Somehow, it’s already the September school holidays, and then there’s just a term left in the year…
Showmax has put together a timely watchlist for your kids as they decompress this holiday
Headspace
Stream from Thursday, 19 September
The most watched local film at South African cinemas last year, Headspace follows 14-year-old Norman, voiced by SAFTA winner Bonko Khoza (The Wife, Red Ink).
When a freak accident sees three nanosized aliens take up residence inside his brain, Norman discovers they need his help to save Earth from Zolthard, an intergalactic villain who is stuck in the school principal’s head.
Up for Best Animation at the 2024 SAFTAs, Headspace comes to Showmax after cinema runs in Australia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates.
The first feature film from Joburg studio Luma (Shaka Ilembe), Headspace has also been dubbed into Afrikaans, Swahili and Zulu versions.
FPB rating: PG V
Migration
Stream now
Take flight into the thrill of the unknown in Migration, another #1 blockbuster from Illumination, the studio that gave us Despicable Me, Minions, Sing and The Secret Life of Pets.
Overprotective mallard duck dad Mack just wants to keep his family safe in their pond, but his family wants the holiday of a lifetime.
At the 2024 Annie Awards, Tresi Gazal was nominated for Outstanding Voice Acting in an Animated Feature for her feature film debut as the voice of little Gwen. The cast also includes Oscar nominee Kumail Nanjiani and three-time Emmy nominee Elizabeth Banks as Gwen’s parents, not to mention the likes of Emmy winner Keegan-Michael Key, Emmy nominee Awkwafina and Oscar nominee Danny DeVito.
Despite a screenplay by Emmy winner Mike White (The White Lotus), Common Sense Media recommends Migration for ages 6+ in their 4/5-star review, calling the animation, “a charming choice for all ages to watch together.”
FPB rating: PG V
Twende S1
Stream now
Up for Best Animation at the 2024 SAFTAs, Twende follows a pangolin of the same name, the slowest moving animal in the savannah. Twende’s belief that, “Life is about the journey, not the destination” is constantly at odds with his job as a motorbike taxi driver.
The Showmax Original is produced by London-based Braintrust and Johannesburg-based Mind’s Eye Creative, with Greig Cameron (Seal Team, Supa Strikas) as the showrunner and an all-star writing team that includes the likes of Supa Team 4 creator Malenga Mulendema and Kizazi Moto’s Vanessa Kanu. Junior Nyong’o voices Twende.
Twende’s pilot screened in competition at Annecy, the world’s premier animation festival. As Yalezo Njuguna says on his All That Yazz podcast, “Twende is genuinely my highlight of things I’ve watched within African animation. It is so funny.”
FPB rating: 7-9 PG
Blue Beetle
Stream now
In Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña from Cobra Kai and Parenthood) stumbles upon an ancient alien tech called the Scarab. When the Scarab picks Jaime to be its host, he gets an epic suit of armour with wild and unpredictable powers, flipping his life upside down.
Blue Beetle was nominated for Best Superhero Movie at the 2024 Critics Choice Super Awards, where Maridueña was up for Best Actor in the category.
Recommending Blue Beetle for ages 12+, and listing it among the Best Movies of the Year: 2023, Common Sense Media calls the film, “a breath of fresh air in a packed superhero market,” saying, “A Latino superhero is long overdue in the DCEU, and this warm, funny adventure makes it worth the wait.”
Blue Beetle also features Oscar winner Susan Sarandon, Oscar nominee Adriana Barraza (Thor, Dora and the Lost City of Gold), Critics Choice nominee Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), Emmy-winning comedian George Lopez, and singer Becky G.
FPB rating: 13 L P V
Star Trek: Prodigy S1
Binge now
Star Trek: Prodigy invites younger viewers (and grown-up fans) to boldly go and explore the galaxy alongside a motley crew of teen aliens who hijack a derelict Starfleet vessel to escape enslavement.
Developed by brothers Kevin and Dan Hageman (Trollhunters), Star Trek: Prodigy won an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation and was nominated for Outstanding Animated Series.
Star Trek: Prodigy has a 97% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 4/5-star rating from Common Sense Media, where they recommend it for ages 7+, saying “Star Trek: Prodigy is a treat for the eyes… Entertaining, fun, and fast-paced… bringing new life to the beloved franchise for the next generation… Although intended for a younger audience, this new take on a treasured series can be enjoyed by the whole family.”
The star-studded voice cast includes the likes of Annie Award winner Ella Purnell (Jinx in Arcane), Star Trek: Voyager alums Kate Mulgrew and Robert Beltran, Daveed Diggs (Hamilton), Jason Alexander (Seinfeld), People’s Choice nominee Jameela Jamil (The Good Place), Emmy nominee Jimmi Simpson (Westworld), and Looney Tunes royalty Eric Bauza (whose voice credits include Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck).
FPB rating: PG
