International series 

P-Valley S1 

P-Valley follows the lives of the people who work at a strip club called The Pynk in the fictional city of Chucalissa, Mississippi. 

It scored 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, with Indiewire hailing it as “unlike anything ever seen on TV…  the series knows exactly what it wants to be: a sexy, fast-paced drama that sets out to de-stigmatize the world of stripping and shatter misconceptions.” Watch it express from 1Magic on Tuesdays from 24 November. 

The Loudest Voice 

Oscar winner Russell Crowe won a 2020 Golden Globe for his transformative performance as disgraced Fox News head Roger Ailes in this biographical mini-series, which was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Television Limited Series.

Time Magazine calls it “an elegant mix of character study, workplace drama and political thriller,” while Indiewire says it’s “a compelling, even artful, historical horror show out to remind viewers how news and politics were manipulated into the sorry state they’re in today.” Binge from 1 November.

Das Boot S2 

A reboot of Wolfgang Petersen’s Oscar-nominated classic 1981 movie, this German WWII drama has an 85% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus says, “Das Boot possesses the atmospheric pressure of its cinematic forebear while adding new depth to its compelling ensemble, making for a riveting international production.” Or as The New Statesman put it, “Each episode is like a shot of something very illegal to my arm.” Binge from 1 November »

New Amsterdam S2

This moreish medical drama centres on Dr Max Goodwin (Ryan Eggold from The Blacklist), the new director at America’s oldest public hospital, New Amsterdam. He sets out to put saving lives above the bottom line, and breathe new life into this underfunded and underappreciated hospital. But Max has had his own demons, including a battle with cancer and a tragic loss. 

New Amsterdam has been renewed for a further three seasons, so there’s lots more to come. Binge S2 from 1 November »

His Dark Materials S2 

In this adaptation of Philip Pullman’s classic fantasy novels, Lyra’s search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children and sets off a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. In Season 2, Lyra has crossed a bridge to a new world where she encounters Will, a boy from our world whose destiny is entwined with hers. 

The series has 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, with Slate calling it “Proof that TV is now the best medium for bringing epic literary fantasy to the screen.” Binge S1 now, and stream S2 on Tuesdays from 17 November, only on Showmax » 

The Undoing S1 

This six-part mini-series stars Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies) as therapist Grace Fraser, whose idyllic existence is shattered by a violent death and a very public scandal. With her husband Jonathan (Hugh Grant) missing, Grace must face a chain of terrible revelations and try to build a new life for herself and her son.

Based on the book You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz, The Undoing is created by multiple-Emmy winner David E Kelley, the man behind Big Little Lies and all your favourite legal dramas, from L.A. Law to Ally McBeal. Stream on Mondays from 30 November, express from M-Net. 

Documentary

Hillary 

Nominated for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series at the 2020 Emmys, this in-depth docu-series shines a spotlight on one of the most polarising political figures of our time: Hillary Rodham Clinton. 

The four-part series, directed by Oscar nominee Nanette Burstein (On The Ropes), tracks Hillary’s life from childhood to the 2016 presidential campaign and beyond, drawing on thousands of hours of footage and extensive interviews with Clinton herself, as well as her family, friends, journalists and even former US President Barack Obama. 

Hillary holds an 80% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. “It’s difficult to think of any film that speaks to our moment as strikingly as this documentary does,” says The Wall Street Journal, while The Times UK calls it an “astounding and audacious political documentary”.  Watch from 1 November. 

Also look out for the American Election 2020 collection from 1 November, including new series Slow Burn which covers interesting characters in recent political history, and Kill Chain: The Cyber War on America’s Elections. 

Movies 

Hustlers

Inspired by a true story and the viral New York Magazine article it sparked, Hustlers centres on a crew of savvy former strip club employees who band together to turn the tables on their Wall Street clients.

Golden Globe nominees Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians) lead an all-star cast that includes Julia Stiles and Keke Palmer, with scene-stealing cameos from Lizzo and Cardi B.

Hustlers made Time Magazine, HuffPost, and NPR’s lists of the best films of 2019, among others, and Lopez was nominated for a 2020 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for the role. Hustlers has an 87% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Slate calling it “a pretty much perfect film… an immediate entrant into the pantheon of female friendship movies…. you can feel its heartbeat”. Stream from 12 November. 

The Invisible Man 

Golden Globe winner Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale, Us) stars in this nail-biting horror-mystery. 

When Cecilia’s abusive ex takes his own life and leaves her his fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see.

The Invisible Man has a 91% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Rolling Stone saying, “Alive with fresh thinking from Whanell and a dynamite Elisabeth Moss, this socially conscious horrorshow tips the old monster mash into way scarier sh*t about toxic masculinity that’s as timely as #MeToo and Harvey Weinstein in handcuffs.” Watch it first on Showmax from 20 November. 

Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral 

The tenth and final instalment of the Madea film series builds on the winning formula Tyler Perry fans love, with a joyous family reunion that turns into a hilarious nightmare as Madea and the crew travel to backwoods Georgia, where they find themselves unexpectedly planning a funeral that might reveal some unsavoury family secrets. Stream from 9 November. 

The Old Man and the Gun

The Old Man and the Gun has a 93% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus hails it as, “A well-told story brought to life by a beautifully matched cast… pure, easygoing entertainment for film fans – and a fitting farewell to a legend.”

That legend, of course, is Oscar winner Robert Redford as Forrest Tucker, whose audacious real-life escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 led to an unprecedented string of heists that confounded the authorities and enchanted the public. Stream from 12 November. 

Like a Boss

Emmy winner Tiffany Haddish (Night School), Golden Globe nominee Rose Byrne (Bridesmaids), and Oscar nominee Salma Hayek (Frida) star in this hit comedy.

Mia (Haddish) and Mel (Byrne), two friends with very different ideals, start a cosmetics company together but soon find themselves in heaps of debt. When an industry titan (Hayek) swoops in to rescue their floundering business, it’s an offer they can’t refuse. But the beauty business is about to get ugly… Stream from 30 November. 

LOCAL

Chasing the Sun

From a sport defined by its past, and a country defined by its differences, comes the story of a team that chose to believe in something more… 

This five-part docu-series tracks the Springbok’s rise from the ashes to the unforgettable moment when captain Siya Kolisi raised the Webb Ellis Cup at the Rugby World Cup final in Tokyo last year.

SuperSport was granted unprecedented access to the Springboks both in the build-up to and during the tournament, which helped produce incredible behind-the-scenes footage that goes to the heart of what it took to defy the odds and reclaim World Cup glory. Binge from 2 November. 

Die Verhaal van Racheltjie de Beer

The beloved heroine of this Afrikaans folktale about a girl who sacrificed herself to save her brother is brought to life by Zonika de Vries, who won the Young Actress award for the role at last year’s Silwerskerm Festival. The film also took Best Actor (Stian Bam), Production Design and Visual Effects at the 2019 Silwerskermfees, with a further six nominations. It won Best Film at this year’s Rhode Island Film Festival and earned three Golden Horns at the 2020 SAFTAs. Watch from 5 November. 

Skeef

In this compelling documentary, TV presenter, radio host and producer Renaldo Schwarp looks at what it means to be gay in South Africa today, seen through the eyes of a diverse group of LGBTI+ locals, from comedian Marc Lottering to Kanarie co-writer Charl-Johan Lingenfelder. Watch first on Showmax from 23 November.  DM/ML

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