Firmly establishing itself as one of the top streaming services in Africa, Showmax has some of the best movies around. Whether you’re looking for a heart-stopping thriller to have you at the edge of your seat or a tearjerker of a rom-com to snuggle up to with your significant other, you won’t go wrong by switching on this streamer. In this article, we’ll share our picks for the best movies on Showmax.
15. The Winning Ticket
Have you ever laid in bed wondering how your life would change if you won the lotto? The Showmax Original, The Winning Ticket, is about a teenage girl who prays for her family to win the jackpot, and they do. The story explores how this family’s life changes, with all the good and the bad that come with overnight riches. Though it’s light-hearted and fun for the most part, it deals with some big questions and is just great family entertainment.
14. Fast X
From one end of the spectrum (family fun) to the other (gritty, fast-paced action), we have our next film on the list. Fast X cranks the action and thrills up to a whole new level, delivering a crazy, wild ride that will have you glued to your seat. It’s another chapter in the popular Fast and Furious saga that doesn’t disappoint franchise fans. You can always expect big stunts, exciting car chases and explosive set pieces. If you’re looking to unwind after a hectic day and love cars, this is the one you want to watch.
13. Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie
Part of the beloved Paw Patrol franchise, Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie expands the world of Adventure City and its lovable pups with a superhero twist. Following the tradition of the original series, The Mighty Movie offers good, wholesome fun for kids. The pups gain unique powers and use them to help others, teaching valuable lessons about teamwork, responsibility and courage. Like the Paw Patrol series, this movie entertains while promoting positive messages, making it a perfect choice for a fun movie night.
12. The Independent
The Independent throws stars Brian Cox and John Cena into the heart of a hard-fought US presidential election. Jodie Turner-Smith plays a young journalist who stumbles upon a conspiracy involving a rising independent candidate (Cena) that could sway the entire race. As she teams up with a seasoned reporter (Cox), their pursuit of the truth leads to a thrilling race against time to expose the truth before it’s too late.
11. Original Sin: My Son, The Killer
If there’s an area in which Showmax has shone over the last few years, it’s investing in hard-hitting, often shocking, true crime documentaries about South African stories. Original Sin: My Son The Killer is one of them. This doccie film tells the story of Thea Pretorius, whose son, Gerhard Jansen van Vuuren, brutally murdered his girlfriend Andrea. We then discover how Gerhard escaped from South Africa, changing his name and starting new lives with different women. Thea, who may have helped him escape at first, eventually realized the monster her son was.
10. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
Another mega franchise makes its way onto our rankings with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Though we’re happy to have it on our list, that doesn’t mean it was a top performer while still on the cinema circuit. It may have grossed a respectable $439 million worldwide, but it fell short of expectations given how much it cost to make and became the lowest-earning film in the franchise. Still, we must look at the positives. Rise of the Beasts introduced a new generation of Transformers – the Maximals – and gave existing fans an action-packed adventure. The Transformers franchise isn’t going away anytime soon.
9. DC League of Super-Pets
DC League of Super-Pets is another family fun romp revolving around Superman’s best friend, Krypto the Super-Dog. When the Justice League gets kidnapped by a villainous but hilarious guinea pig, Krypto must assemble a team of unlikely heroes: Ace, who possesses unusual strength; a giant-sized pig named PB; a lightning-fast turtle named Merton; and a squirrel named Chip, who can zap his way out of anything. This ragtag group of shelter pets with newfound powers must work together to save the day. DC League of Super-Pets is great for a fun-filled family movie night and on the best movies on Showmax.
8. Casino
Let’s throw in an oldie but a goodie for good measure. There’d be no new school without the old school. Casino is legendary filmmaking and is here to represent the classics. Martin Scorsese is exceptional as always, and Robert De Niro delivers a powerful performance as Ace Rothstein, a cool-headed mafia accountant who oversees a Las Vegas casino empire. Surrounding him are Sharon Stone’s seductive Ginger, whose presence throws his life into chaos, and Joe Pesci as the explosive Nicky, always there threatening Ace’s control. It’s a filmmaking masterclass from Scorsese that captures casinos’ dark, opulent world.
7. Triangle of Sadness
Triangle of Sadness is a multi-award winner and nominee, including getting a nom for three Academy Awards. The film takes a hilarious yet scathing look at the lives of the super-rich. We follow a celebrity couple, Carl and Yaya, on a luxury cruise filled with out-of-touch wealthy passengers. When a violent storm rocks the boat, things take a wild turn—the established social hierarchy crumbles, with hilarious consequences. Triangle of Sadness won critical acclaim for its clever satire, unexpected plot twists, and brilliant performances.
6. The Woman King
Starring the perennially excellent Viola Davis, The Woman King, released in 2022, tells the story of the Agojie, a real-life unit of elite female warriors who safeguarded the West African kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s. Davis is General Nanisca, a fierce trainer who prepares the next generation of warriors, played by Thuso Mbedu, for a coming conflict. Though some critics questioned its portrayal of the Dahomey kingdom’s role in the slave trade, the film was well-received overall, becoming a box-office success and earning nominations for prestigious awards.
5. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Tom Cruise is not just an actor; he’s a force. He’s a celebrity’s celebrity and Dead Reckoning Part One is the latest tour de force in the Mission: Impossible franchise. Showmax snapped this one up relatively quickly, and fans of Cruise can watch him at his death-defying best in this sharp thriller movie and hold their breath as they watch him perform his most daring stunt to date. What else is there to say?
4. Equalizer 3
For a man knocking at 70’s door, Denzel Washington is still getting it done in this film about Robert McCall, a retired black ops agent with a knack for justice. When he stumbles upon a local community terrorized by the mafia, his protective instincts kick in, and he steps in to save the day. While the film might lack the relentless action of the previous ones, it has a gripping story and allows us to witness Denzel’s undeniable charisma. The man stays relevant.
3. Jaws
We incorrectly stated that Casino would be the only film representing the classics because there’s no way we could leave Jaws off this list of the best movies on Showmax. Who can forget this story of a man-eating shark whose teeth still inspire fear today? It’s great to see that a film released as far back as 1975 can command as much respect as this film still does. The sequels weren’t as acclaimed (at all) as the first film, but if you want to watch them, they’re on Showmax too.
2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
A Brooklyn teenager, Miles Morales, stumbles into becoming Spider-Man after a radioactive spider bite. But apart from the great story, we’ve put this film close to first place because of its groundbreaking animation. Combining comic book aesthetics with great visuals creates a vibrant and innovative world. You rarely get a perfect combination of visual innovation and great storytelling like you do in this movie.
1. Elvis
Baz Luhrmann’s flashy biopic took us down memory lane and into the process of a young actor who did a praiseworthy job of inhabiting the role of a lifetime. Though the movie won no Oscars despite being nominated in eight categories, it was a wild ride which was thoroughly enjoyable. Austin Butler’s dedication to the role of Elvis Presley is, on its own, enough to make this the best film you can catch on Showmax, but as anyone who’s watched it can tell you, there’s so much more to it.
Are you watching anything on Showmax? Let us know.
