Last month Showmax delivered viewers some of the most talked-about shows of the year, particularly The Pitt. This month, the streamer is primarily about bringing acclaimed movies to home viewers for the first time in South Africa.

Below you’ll find our picks of the popcorn bunch, and more. Also, you can find the complete September line-up for Showmax here, subject to change.

Series

So many popular medical, police and firefighting shows return this month, including the likes of Chicago Med Season 10 (binge from Wednesday, 3 September), Chicago Fire Season 13 (Wednesday, 10 September), Chicago P.D. Season 12 (Wednesday, 17 September), and S.W.A.T. S8 Batch 2 (Wednesday, 24 September). Award-winning school-set Youngins, a Showmax Original, also sees its Season 3 drop in three-episode batches every Friday from 19 September.

If we had to single out one new series worth your time, though, that would be crime drama Task. From the creator of Mare of Easttown, HBO Original Task sees Mark Ruffalo’s FBI agent forced to head up a team intent on stopping a string of violent robberies. Some familiar faces in the cast include Emilia Jones, Martha Plimpton and South Africa’s very own Thuso Mbedu of The Woman King fame.

Watch Task on Mondays from 8 September, express from the US. The miniseries consists of seven episodes.

Film

Want to watch the most talked about movie out of last month’s kykNET Silwerskerm Festival? Now’s your chance. In raunchy Afrikaans-language comedy Khaki Fever, a group of game rangers compete to see who can hook up with the most tourists in a season. Adding complexity to the naughty contest is Anel, the conservative lodge manager, who will fire anyone caught fraternising with guests. Christopher Jaftha leads up the cast as uber-hunk Daniel.

Stream Khaki Fever from today, Friday, 5 September. It comes with English subtitles.

It’s a hefty 215-minute watch, but epic historical drama The Brutalist is considered essential viewing as it delves into the immigrant experience of Holocaust survivor László Toth (Adrien Brody). Toth, a brilliant Hungarian architect, relocates with his loved ones to the United States, but finds himself exploited by Guy Pearce’s wealthy industrialist as all his status has evaporated in leaving Europe. Included in The Brutalist’s nearly 170 award nominations are three Oscar wins, for Best Actor, Best Cinematography and Best Original Score.

Stream The Brutalist from today, Friday, 5 September.

Another 2025 Oscar contender (and this year’s Best Adapted Screenplay winner) is surprisingly tense thriller Conclave – which enjoyed a boost of relevance when Pope Francis passed just after Easter. Ralph Fiennes plays Cardinal Lawrence, a man tasked with overseeing the selection of a new head for the Catholic Church, only to find himself tangled in a web of conspiracies and potential scandals. Also with Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini.

Stream Conclave from Monday, 8 September on Showmax.

It didn’t win any Academy Awards (it was nominated for Best Original Screenplay), but real-life thriller September 5 is apparently a gripping exploration of a turning point in news coverage and media ethics. Set during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, an American sports broadcasting team suddenly finds themselves with front row seats to the unfolding Israeli athlete hostage crisis. With John Magaro, Peter Sarsgaard and Ben Chaplin.

Stream from Thursday, 11 September on Showmax.

Documentaries

Representation matters. Which makes two-part documentary Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television a fascinating look at the struggle to increase the presence of black stories, actors, creators and other figures on American television. Issa Rae drives the project, while the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Shonda Rhimes and Ava DuVernay all appear to talk about their experiences, along with groundbreaking shows past and present.

Watch Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television from 25 September.