Blackadder

Rowan Atkinson, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie being silly, what can possibly be better? This comical, but poignant sitcom which reinvented itself as often as Madonna, delivers a healthy dose of witty cynicism, drip-feeding sharp commentary on a variety of issues.

It’s mostly light-hearted viewing, but if you’re predisposed to understanding subtle satire, it’s timeless.

Available on: You’ll have to reach for the DVDs.

Kanarie

We’ve told you about this film before, but it’s hitting cinemas this week. Yes, we know, you’ll have to leave the house, but it’ll be worth it. Maybe it’s because the film’s promoters have done a great job at marketing it, or maybe it’s because of the theme, but it feels like this one of the most anticipated South African movies of the year.

Featuring Schalk Bezuidenhout, almost unrecognisable without his trademark hair, the movie is about a young man in the apartheid days, struggling with his identity and the grim reality of being enlisted in the army.

The cinematography is skilful, the acting exquisite and the theme important.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t issues – critics have noted that the film would have benefited from having a person from the LGBTQI+ community feature in a lead role to add an air of authenticity. That’s valid criticism.

But in isolation, this film and others like it, will finally push South African movies to the level everyone has always known they could reach.

Available on: Head out to the cinema.

Vuil Wasgoed

In stark contrast to Kanarie, Vuil Wasgoed is on the lighter side of South African film. It’s not going to riddle you with introspection and it is utterly foolish.

While the movie has won a few awards, critics have been less kind, one writing that “not a single joke landed”.

Look, it’s not a side-splitting bit of hysteria, but the mish-mash oddity of it all is a nice distraction from the real world.

The storyline isn’t unique either. Two friends who run a laundromat discover a chopped off finger and soon realise that there are some bad people involved. You can guess the rest.

It’s a bit of a stoner comedy without the dagga jokes. It’s not going to blaze (pun intended) any new trails, but it’s a tolerable distraction from real life.

Available on Showmax.

Video of the Week: Hedgehogs,  a short animated film

Hedgehogs! But it’s a little more complicated than that. DM