The 4 Best Doccies to Stream on Showmax this October

from Brasse Vannie Kaap to The Hitman: Ricky Hatton, and Sandy Hook documentary The Truth Vs. Alex Jones & SAFTA nominee Great African Mysteries S1

THE TRUTH VS ALEX JONES

Stream from today

The Truth vs Alex Jones centres on families of the victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting, who sued InfoWars’ Alex Jones for spreading lies about the death of their children being a hoax.

The documentary has a 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the Guardian’s 4/5-star review calling it “dizzying” and its subject, “so viscerally wrong it will fry your mind.” The New York Times adds, “The Truth vs. Alex Jones offers a lesson in just how vicious and pervasive conspiracy theories can become and a chilling portrait of how little they may trouble their purveyors.”

Filmed over four years, with unprecedented access, The Truth vs Alex Jones is directed by Dan Reed, who won Emmy and BAFTA awards for Leaving Neverland: Michael Jackson and Me.

BRASSE VANNIE KAAP

Stream from Monday, 7 October

Brasse Vannie Kaap is a nostalgic feature documentary about the iconic, game-changing 90s group who helped make hip hop South African. 

Brasse Vannie Kaap’s rappers, scratchers and breakdancers reflect on the group’s remarkable journey from the Cape Flats to Pukkelpop in Belgium – a rise that was cut short by the untimely death of their frontman, Mr Fat, aka Ashley Titus, who passed away in 2007 aged just 36. 

YoungstaCPT and Jack Parow credit the group with inspiring their careers, while the who’s who of the Afrikaans entertainment industry line up to pay tribute to their undeniable impact, from David Isaacs and Oscar Petersen of Joe Barber fame to Early B and Karen Zoid to Kurt Darren and Valiant Swart.

Written and directed by Lauren Scholtz, Brasse Vannie Kaap ends with Ready D and DJ Azuhl getting the group back together for an intimate tribute show at Youngblood Africa in honour of Mr Fat. 

The doccie got a standing ovation at its sold-out Silwerskerm premiere and a 4.5/5 rave review in News24, who hailed it as a “heartfelt tribute to SA hip-hop legends… Captivating and emotionally compelling… A must-watch.”

THE HITMAN: RICKY HATTON

Stream from Wednesday, 16 October

Named Sports Documentary of the Year at The Broadcast Sport Awards and Best Documentary at the Venice TV Awards, The Hitman: Ricky Hatton is the definitive documentary portrait of a unique boxing hero. 

Hatton was an unbeaten world boxing champion by the age of 27. He went on to Las Vegas to battle against two of the greatest fighters of all time: Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. 

From an estate in Manchester, the city that made him, to the lights of Las Vegas, the city that (almost) destroyed him, The Hitman: Ricky Hatton features the raw testimonies of the family and friends he once lost and the celebrities whose paths he crossed, including 11-time world champion Oscar De La Hoya. 

The Hitman: Ricky Hatton was also nominated for Best Documentary at this year’s BAFTAs.

GREAT AFRICAN MYSTERIES S1

Binge from Monday, 21 October 

Nominated for Best Cinematography in the Documentary category at this year’s SAFTAs, Great African Mysteries explores some of South Africa’s most fascinating and enduring mysteries.

Hosted by 702’s John Robbie, the series delves into the events surrounding the ill-fated Helderberg flight in 1987, the hunt for the Kruger millions, and the discovery of Homo naledi at the Cradle of Humankind, among other topics.  

The History Channel has already renewed Great African Mysteries for a second season.

AWARDS UPDATES, FROM VENICE TO THE SAFTAS TO THE NFTAs

Original Sin nominated at Venice TV Awards

Original Sin: My Son The Killer was nominated for a Venice TV Award: Documentary, losing out to The Hitman: Ricky Hatton (see above).

The Showmax Original follows Thea Pretorius, the mother of Gerhard Jansen van Vuuren, who murdered his 25-year-old girlfriend Andrea Venter in front of her neighbours, security guards and CCTV cameras. He then escaped authorities in South Africa and Brazil for years, assuming three different identities and starting families with multiple women. After initially helping him escape, Thea slowly had to come to terms with her son being a killer. 

Global trade C21 named Original Sin: My Son the Killer one of their Hot Properties for April 2024, while locally the documentary was hailed as “absolutely gripping viewing” by Cape Talk, with Rapport adding, “No fiction writer could conjure up these events.” 

Original Sin: My Son the Killer is directed by John Gutierrez, whose debut feature Sons of the Sea was named Best South African Film at the Durban International Film Festival. The documentary feature is a co-production between Showmax, Rogan Productions (BAFTA winner Uprising), and The Electric Shadow Company (BAFTA nominee McQueen, Hot Docs Jury winner Name Me Lawand), in association with Combined Artists (Strangers You Know, Carte Blanche) and Red Earth (Narcoworld: Dope Stories).

Seven SAFTA nominees to stream now on Showmax

At the South African Film and Television Awards on 25 and 26 October 2024:

IdeaCandy’s Convict Conman is the joint most-nominated documentary, with Supersport’s Tribeca Audience Award winner Rise: The Siya Kolisi Story, which also aired on Showmax. Convict Conman is up for three SAFTAs: Best Made for TV Documentary or Documentary Series, Cinematography (Charl Fraser) and Sound (Schalk Joubert).

IdeaCandy’s Rosemary’s Hitlist is up for two SAFTAs: Best Made for TV Documentary or Documentary Series and Cinematography (Sims Phakisi).

Fifth Floor Films and Stage 5 Films’ Boetie Boer is up for two SAFTAs for Showmax: Best Made for TV Documentary and Editing (Izette Mostert, Hilton Henstock, Skye Barrow, Jaco Laubscher, Jenine Lindeque & Amelia Cohen)

Yes Girl Productions’ That’s What She Said – A Social Inquiry is up for Best Documentary Feature

IdeaCandy’s Showmax docu-series Sex and Pleasure is up for Best Structured or Docu-Reality Show.

Khaki Productions’ Formidabele Mense: Mangosuthu Buthelezi is up for Best Cinematography (Theodor Crouse)

Straatkatmedia’s kykNET series Net Mens is up for Best Cinematography (Christian Botha)

Three NFTA Best Documentary nominees to stream now on Showmax

At the National Film & TV Awards South Africa on 9 November 2024, three of the Best Documentary nominees are currently on Showmax: 

POP24’s Showmax Original The Illuminated.

SuperSport’s Chasing The Sun 2.

• The Lattitude Group production Ukuwela: The Crossing.

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