If you haven’t got a Showmax subscription, you are missing out on a lot. You will be spoilt for choice with the variety of shows on their platform and they keep updating their catalogue to keep you in the loop on all the latest shows.
Here are some of the new series that you can binge on this month.
1. The Handmaid’s Tale, S1
Based on the Margaret Atwood classic dystopian novel, the Handmaid’s Tale is a chilling series created by Bruce Miller set in ‘Gilead’, a totalitarian Christian regime where some women are forced into a life of servitude. The Handmaids, as they are called, are recruited and made to sleep with the masters of the household to conceive on behalf of their infertile wives. The series, which initially streamed on Hulu, has received critical acclaim, especially in the US, where affordable birth control for all women is being threatened by the Trump administration. Locally, the series can be reflective of the scandal that came to the fore where HIV positive women were being illegally sterilised after birth. The series and the book tackle the absence of agency that women have when it comes to their reproductive rights and the archaic idea that the worth of a woman lies in her womb and her ability to conceive. Watch now »
2. The L Word, S1-6
At a time where representation is all the rage, and for good reason, the L Word tries to realistically portray the lives of a group of gay and bisexual women living in LA. Too often, when a queer character is cast in a TV series or movie, they are stereotyped as either the gay best friend who helps with shopping, or a lesbian with emotional attachment issues, instead of showing them as human beings in love and experiencing all the ups and downs and insecurities of a heterosexual relationship. I have not watched the L word but I’m looking forward to it and hope that it doesn’t fall into the pitfalls of queer representation as is the case with mainstream TV. Watch now »
3. American Crime
American Crime is a drama series that premiered in 2005. The first season follows the investigation into the murder of a veteran, Mark Skokie, and the brutal assault of his wife Gwen during a home invasion. Each episode unfolds a different story arc as the series attempts to provide nuance on the impact of a crime investigation on the victim’s loved ones and the suspects and the suspects’ families. American Crime portrays the influence of race, gender and class in the American justice system. I would recommend that you watch it alongside 13th and the Time: The Kalief Browder Story, both available on Netflix. Watch now »
4. Thirteen
This British series follows Ivy Moxam, played by Jodie Comer, who escapes a cellar where she was imprisoned for 13 years after her abduction. The mystery begins with the investigation into the abduction of Ivy and whether she is telling the truth about her escape and abuse, or whether she embellished her account, as evidence contradicts her story. Watch now »
5. Killjoys
Killjoys is about a trio of bounty hunters working for the Reclamation Apprehension Coalition (RAC), they work in a four planet-and-moon system known as the Quad. As part of their job, they swear to remain neutral in conflicts and owe no allegiance to any system, government or other organisations. The three have dark pasts that inevitably start to haunt them and threaten their security and that of their loved ones. Watch now »
6. The Collection
Because there’s nothing like a riveting fashion-focused drama to end your week. The Collection, set in the last days of the occupation of France by Germany at the end of World War II, is about two brothers, Paul and Claude Sabine, as they try to position their fashion house among the top tiers in the Paris fashion scene. Watch now »
7. West Side Story
Lovers of golden oldies, this movie will be a treat for you. West Side Story is the adored romantic tragi-comedy of the 60s by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. West Side Story was heavily influenced by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The story is about two gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, who are involved in a turf war for New York’s Upper East Side. Trouble begins when one of the gang members falls in love with a rival gang member’s sister. Watch now »
8. Grease
If you didn’t get a chance to watch the live adaptation of Grease the musical last year at Kenya National Theater, then this is your chance to watch the film on Showmax. Set in 1955 at the fictional Rydell High School, the musical explores the themes of gang violence, unplanned pregnancies, date rape, the struggle to fit in, finding your identity and the highs and lows of love and friendship. Watch now »
9. Doubt
Doubt is a 2008 American film based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Doubt: A Parable, set in a strict Catholic school where one of the nuns, Sister Aloysius, played by Meryl Streep, suspects that Father Flynn, one of the priests, is abusing the students at the school. Watch starting 19 February »
10. The Immigrant
The Immigrant is set in 1921, when two Polish sisters arrive on Ellis Island, New York. When one of the sisters, Magda, is quarantined because of her lung disease, Ewa is forced into prostitution in order to pay for her the release of her sister. Watch now »