27 awesome series, doccies and movies to stream on Showmax this November

The Wife, the most hotly anticipated new telenovela in SA, leads the pack of new entertainment coming to Showmax in November.

From hit series and critically acclaimed movies to intriguing doccies and fun kids’ shows, there’s plenty to stream and enjoy this month:

SHOWMAX ORIGINAL

THE WIFE

Inspired by Dudu Busani-Dube’s best-selling novel Hlomu the Wife, The Wife follows a journalist (Skeem Saam’s Mbalenhle Mavimbela) who falls in love with a taxi driver (Necktie Youth’s Bonko Khoza), not realising that when you marry a man, you marry his secrets. 

The Wife is being produced by Stained Glass, the company behind Safta-winning shows such as eHostela and Uzalo, SA’s most-watched soap opera.

Watch it now: click here. Three new episodes coming every Thursday. 

INTERNATIONAL SERIES

HACKS S1

Ranking second on Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the Best TV of 2021 (So Far), comedy-drama series Hacks centres on legendary Las Vegas comedian Deborah Vance, who takes on an entitled, down-on-her-luck Gen Z comedy writer in a bid to find fresh material and remain relevant as her performance dates start to dwindle.

Hacks was up for 15 Emmys this year, with Jean Smart taking home her fourth Emmy as Deborah. It has 100% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Binge it now: click here

LOVE LIFE S2

The journey from first love to a lasting relationship is back in the spotlight with the hit romantic comedy anthology series Love Life, which The Guardian called “the perfect balm for troubled times”. 

Anna Kendrick led the last season and cameos in this one. The new cast is led by William Jackson Harper (The Good Place) as Marcus Watkins, who enters his 30s freshly divorced and as lost as ever.

Binge from: November 15, first on Showmax. 

MAYANS M.C. S3 

First on Showmax, Sons of Anarchy spin-off Mayans M.C. follows the life of Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes (JD Pardo), a newly patched member of the Mayans M.C. biker gang on the California/Mexico border. 

Once the golden boy with the American Dream in his grasp, EZ and his brother Angel are closer than ever after uncovering the truth behind their mother’s murder, while their father struggles to reconcile the choices he and his sons have made. Mayans M.C. has an 86% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Binge it now: click here

I HATE SUZIE S1

Suzie Pickles, a star on the wane, has her whole life upended when her phone is hacked and a photo of her in an extremely compromising position is released for the whole world to see. This excruciatingly honest show follows the various stages of Suzie’s trauma episode by episode. 

I Hate Suzie was nominated for three 2021 Baftas and has a 94% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In their five-star reviews, The Guardian praised Billy Piper’s “truly astonishing performance” and called the show “exhilarating” and “scabrously funny”.

Binge it now: click here 

THE PURSUIT OF LOVE

Set in Europe between the two world wars, BBC miniseries The Pursuit of Love follows the adventures and misadventures of the fearless Linda Radlett and her best friend and cousin, Fanny Logan, as they seek out the ideal husband.

An adaptation of Nancy Mitford’s celebrated 1945 novel, the romantic comedy-drama stars Lily James, Emily Beecham (Ntabozuko), Andrew Scott (Fleabag’s hot priest) and Dominic West (The Affair). It was directed by Emily Mortimer and has 88% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Binge it now: click here 

FOR LIFE S2 

Season 2 of the drama series For Life picks up the story of once wrongfully accused prisoner Aaron Wallace, now a free man and hard-working lawyer trying to piece his life back together and find justice for those the system has failed.

Grammy winner Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson is the executive producer, and the first season received an 86% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Watch it now: click here

MOVIES 

PALM SPRINGS

The wonderful indie romantic comedy Palm Springs follows two strangers who meet at a wedding in Palm Springs, only to get stuck in a time loop. 

It stars Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Jake) and Cristin Milioti (How I Met Your Mother), and won the 2021 Critics Choice Award for Best Comedy. It scored 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, with Indiewire calling it “sweet, funny and demented”.

Watch from: November 15, first on Showmax. 

CHARM CITY KINGS

Torn between the straight path and gang life, 14-year-old Mouse is desperate to join the Midnight Clique, an infamous group of dirt-bike riders who rule the streets of West Baltimore. During one eventful summer, Mouse must steer his way through two father figures, a first girlfriend, and the illegal but irresistible thrill of stunt-riding.

It’s exec produced by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, and RogerEbert.com called it “an incredible triumph from a slew of fresh talent”.

Watch from: November 18 

THE MARKSMAN

Oscar nominee Liam Neeson stars in The Marksman as a rancher (and former US Marine) living on the Arizona border who becomes the unlikely defender of a young Mexican boy fleeing cartel assassins. Directed by triple-Oscar nominee and Clint Eastwood-collaborator Robert Lorenz (Mystic River).

Watch from: November 29

ALONE

Jules Willcox (10,000 Days) stars in Alone as a recently widowed traveller who is pursued through the wilderness by a ruthless killer. The gripping survival thriller holds a 90% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics consensus says, “Alone’s minimalistic approach makes this heightened thriller a gripping and suspenseful experience.”

Watch it now: click here

ALSO WATCH:

• Oscar nominee Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy starring Gary Oldman and more. Watch from November 8.
• The hilarious black comedy Horrible Bosses broke the record for the highest-grossing comedy film of all time upon its release in 2011. Watch the original and the sequel, Horrible Bosses 2, now: click here. 
• Russell Crowe and SA-born Caren Pistorius star in road rage thriller Unhinged. Watch it now: click here.
• Rush chronicles the 1970s rivalry between Formula One legends James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Watch it from November 15.
• The Iron Lady won Meryl Streep her third Oscar, and more accolades besides. Watch it from November 18.
• Tim Burton’s biographical drama Big Eyes is based on a true story and earned Amy Adams a Golden Globe. Watch it from November 25.
• Midnight Sun chronicles the love story of a teen girl who can’t stand the sun. Watch it from November 29.

LOCAL

THE EDGE OF EXISTENCE 

Filmed in Tanzania over three years, The Edge of Existence takes viewers into the heart of the growing human-wildlife conflict in the western corridor of the Serengeti. It’s directed by South Africans James Suter and Charlie Luckock. 

While the urgent need for conservation has been widely publicised, there’s been less awareness about its cost to the neighbouring communities. As The Guardian said in their review, “If you thought your commute was stressful, imagine sharing it with an elephant herd.”

Watch it now: click here

ELDERS: NAMIBIE S1

Award-winning journalist, best-selling author, and everyone’s favourite travel guide, Erns Grundling, takes us on a journey to the epic landscapes of Namibia, where he’ll share our neighbouring country’s endless vistas, breathtaking natural beauty, wildlife and, of course, the oldest desert in the world. 

Watch from: November 29

You might also like: Elders: Die Camino, Elders: Japan and Elders: Pelgrimstog Van Hoop.

SURVIVOR SA: IMMUNITY ISLAND

In a year where conversations about survivors, immunity and even buffs got way too real for most of us, the ultimate escapist reality show, Survivor SA, survived the pandemic delay to lock down 20 brand-new islanders on the Wild Coast in a bid to outwit, outplay and outlast one another for the title of Sole Survivor.

Binge it now: click here

MNAKWETHU S2

Hosted by Musa Mseleku, this popular show features married men introducing polygamy into their relationships.

Binge it now: click here

DOCUMENTARIES

THE UNITED WAY

Manchester United is one of the most iconic sports teams in the world. Told by football legend Eric Cantona and featuring previously unseen footage, this doccie looks at the club’s roots, tracing its historical journey before the turn of the century through candid conversations with stars such as David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and others.

Watch if from: November 20

INFLUENCE 

Who decides what you think? Who decides how you vote? This globe-trotting documentary charts the recent advancements in weaponised communication by investigating Lord Tim Bell and the rise and fall of the world’s most notorious PR firm: the British multinational Bell Pottinger. Vulture calls Influence “the kind of story that makes you question everything”.

Watch it from: November 18

CHILDREN 

ROALD DAHL’S THE WITCHES

A young mouse boy and his grandmother go up against a coven of witches and their leader in The Witches, a delightfully dastardly reimagining of the Roald Dahl classic. It stars Oscar winners Anne Hathaway and Octavia Spencer, alongside Stanley Tucci, Chris Rock and newcomer Jahzir Kadeem as the mouse child hero of the tale.

Watch if from: November 22

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, SCOOBY-DOO!

Scooby-Doo and the gang gather again to solve a mystery of gigantic proportions and save Crystal Cove, joining forces with Bill Nye (The Science Guy) and Elvira to defeat an army of monstrous pumpkins.

Along the way, Fred, Velma, Daphne and, of course, the snack-mad Shaggy and Scooby might just find themselves wandering into DC’s Gotham universe.

Watch it now: click here 

You might also like: Scoob! — another fun spooky adventure starring Scooby-Doo and the gang.

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This article was paid for by Showmax.