If you like crime series, especially true crime, then Showmax is absolutely the streaming service to check out in August – delivering stars and acclaimed shows alike. Below you’ll find our top picks from the new additions, although you can find the full Showmax line-up here.
As a side note, if you were hoping to catch Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon fresh from the United States, well, you have a bit longer to wait. At least for now, the historical fantasy epic is exclusive to Showmax’s sister satellite service DSTV.
Series
Based on real events, Landscapers is a true crime black comedy-drama that comes with the powerhouse pairing of Olivia Colman and David Thewlis. They play mild-mannered couple Susan and Christopher Edwards, who find themselves embroiled in an investigation when two dead bodies are discovered in the garden of a house in Nottingham. After release in December 2021, Landscapers went on to win three BAFTAs. Watch the four-episode miniseries now.
From the other side of the pond there’s limited series The Thing About Pam, which is based on a true story – and podcast that’s been downloaded over 20 million times. What starts as an apparent open-and-shut murder case in small-town Missouri is revealed to be something far more diabolical. When Betsy Faria is murdered in 2011, her husband is arrested and convicted. Falsely, as it turns out, because Betsy’s best friend Pam Hupp (a transformed Renée Zellweger) is responsible. The Thing About Pam also stars Josh Duhamel and Judy Greer. Catch all six episodes from 16 August.
Closer to home, there’s Reyka, a dark South African crime drama. This eight-episode series is fictional but draws heavily on real-life incidents, as criminal profiler Reyka Gama (Kim Engelbrecht) investigates a string of grisly murders committed in the sugar cane fields of KwaZulu-Natal. Helping Reyka to enter the minds of killers is her own nightmarish childhood experience of being abducted by a farmer (Iain Glen from Game of Thrones). You can stream Reyka right now.
If you need a break from murderers, there’s a very different kind of viciousness in The Gilded Age, a new period drama from Downton Abbey’s Julian Fellowes. This time the high society shenanigans take place in New York of the 1880s, and centre on clashes between the established upper class and the spectacularly wealthy nouveau riche. Events kick off when a penniless young woman (Louisa Jacobson) moves from rural Pennsylvania to New York City to live with her old-money aunts (Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon). Binge all nine episodes of The Gilded Age now.
Finally, after so much violence, there’s a palate cleanse in the form of a science fiction romance based on a bestselling novel. The Time Traveler’s Wife – which has already been made into a movie starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams – centres on a couple whose love story is out of order. The problem is that Henry (Theo James) spontaneously falls out of time, leaving Claire (Rose Leslie) clinging to the moments they have together. Despite being spearheaded by Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat, The Time Traveler’s Wife has been cancelled after its first six-episode season. Still, you can watch all of it now.
Films
On the film front, Showmax is adding a set of Tom Cruise movies (including the original Top Gun), plus boxsets for Angelina Jolie’s Tomb Raider, GI Joe, and the recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action films. Otherwise, these movies below are our must-watch choices.
Eleven years after Scream 4, Scream (2022) reboots the satirical slasher franchise, and brings back Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette to battle knife-wielding killer Ghost Face in an area of smart homes and smart phones. The new generation of suspects and victims are played by the likes of Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Melissa Barrera, and Dylan Minnette. Watch Scream from 11 August.
It’s not his strongest work but it’s incredibly stylish. Last Night in Soho sees filmmaker Edgar (Shaun of the Dead, Baby Driver, Hot Fuzz) Wright tackle the supernatural thriller genre in this tale of a shy fashion student (Thomasin McKenzie) who finds that she’s able to return to London’s Swinging Sixties at night, and follow a wannabe singer (Anya Taylor-Joy). But what starts as a dream turns into a nightmare, as ghosts follow her back to the present. Matt Smith, Terence Stamp and Diana Rigg also star. Read our full review here, and watch Last Night in Soho from 25 August.
Finally, for families, there’s Sing 2. The original Sing (also on Showmax from 4 August) was far more than a Zootopia clone, offering viewers a feel-good experience about the inspiring power of music and musical expression. This time, ever-optimistic koala, Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey) and his cast plan to launch their most dazzling stage extravaganza yet – but they need to convince reclusive lion rock legend Clay Calloway (U2 frontman Bono) to return to the stage. The all-star voice cast includes Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Letitia Wright, Pharrell Williams and Halsey. Stream Sing 2 from 28 August.