What To Stream On Showmax: March – May 2018

SMILF S1

First and only on Showmax
Bridgette Bird’s desires for relationships, sex and a career collide with the realities of working-class single motherhood. This raw, honest comedy is based on executive producer-director-writer-star Frankie Shaw’s Sundance Film Festival Award-winning short film of the same name – and her own experiences of having a child in her mid-twenties. Binge-watch now.

Best Comedy and Best Actress nominee, Golden Globes, 2018

VEEP S1-6

Streaming only on Showmax
Julia Louis-Dreyfus has won the Emmy for Best Actress In A Comedy for the last six years in a row for her role as ambitious, ruthless, bungling politician Selina Meyer. In 2017, Veep won five Emmys, including Outstanding Comedy Series for the third year in a row. Binge-watch now.

91% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes | 8.2 rating on IMDB

TOP OF THE LAKE: CHINA GIRL

Streaming only on Showmax
Recently returned to Sydney, Detective Robin Griffin (Elisabeth Moss) is trying to rebuild her life. When the body of an Asian girl washes up on Bondi Beach, there appears little hope of finding the killer, until Robin realises ‘China Girl’ didn’t die alone. Created by Oscar-winner Jane Campion (The Piano), Top of the Lake: China Girl co-stars three-time Golden Globe winner Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies) and Game of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie, among others. Best Limited Series nominee, Golden Globes, 2018. Binge-watch from 1 April 2018.

Season one, which earned Moss her first Golden Globe and the series a Cinematography Emmy, is also available on Showmax.

ANIMALS S1-2

First and only on Showmax
Lovelorn rats, gender-questioning pigeons and aging bedbugs having midlife crises – Animals centers on the downtrodden creatures of New York City. This adult comedy guest stars everyone from Aziz Ansari to Emilia Clarke and Jonah Hill to RuPaul, not to mention featured musical performances from the likes of Killer Mike, Big Boi, Kurt Vile, Ty Segall, A$AP Rocky, and A$AP Ferg. Binge-watch from 1 May 2018.

“One of the funniest, most idiosyncratic shows on television” Vulture

COMING SOON

NEED A LAUGH?
High Maintenance S1 (binge-watch now)
Based on a hit web series, High Maintenance is an HBO comedy about a city of strangers with one common connection: their weed dealer.

JUST FINISHED ‘THE DEUCE’?
The Wire S1-5 (binge-watch now)
Before creating The Deuce, David Simon and George Pelecanos made The Wire, which explores the Baltimore drug scene through the eyes of both the drug dealers and law enforcement. As Variety says, “When television history is written, little else will rival The Wire.” Look out for younger versions of your favourite stars, from Idris Elba (Luther) to Dominic West (The Affair) to Michael Kenneth Williams (The Night Of).

WANT TO RE-LIVE THE END OF HIGH SCHOOL (WITH WEREWOLVES)?
Teen Wolf S6 (binge-watch now)
Teen Wolf is back for the final ten episodes. It’s the last months of high school but will anyone get out alive? Winner of nine Teen Choice Awards, including Choice Summer TV Show.

FEEL LIKE A TEEN DYSTOPIA?
The Hunger Games 1-4 (binge-watch now)
A future dystopian state keeps people under control with a sport called The Hunger Games. But it never imagined the power of one girl who wants to protect her sister… Starring Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games became one of the most successful film franchises of all time.

THINK YOUR MARRIAGE IS BAD?
Imposters S1 (binge-watch now)
A dark comedy that focuses on a female con artist who marries people and then disappears with their money.

FEEL LIKE SOME SCI-FI?
Incorporated S1 (binge-watch now)
When corporations hold all the power, the only way to take it back is from the inside. Best Science Fiction TV Series nominee, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, 2017.

NEED SOME HISTORICAL INSPIRATION?
Selma (watch now)
David Oyelowo was nominated for a Golden Globe as Dr Martin Luther King Junior in this true story of a historic march to secure equal voting rights in America in the sixties. Directed by Ava duVernay with Oprah Winfrey as a producer, Selma won the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Song for John Legend and Common’s track Glory.

WANT A TOM CRUISE ACTION MOVIE?
Jack Reacher (watch now)
Catch Tom Cruise in one of his signature roles as an ex-military investigator looking into a mass shooting that doesn’t quite add up. Based on the bestselling Lee Child series, this blockbuster topped the $200m dollar mark at the global box office.

FEEL LIKE SOME REAL-LIFE INSPIRATION?
Becoming Warren Buffett (watch now)
He started out as a numbers-obsessed boy and is today one of the world’s richest people. Get to know Warren Buffet, investor and philanthropist.

NEED SOME ROMANCE?
The Mexican (watch now)
Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts were nominated for a Teen Choice Award for their chemistry in The Mexican, a romantic comedy about a hapless mob smuggler who has to collect a priceless gun that everyone seems to want.

FEELING NOSTALGIC, WITH KIDS?
The Smurfs S1 (binge-watch now)
Your favourite blue friends live in mushroom houses in a beautiful forest, where they repeatedly outwit the evil Gargamel. Winner of two Emmys for Outstanding Children’s Entertainment Series.

WANT A CLASSIC VAMPIRE FILM?
From Dusk Till Dawn (due 05/03)
Two outlaw brothers think they’re safe when they reach the safety of a remote strip club but horrors wait inside. Directed by cult favourite Robert Rodriguez, written by Oscar-winner Quentin Tarantino, and starring Oscar-winner George Clooney opposite Oscar-nominees Harvey Keitel and Juliette Lewis, this ultra-violent vampire movie topped the US box office on its release.

FEEL LIKE A SUNDANCE-WINNING STONER COMEDY?
Clerks (due 12/03)
Just because they serve you doesn’t mean they like you. Kevin Smith won the Filmmakers Trophy at Sundance for this cult ’90s classic that follows a day in the life of two convenience store clerks.

WANT AN OSCAR-NOMINATED DRAMA?
21 Grams (due 15/03)
One car crash changes the lives of three total strangers, played by Benicio del Toro, Naomi Watts and Sean Penn. Both del Toro and Watts were Oscar-nominated for their roles in 21 Grams, which was directed by Oscar-winner Alejandro G. Iñárritu (The Revenant).

NEED SOMETHING FOR THE PRESCHOOLERS?
The WotWots! S1-2 (due 26/03)
DottyWot and SpottyWot are aliens who want to learn more about Earth’s animals. This Annie-nominated preschool show was made by Peter Jackson’s five-time Oscar-winning Weta Workshop.

FEEL LIKE A KIDS CLASSIC FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY?
Charlotte’s Web (due 29/03)
Dakota Fanning won a Kids’ Choice Award for Favourite Female Movie Star for her role in this delightful family film about Wilbur the pig, who doesn’t want to land up on a dinner plate.

NEED A HOLIDAY IN GREECE?
The Durrells S2 (due 01/04)
The Durrells stay in Corfu for another season of dealing with their eccentric mother and some unusually wild pets. Based on Gerald Durrell’s classic autobiography. A 2017 BAFTA nominee for Best Drama Series.

WANT SOME AWE AND WONDER?
Planet Earth II (due 02/04)
Filmed 10 years on from the original, Planet Earth II is an immersive exploration of the jungles, mountains, deserts, islands, grasslands and cities of the world. IMDB’s top ranked TV series, Planet Earth II won Emmys for Outstanding Non-Fiction Series and Cinematography, among other prizes.

NEED SOMETHING FOR THE KIDS?
Kung Fu Panda (due 02/04)
An obese panda must learn martial arts and become the Dragon Warrior to save China from the savage Tai Lung. Nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe as Best Animated Feature.

WANT A HARDBOILED COP SHOW?
Bosch S4 (due 01/05)
With Los Angeles on a verge of a riot, Bosch is assigned a new case where his findings may either piss off his department or tip the city over the edge. This Emmy-nominated police procedural is based on the bestselling crime novels by Michael Connelly.

MISSING PHOEBE FROM FRIENDS?
The Comeback S1-2 (due 01/05)
Lisa Kudrow (Friends) was nominated for two Best Actress in a Comedy Emmy Awards for her role as an ex A-list celebrity attempting to rekindle the her career.

THINK YOUR IN-LAWS ARE THE WORST?
Meet The Parents, Meet the Fockers, and Little Fockers (due 03/05)
Robert de Niro was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy for his role as Ben Stiller’s future father-in-law in this number one box office hit comedy and its two sequels.

PLANNING A WEDDING AND NEED TO LAUGH?
Bridesmaids (due 10/05)
Kristen Wiig was nominated for the Golden Globe and Melissa McCarthy for the Oscar for their roles in this MTV Awards and People’s Choice winning comedy about bridesmaids getting competitive.

FEEL LIKE FILM NOIR?
Sin City (due 14/05)
Frank Miller codirected this adaptation of his classic graphic novel with cult filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. Starring Bruce Willis, Clive Owen and Mickey Rourke, this stylised film noir topped the box office on its release in America and went on to win over 30 international awards.

WANT AN AWARD-WINNING LOCAL DRAMA?
Man On Ground (due 14/05)
A Nigerian man spends a night in Johannesburg looking for his missing brother, against a backdrop of rising xenophibia. Man on Ground won four Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, including Best Director for Akin Omotoso, while Fana Mokoena won an Africa Movie Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor.

WANT SOME CLASSIC TARANTINO?
Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill 1 and 2 (due 17/05)
Quentin Tarantino won his first Oscar for the screenplay for Pulp Fiction, currently at number seven on IMDB’s top ranked films of all time list. John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L Jackson, Harvey Keitel and many more star in this cult classic that weaves together four tales of violence and redemptions. In Kill Bill, Uma Thurman puts in a Golden Globe-nominated performance as The Bride, who wakes from a four-year-coma ready for revenge on her fellow assassins who betrayed her.

FEEL LIKE A CLASSIC FAMILY ANIMATION?
Shrek 2 (due 17/05)
Princess Fiona’s parents invite her and Shrek to dinner to celebrate her marriage. If only they knew the newlyweds were both ogres. Nominated for Oscars for Best Animation and Best Song (Accidentally In Love).

NEED SOME STEVE BIKO?
Cry Freedom (due 24/05)
South African journalist Donald Woods is forced to flee the country, after attempting to investigate the death in custody of his friend, activist Steve Biko. Oscar-winners Denzel Washington and Kevin Kline co-star as Biko and Woods respectively, with Washington earning his first ever Oscar nomination for the role. Jonas Gwangwa and George Fenton were also Oscar-nominated for their song Cry Freedom.

WANT A QUIRKY CLASSIC?
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (due 28/05)
When their relationship turns sour, a young couple (Golen Globe winner Jim Carrey and Oscar winner Kate Winslet) undergo a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories. Directed by Michel Gondry and written by Charlie Kaufman, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is in the top hundred on IMDB’s Top Rated Movies, Rotten Tomatoes’ Top Rated Romances, and the BBC’s Greatest Films of the 21st Century lists.

AND SO MUCH MORE…
This is just a small selection of the confirmed titles; many more will be added as contracts are finalised in the coming weeks. Please note schedules are subject to change. Let us know if you need updated lineups or more information and high-res pictures on any of these titles.

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb