Donna Summer | Stream from 4 October

Love to Love You, Donna Summer is a deeply personal portrait of the Queen of Disco. The singer and songwriter of a string of anthemic hits like “Hot Stuff”, “I Feel Love”, and “She Works Hard For the Money”, Donna Summer was an Oscar and five-time Grammy Award winner whose voice legendary producer Quincy Jones has called, “the heartbeat and soundtrack of a generation”. She was also the first Black woman to be nominated for an MTV Video Music Award.

Directed by Oscar and Emmy-winning filmmaker Roger Ross Williams (God Loves Uganda, Life, Animated) and Donna Summer’s daughter Brooklyn Sudano, the HBO documentary film explores the highs and lows of fame, offering an intimate glimpse into the artist’s life, both on and off stage.

The film has an 81% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus says: “An enigmatic documentary about an equally enigmatic singer, Love to Love You, Donna Summer’s got you covered from disco to soul.”

Kids

Tad, the Lost Explorer and the Emerald Tablet | 5 October

Get ready to journey across the world with the most ambitious (and clumsy) adventurer of all time in the award-winning Spanish-made animated movie Tad, the Lost Explorer and the Emerald Tablet.

When a slight blunder destroys a rare sarcophagus, an ancient spell is unleashed. Now, Chicago bricklayer-turned-archeologist Tad Jones must team up with his friends Sara and his “oldest pal” Mummy to race across the far corners of the Earth and stop the curse of the Emerald Tablet before things get really out of hand.

The movie has an 89% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is the second sequel to Tad, the Lost Explorer, which was nominated for Best Feature at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival.

More to watch

2 October

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy | Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues | Dora and the Lost City of Gold | Downsizing

5 October

9 October

Chocolate City | Daddy’s Home 1 and 2 | Jan Braai Vir Erfenis S13 | Oppiestoep S8 | Shutter Island

12 October

16 October

19 October

23 October

Crawl | Disciples of Shaolin Temple | Haunted Trail | Legacy of Rage | Monster House

26 October

Don’t Look Deeper | I Know What You Did Last Summer | Overlord | Slender Man

30 October

Curse of Rosalie | Herleef

Original African stories by local talent

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

Made in South Africa

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. Stream from 6 November.

Original

Made in South Africa

Black & Blue S1

Black & Blue, a Showmax Original police-based mockumentary series, lands on 6 November, with new episode every Wednesday.

Original

Made in Kenya

Ubuthe Uzobuya

Ubuthe Uzobuya delves into the lives of couples torn apart when one partner abruptly disappears without explanation. Stream from 29 October.

Original

Made in South Africa

Princess on a Hill

Princess on a Hill is a compelling drama series that explores themes of power, ambition, and the cost of success. Stream from 7 November 2024 on Showmax.

Original

Made in Nigeria