If you were unable to visit the cinema lately, you’re in luck as several major titles have become available for digital purchase/rental this week, including superhero adventure Supergirl, horror breakout Obsession, martial arts cult hit The Furious, and more!
SERIES
Alley Cats S1
7 August 2026 – Netflix
If you’re a fan of both cats and Ricky Gervais’ special brand of acerbic humour, then Alley Cats may be right up your… alley? Created by the multi award-winning British comedian, this new adult animated sitcom also stars Gervais as Gus, a member of a group of feral British cats from all walks of society. The show follows the trials and tribulations of the group, ranging from the funny to the absurd, as they seek companionship while ruminating on everyday life.
My Brilliant Career S1
13 August 2026 – Netflix
If you’re reading this from Australia, chances are that you need no introduction to the story of My Brilliant Career. Written in 1901 by hugely influential Australian writer and feminist Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin (who wrote under the pen name Miles Franklin), the novel My Brilliant Career has been a staple on school reading syllabuses Down Under for decades and was also famously adapted as a feature film in 1979, as well as various theatre productions. Now it’s the turn of Netflix to bring this tale to the wider wild. My Brilliant Career is a six-episode miniseries that stars Phillipa Northeast as Sybylla, a young woman living in a rural Australian town in the early 20th century who has one searing ambition – to be a writer. Unfortunately for her, her family’s dreams for her only extend as far as marrying her off. With an irrepressible taste for adventure, Sybyllato find the story that will allow her to write her way to independence. But all her plans are disrupted when she meets a young man called Harry (played by Slow Horses’ Christopher Chung) and a budding romance develops.
Reacher S4
12 August 2026 – Prime Video
Four seasons in, and you know exactly what to expect from Reacher at this point as hulking ex-military police turned crime-solving drifter Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) gets caught up in yet another nefarious plot where somebody is inevitably getting their head bashed in. Based on Gone Tomorrow, original author Lee Child’s 13th book in the best-selling novel series, this new season sees Reacher having a chance encounter with a distraught stranger on a subway which goes horribly wrong. It’s not long before he gets drawn into a complex and deadly game that pits him against ruthless foes from the highest echelons of power.
MOVIES
The Last House
7 August 2026 – Netflix
Sounding like an introvert’s dream turned into a nightmare, The Last House is a new sci-fi thriller from director Louis Leterrier (The Transporter, Now You See Me, Fast X) that follows a family of four who suddenly find themselves sealed inside their home with no way out. Golden Globe winner Greta Lee and Oscar nominee Wagner Moura star as Riley and Jason, the young couple who, along with their two kids, have to figure out just who/what is keeping them trapped. As their resources dwindle, the family must work together to survive the mysterious, looming threat.
RENTALS/PURCHASES
The following movies have recently become available for digital purchase/rental:
Supergirl
Purchase: Apple TV – R150
Following on from James Gunn’s Superman, Supergirl is the second feature film release in the fan-favourite filmmaker’s DC Comics cinematic universe reboot. Unfortunately, this one wasn’t quite as “Up, up, and away” as the folks over at Warner Bros. may have liked. Adapted from Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, arguably the greatest Supergirl comic book story ever published, writer Ana Nogueira and director Craig Gillespie’s big screen take on the character got mixed reviews upon release, even though most agreed that star Milly Alcock’s Kara Zor-El is fantastic. Our own Noelle scored the film 8/10, saying that while Supergirl is “flawed”, it also boasts “powerful performances, bravery in going to dark places, and a potent message for viewers”. Unfortunately, positive reviews like these were not enough to sway enough cinemagoers as the film has bombed at the box office, earning just $126 million globally off a reported production budget in the regions of $180 million. Add in promotional costs, and it looks like Supergirl could be a financial loss to the studio as high as $200 million. And that bottom line-destroying number is why the film is now already available for digital purchase – with rental to follow soon – despite the fact that it only hit cinema screens just six weeks ago. Hopefully, that will mean more people watching and enjoying the film at home now.
Obsession
Purchase: Apple TV – R150
Rental: Apple TV – R45
On the opposite end of the commercial spectrum to Supergirl though, we have Obsession. Horror movies have been having a great time at the box office lately, and Obsession has easily become the poster child for these genre hits. Made for a staggeringly efficient $750 000, the film has gone on to earn a jaw dropping $475 million globally on top of widespread critical acclaim and awards buzz for breakout star Inde Navarrette. Written, directed, and edited by Youtuber-turned-filmmaker Curry Barker, the film follows Bear (Michael Johnston), a timid music store employee who has harboured a longtime crush for his co-worker/high-school friend Nikki (Navarrette). Unable to pluck up the courage to admit his feelings to her, he randomly buys a supernatural toy that claims to grant wishes and uses it to wish that Nikki loved him. When Nikki suddenly displays romantic affection towards him, it seems that the “One Wish Willow” was actually legit and Bear got what he wanted. But things take a very dark and sinister turn when he discovers that unrelenting desire can be a very dangerous thing.
The Furious
Purchase: Apple TV – R100
Rental: Apple TV – R45
The martial arts genre has been in a bit of a funk for the last few years as studios preferred attractive actors without martial skills who then get propped up by CGI, instead of showcasing some real-world masters of their craft. So, when a new martial arts action movie hits the festival scene and immediately starts generating comparisons with The Raid, you sit up and take notice. That’s exactly what happened when The Furious, the new film from acclaimed director/action choreographer Kenji Tanigaki (Rorouni Kenshin live-action trilogy), earned some serious early buzz for its insane action set-pieces and gritty grappling heavy choreography. Seeing as the film has had a very limited international release, I knew that we would not get a cinema release for The Furious in South Africa, so I resigned myself to having to scrabble around to get it. But in a very pleasant surprise it’s now been made available for digital rental/purchase which means my weekend movie plans are sorted!
The film stars longtime genre favourite Xie Miao (who has been kicking butt onscreen since his childhood when he starred alongside Jet Li in The New Legend of Shaolin and My Father is a Hero) as Wang Wei, a mute Chinese handyman raising his daughter in Southeast Asia. When his daughter is grabbed by human traffickers and the corrupt police refuse to assist him, Wei sets out on his own to find her on his own. His violent pursuit leads him right into the path of Navin (Joe Taslim), a journalist whose wife went missing while investigating the very same trafficking ring. Together, the unlikely duo will stop at nothing to see their respective loved ones again, ruthlessly driven by a furious vengeance.
Scary Movie
Purchase: Apple TV – R150
The biggest surprise for me with the Scary Movie franchise is that the latest film is actually the sixth entry! When did they make five other films?! To be fair, it has been 13 years since the last release for the horror parody series created by the Wayans brothers, with this new film – which is annoyingly just titled Scary Movie in most regions – being seen as a revival, bringing back original stars Anna Faris, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, and Regina Hall. Giving a plot synopsis for these films is usually an exercise in futility though, as they are really just vehicles to poke fun at the biggest horror releases of recent times. In this case, it’s the likes of Get Out, Nope, Scream, Sinners, Longlegs, M3Gan, Weapons, Smile, The Substance, and more that all get skewered. The film got an overall negative reception from critics, but this is not the type of movie that generally cares about reviews. This was clearly evident in the fact that it earned $231 million against a $30 million budget, becoming the second-highest grossing film in the series after the first installment. And now you can add to that total by watching it at home on digital release!