We’re a few days into June already, but African streaming service Showmax has so stuffed the month with entertainment, a slight delay doesn’t really matter. Below you’ll find our top picks in terms of series, movies, documentaries and kids’ entertainment, while Showmax has compiled its own complete list for the month here. Now it’s just a case of compiling your own Must Watch list, and setting aside some couch time to enjoy it all.

Series

Before we jump into the new series making their debut on Showmax, a reminder that all of these fan favourites are returning in June:

  • The L Word: Generation Q S3 (from 2 June)
  • The Righteous Gemstones S3 (2 episodes on 19 June, then weekly)
  • The Rookie S4 (from 23 June)
  • Warrior S3 (Fridays from 30 June, express from the US)

If you want to watch the most-talked-about and controversial new series of the moment, then you definitely want to tune in for The Idol, a raunchy new drama series co-created and co-written by Sam Levinson (Euphoria), Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye (who also co-stars), and Reza Fahim. The Idol sees pop star Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) determined to claim her status as the greatest and sexiest music star – an ambition that leads her to self-help guru and cult leader Tedros (Tesfaye).

Stream The Idol weekly from 5 June, express from the US.

For something wildly unpredictable, but also smart and imaginative, there’s acclaimed sci-fi comedy drama Mrs Davis. The title character isn’t even a character. It’s the world’s most powerful Artificial Intelligence, while Simone (Betty Gilpin) is a nun devoted to destroying it during her mission to find The Holy Grail. Mrs Davis is co-created by Damon Lindelof (Lost, Watchmen) and writer Tara Hernandez (The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon) if you want a sense of the show’s tone.

Two episodes for Mrs Davis drop on 5 June, then weekly, with the 2-episode finale on 10 July. There are eight episodes in total. 

Documentaries

Eye-opening docuseries Rosemary’s Hitlist is a Showmax Original, coming from the award-winning creators of fellow true crime exposes Devilsdorp and Steinheist. This new series delves into the shocking crimes of cop-turned-serial-killer Nomia Rosemary Ndlovu, who not only murdered her lover, but also five family members, claiming R1.4 million in “killsurance” in the process. When Ndlovu was finally brought to justice, Judge Ramarumo Monama compared her to notorious 1930s murderess Daisy de Melker.

Rosemary’s Hitlist enjoys weekly episode drops every Thursday from 14 June.

A feature film documentary instead of a series – but also South African made – Down, A Comrades Story celebrates 100 years of the world’s greatest ultra-marathon, unpacked during the course of one epic day: the running of the 2022 Comrades Marathon. The documentary sets out to discover why people put themselves through such extremes, running 90km from sunrise to sunset from Pietermaritzburg to Durban; a tradition that goes all the way back to the 1920s.

Watch Down, A Comrades Story from 1 June on Showmax Pro, just in time for this year’s Comrades.

Films

June is an especially strong month for Showmax’s movie offering. In fact, we honestly can’t profile everything here. But in addition to our film top picks below, there’s also Neill Blomkamp’s horror tale Demonic (1 June); Will Smith’s Oscar-winning turn as the father of the Williams sisters in King Richard (5 June); South African psychological thriller Horisonne (2 June), centred on a cult; and animated DC League of Super Pets (26 June) for the family.

Our number one recommended movie for the month, though, is historical action blockbuster The Woman King. Starring Viola Davis, The Woman King tells the true story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the West African Kingdom of Dahomey (present day Benin) in the 1800s, and were the inspiration for Black Panther’s Dora Milaje. Also with South Africa’s Thuso Mbedu, John Boyega, and Lashana Lynch. Read our review here.

Watch from 12 June.

From Get Out and Us filmmaker Jordan Peele, Nope is the writer-director-producer’s most recent project: a take on the summer blockbuster, put through his signature artistic and unnerving horror filter. Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer and Steven Yeun star as residents in a lonely gulch of inland California who bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery, which takes the form of a mysterious phenomenon in the clouds overhead. Read our spoiler-free review here.

Nope arrives on Showmax on 22 June.

South Africa never got a cinema release of The Northman, so here’s your first chance to watch the Viking historical actioner on a local, non-VOD platform. Inspired by Norse mythology and the legend of Amleth (which inspired Shakespeare’s Hamlet), The Northman comes from The VVitch and The Lighthouse’s Robert Eggers, and stars Alexander Skarsgård as a prince determined to avenge his father’s murder by his uncle. Also with Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, and Willem Dafoe.

Stream The Northman from 15 June.

For some powerful indie-esque drama, check out award-winning The Fallout, which sees popular Wednesday and Scream star Jenna Ortega show off her impressive acting chops yet again as she plays a trauma-wracked survivor of a high school shooting. She’s joined by Maddie Ziegler in a raw (but never bleak) exploration of loss and resilience, which has been called one of the first standout coming-of-age stories for Gen Z.

Watch The Fallout from 1 June.

If you love animated anthropomorphic animal movies like Sing! and Zootopia, The Bad Guys is a new action comedy from DreamWorks Animation, based on a best-selling book series. After years of heists, a band of criminals, including Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos) and Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina) attempt to defy their villainous nature. Equal parts silly and sharp, with references to the Oceans film series and Pulp Fiction, this is a rare treat for the whole family.

Watch The Bad Guys from 22 June.