If you’re looking for star studded stuff to watch this week, you’ve struck it lucky this Friday the 13th. The streaming debut of Oscar-winner Wicked headlines, along with the Juliane Moore/Sydney Sweeney thriller Echo Valley, the VOD debuts of Steven Soderbergh spy thriller Black Bag, horror adaptation Until Dawn, and Rami Malek action thriller The Amateur, plus more!
SERIES
Iyanu S1
13 June 2025 – Showmax
Adapted from Nigerian creator Roy Okupe’s popular graphic novel series, Iyanu is an animated adventure series drawing on Nigerian culture, music, and mythology. Featuring a voice cast bursting with African talent, the show follows a brave young orphan living in the magical kingdom of Yorubaland. While studying history and ancient arts, she yearns for a normal life – until a looming threat awakens divine powers not seen since the legendary Age of Wonders. Accompanied by newfound friends Biyi and Toye, as well as a magical leopard named Ekun, Iyanu sets out to uncover the source of this evil, unlocking her destiny along the way. Iyanu has already earned several accolades internationally, becoming the top ranked show on Cartoon Network upon its release.
Mr. Throwback S1
16 June 2025 – Showmax
Stephen Curry is one of the greatest basketball players of all time, seemingly possessing the uncanny ability to never miss. Now we’ll find out if that skill translates to the world of TV series. Produced and co-starring Curry as himself, Mr. Throwback is a new comedy series starring Adam Pally as Danny Grossman, a former basketball phenom whose life has taken several wrong turns. Down on his luck with some crippling debt hanging over his head, Danny decides to ingratiate himself with his childhood basketball teammate: NBA legend Stephen Curryi.
The Waterfront S1
19 June 2025 – Netflix
Kevin Williamson is one of those prolific creators whose name you’ve probably never heard of and yet you’ve almost certainly seen his work. His eclectic resume includes creating fan favourite drama series like Dawson’s Creek, Vampire Diaries, and The Following, as well creating the Scream franchise, and penning the screenplays for I Know What You Did Last Summer and The Faculty. And now, because he apparently hasn’t dabbled in enough genres yet, he’s hopping to the “Based on a true story” drama series camp. Starring Holt McCallany, Maria Bello, Melissa Benoist, and Jake Weary, The Waterfront is inspired by true events and tells the sweeping tale of the Buckley family, a dynasty which has effectively ruled Havenport, North Carolina for decades. In the wake of patriarch Harlan Buckley recovering from two heart attacks, the family’s grip on the local fishing industry starts to crumble though, forcing Harlan’s wife Belle and son Cane to attempt increasingly dangerous deals to keep their empire afloat. Meanwhile, Harlan’s daughter Bree, an addict in recovery who’s lost custody of her son, finds herself entangled in a complicated relationship that could threaten the family’s future forever.
MOVIES
Wicked
13 June 2025 – Showmax
I will be the first to admit that I’m really not a big musical fan, which is why Wicked wasn’t much a big deal to me at the end of last year. I am most definitely the exception though as director Jon M. Chu’s big-budget film adaptation of the long-running and award-winning Broadway stage musical didn’t only break box office records to become the highest-grossing musical movie of all time with a $726.4 million global haul but also earned itself ten nominations at the upcoming Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Cynthia Erivo, and Best Supporting Actress for Ariana Grande. And now, thanks to Showmax you can defy gravity from the comfort of your lounge! For the uninitiated, Wicked (which is only the first installment in a two-part adaptation) is a prequel to classic tale The Wizard of Oz, telling the surprising origin stories of Elphaba (Erivo) and Glinda (Grande), long before they would eventually become known as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. As Noelle noted in her 7.5/10 review, Wicked “overstays its welcome at 2 hours and 40 minutes for an unfinished story” and doesn’t effectively marry its CGI and practical components. That said, Wicked: Part I is still “a polished musical blockbuster, very well cast, plus full of enjoyable surprises, energy and emotional resonance.”
Echo Valley
13 June 2025 – Apple TV+
Out of the many streaming services around, few attract star power quite like Apple TV+. And the latest A-list offering from the platform is new feature film Echo Valley. Written by Mare of Easttown creator Brad Inglesby and headlined by Jullianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney, with Domhnall Gleeson, Kyle MacLachlan, and Fiona Shaw co-starring, the thriller follows a mother (Moore) struggling to make peace with her troubled daughter Claire (Sweeney); a situation that becomes even more perilous when Claire shows up on Kate’s doorstep, hysterical and covered in someone else’s blood.
Sting
19 June 2025 – Showmax
Despite the general fears people have of them, spiders can make great pets. Unless, of course, said spider transforms into a rapidly growing monster. That’s the unfortunate turn of events that happens in Sting, a horror film written and directed by Kiah Roache-Turner, which follows rebellious 12-year-old Charlotte, who lives in a dilapidated apartment with her hard-working family. When a small spider hatches out of a strange glowing object, Charlotte decides to keep it and name it Sting. But as Sting begins growing far beyond the size of normal spiders – with an insatiable appetite to match – it causes mayhem and chaos all around.
VOD RENTALS/PURCHASES
The following movies have recently become available for digital purchase/rental:
Black Bag
Purchase: Apple TV – R170
Rental: Apple TV – R45
In a week full of star-studded releases, few can match up to the Hollywood A-list credentials of Black Bag. Directed by Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh (Erin Brockovich, Ocean’s Trilogy, Out of Sight), written by David Koepp (Jurassic Park trilogy, Mission: Impossible, Carlito’s Way), and starring multiple award winners Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender with support from Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, Pierce Brosnan, and more, there’s just an insane amount of talent gathered here. And according to reviews, it all lives up to the hype! Black Bag is a taut spy thriller that sees British intelligence officer George Woodhouse (Fassbender) given a mission to investigate a list of suspected traitors. The problem is, one of the names on the list is that of his wife, Kathryn (Blanchett). As his investigation uncovers shocking secrets, George faces the ultimate test: loyalty to his marriage or his country.
Until Dawn
Purchase: Apple TV – R180
Rental: Apple TV – R150
Video game adaptations used to be an instant miss for many fans, but as of late it actually appears that Hollywood has cracked the code. Until Dawn is definitely not going to be held up alongside some of the greats of the genre like Sonic the Hedgehog 3 or Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, but with the seasoned horror direction of David F. Sandberg (Annabele: Creation, Lights Out, Shazam!) this is a solidly made supernatural thriller. If you’re familiar with the game… well, actually just forget about the game as Sandberg and screenwriters Gary Dauberman and Blair Butler put their own unique spin on things, unrelated its source material (well, kinda… but I’m not spoiling things). This time around, the story follows a group of friends, whose search for one girl’s missing sister leads them to a secluded house in the middle of nowhere filled with all sorts of mysteries. And monstrous killers. Escape from grisly fates seems impossible, especially due to the fact that everyday time loops back around again, throwing them back into the horrors.
The Amateur
Purchase: Apple TV – R200
Rental: Apple TV – R170
In a strange coincidence, the original Until Dawn video game saw a number of Hollywood actors lend their likeness and voice talent as the cast, with Rami Malek playing a central role. And here the Oscar-winning actor is again in the other big VOD debut of the week: The Amateur. Adapted from Robert Littell’s 1981 novel, this spy thriller stars Malek as Charlie Heller, a CIA cryptographer whose wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. When his superiors refuse to take action, Charlie is forced to take matters into his own hands to see that his wife’s killers meet their justice, despite the fact that he has no field agent experience. He is forced to turn to anyone willing to help him, no matter how unscrupulous, leading to dangerous consequences. Holt McCallany, Laurence Fishburne, Rachel Brosnahan, and Jon Bernthal co-star.