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Hotly anticipated series Halo and Grand Crew debut this month, alongside a slew of award-winning movies (it’s Oscar month, after all), and some super fun South African additions. Watch it all on Showmax.
Halo | First on Showmax
One of Rotten Tomatoes’ Most Anticipated Shows of 2022, Halo brings one of the highest-grossing gaming franchises of all time to the small screen.
Already renewed for a second season, Halo follows Master Chief, a cybernetically enhanced super-soldier, as he defends humanity from an alien threat known as the Covenant.
With South African Jonathan Liebesman (Battle: Los Angeles) among the show’s directors, the series stars Pablo Schreiber (Orange Is the New Black) as Master Chief John-117, with Jen Taylor reprising her voice role from the game series as Cortana. Halo streams on Fridays from 25 March, express from the US.
Grand Crew S1 | First on Showmax
Grand Crew follows a group of young Black professionals who gather at their favourite bar to “wine down” and unpack the ups and downs of life and love in LA, proving that life is always better with your crew. The show’s instantly lovable cast includes Nicole Byer (Nailed It) and Echo Kellum (Arrow’s Curtis Holt/Mr Terrific). Binge now »
PEN15 S2 Part 2 | First on Showmax
PEN15’s second – and final – season brings us eight new episodes to close out the gloriously weird story of 13-year-old besties Maya and Anna, played by 30-something creators Anna Konkle and Maya Erskine. PEN15 S2 has a 100% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. “It is bowing out at the peak of its powers,” says Guardian. Binge the whole series now »
A Discovery of Witches S3 | First on Showmax
In the final season, Matthew and Diana return from their trip to 1590 as their enemies gear up against them. Adapted from Deborah Harkness’s bestselling All Souls trilogy, A Discovery of Witches is a vampire-meets-witch story of forbidden love, starring Matthew Goode (Downton Abbey) and Teresa Palmer (Warm Bodies). It has an 83% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Binge the whole series now »
From the creators of Line of Duty, Vigil investigates the mysterious disappearance of a Scottish fishing trawler and a death on-board the submarine HMS Vigil, which bring the police into conflict with the Navy and British security services. DCI Amy Silva (Suranne Jones, Gentleman Jack) and DS Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie, Game of Thrones) lead an investigation into a conspiracy that goes to the heart of Britain’s national security. It scored 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. Binge now »
Based on Aldous Huxley’s classic 1932 novel, Brave New World imagines a utopian society that has achieved peace and stability through the prohibition of monogamy, privacy, money, family, and history itself. Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story) and Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey) lead an impressive cast. But be warned: it has an 18SN age restriction, with the Guardian suggesting that it should have been renamed Brave Nude World. Binge now »
Chicago Med S6 | Binge from 1 March
The dedicated doctors, nurses and staff of Gaffney Chicago Medical’s trauma centre are back for Season 6 of the hit medical drama. This season, they are pushed to the limit as they fight on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. The cast includes four-time Emmy nominee Oliver Platt (Fargo), as well as Yaya DaCosta (The Butler) and S Epatha Merkerson (Law & Order). Binge all six seasons so far »
A Million Little Things S3 Part 1
Friendship isn’t a big thing. It’s a million little things. In Season 3, just when the friends seem to find their new normal, their lives are upended by COVID-19, forcing them to once again lean on each other. As TV Fanatic says, “A Million Little Things is akin to Chicken Soup for the Soul…as if you were snuggling up with a warm blanket, eating comfort food, and spending time with beloved friends.” Binge the story so far now »
Ziwe Fumudoh blasted onto the scene with her YouTube show Baited with Ziwe. Now she has her own talk and variety show, Ziwe, a no-holds-barred mix of musical numbers, interviews and sketches featuring the likes of activist Gloria Steinem, The Real Housewives of New York City star Eboni K Williams, actress Cristin Milioti (Palm Springs) and author Fran Lebowitz. Binge now »
Set in early 1990s New York, at the height of the crack cocaine epidemic, Wu-Tang: An American Saga is the fictionalised account of the formation of legendary hip hop supergroup Wu-Tang Clan. Created by Grammy nominated Wu-Tang leader RZA with Alex Tse (Watchmen), Season 1 of the series was nominated for an Emmy and three Black Reel Awards. Binge now »
MOVIES
The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard
The world’s most lethal odd couple – bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) and hitman Darius Kincaid (Samuel L Jackson) – are back on another life-threatening mission. Still unlicensed and under scrutiny, Bryce is forced into action by Darius’s even more volatile wife, the infamous con artist Sonia Kincaid (Salma Hayek). They’re joined by Antonio Banderas as a vengeful madman and Morgan Freeman as … well, you’ll have to see. Stream from 14 March.
The Father
Anthony is 80, living defiantly alone and rejecting the carers that his daughter, Anne (Olivia Colman), introduces. Yet help is also becoming a necessity for Anne as Anthony's grip on reality is unravelling. At 83, Anthony Hopkins last year became the oldest-ever Best Actor winner at the Oscars. The Father also took home the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, with another three nominations. It has 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. Stream from 21 March.
Horror satire Bad Hair follows an ambitious young woman (Elle Lorraine from Insecure), who gets a weave in order to succeed in the image-obsessed world of music television. However, her flourishing career comes at a great cost when she realises her new hair may have a mind of its own. “[This] pointed, fiendishly fun horror flick cackles at the gore when an ambitious music host gets a wig that literally slays,” says Variety, calling it “at once sly, resonant, and horrific.” Stream now »
Superintelligence
When an all-powerful Superintelligence chooses to study the most average person on earth, Carol Peters, the fate of the world hangs in the balance. As the AI decides whether to enslave, save or destroy humanity, it's up to Carol to prove that people are worth saving. Melissa McCarthy stars. Stream from 10 March »
Let Them All Talk
A celebrated author (Meryl Streep) takes a journey with some old friends (Candice Bergen and Dianne Wiest) to have some fun and heal old wounds. Her nephew and new literary agent come along for the ride. Directed by Steven Soderbergh (Traffic), it has an 88% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Stream from 24 March.
Also watch:
- The Witch: Award-winning horror starring The Queen’s Gambit’s Anya Taylor-Joy. 3 March.
- The Purge: All four movies in this horror franchise. 7 March.
- The Hangover: All three comedies in this zany, chaotic trilogy. 10 March.
- Four Good Days follows a mother (Glenn Close) as her daughter (Mila Kunis) faces a crucial detox. 14 March.
- Fifty Shades Freed completes the Fifty Shades trilogy, all on Showmax. 17 March.
- Spotlight won two Oscars in 2016 with the true story of how the Boston Globe exposed a child molestation scandal in the Catholic church. 21 March.
- The Young Victoria stars Emily Blunt as the queen in the early years of her reign. 21 March.
- First Man stars Ryan Gosling as pioneering astronaut Neil Armstrong. 24 March.
NON-FICTION
The Sparks Brothers
How can one rock band be successful, underrated, hugely influential, and criminally overlooked all at the same time? With commentary from a host of celebrity fans, The Sparks Brothers celebrates the inspiring legacy of Sparks: your favourite band's favourite band. The doccie has won a slew of awards and has 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. Stream from 21 March.
Final Account
Final Account is an urgent portrait of the last living people to participate in Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. Ranging from former SS members to civilians, they reckon with their memories, perceptions and personal appraisals of their own roles in one of the greatest crimes in history. It has a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and the Guardian calls it “A simple, unadorned study of everyday evil, …the past speaking to the present.” Stream from 21 March.
South African
Settlers | First on Showmax
Filmed on the South Africa/Namibia border, with the arid desert landscape doubling for the inhospitable surface of Mars, Settlers centres on an isolated family battling the elements to survive on the Martian frontier. It stars Brooklynn Prince (The Florida Project), Jonny Lee Miller (Elementary) and more, with plenty of South African crew. Stream from 3 March.
“We are just trying to make a living. Please don’t judge us.” Diamond and Dolls is a six-episode reality show based on the lives of four slay queens on a journey towards fame, fortune and, more significantly, discovering themselves. Series producer Tebogo Ramokgadi - the self-described ‘Mayor of Sandton’ - stars alongside Inno Morolong, Eva Modika, Lumi Jemma and Lolo Mlunjwana. Binge now »
1Magic’s gripping medical drama Wounds is set in the fictional Healing Hands Hospital, where nurses and doctors dedicate their lives to helping others. A place of both trauma and hope, it’s where we meet Busisiwe (Samke Makhoba from MTV Shuga), a new intern who is understandably nervous – but for reasons that have more to do with her dark past than her future as a nurse. Weekly from 30 March.
KIDS
Join Santiago, an eight-year-old pirate, and his crew as they take on the high seas, embarking on rescues, uncovering hidden treasures and keeping the Caribbean safe. It’s won many awards and has a five-star rating on Common Sense Media, where it’s recommended for ages 4+. Their review calls it an, “Exceptional preschool series [that] celebrates kindness and courage.” Binge now »
Also Watch:
- Despicable Me, its sequel and Minions are all lighting up Showmax from 14 March.
- The Grinch stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the creature determined to spoil Christmas for the Whos. 17 March.
- The Iron Giant is an animated classic about a boy who befriends a doomed robot. 24 March.
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