What to watch on Showmax this weekend

Let’s be honest: between work, power cuts, and endlessly refreshing your feeds, the last thing you want is to waste time choosing what to watch. You already pay for Showmax, so it might as well earn its keep.

As July wraps up and payday rolls in, this is your chance to actually watch something decent—no endless scrolling, no second-guessing. 

We went through the platform and pulled together 11 movies that are worth your time. Some you’ve probably overlooked. Some never made it to the hype cycle. But all of them deserve better than getting buried in the catalogue. 

If you’re wondering where to start, we’ve sorted them by IMDb rating so you don’t have to guess.

Flight risk (2025) 

• Genre: Thriller Action
• Duration: 91 minutes 
• IMDB Rating: 5.2 
• Director: Mel Gibson

If you’re looking for something new on Showmax this weekend, Flight Risk might be worth a casual spin. Directed by Mel Gibson and starring Mark Wahlberg—best known for roles in The Departed, Lone Survivor, and Uncharted—this one leans into the tight-space thriller genre with an unusual setup: nearly the entire film takes place inside a small crop-dusting plane.

Wahlberg plays a rough-edged pilot transporting a key witness through dangerous airspace, and yes, it goes south and fast. The film plays around with action, suspense, and moments of dark humour. It’s not trying to be groundbreaking, but for a 90-minute ride, it holds your attention.

Don’t go in expecting peak Mel Gibson or Wahlberg at their best. But if you’re in the mood for a contained thriller with some solid tension, a few twists, and a throwback “TV movie” vibe, Flight Risk might scratch that itch.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)

• Genre: Horror 
• Duration: 118 minutes 
• IMDB Rating: 6.1 
• Director: André Øvredal

The Last Voyage of the Demeter sails into the darker corners of the Dracula legend, set entirely aboard a cargo ship crossing to London. A mysterious crate is loaded among livestock, and soon strange things begin to unfold.

Corey Hawkins (Straight Outta Compton), Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones), and Aisling Franciosi (The Nightingale) anchor the cast, while Javier Botet—known for roles in It and Slender Man—transforms into something truly monstrous.

This isn’t your classic Dracula tale. It’s more about dread than desire, with tight spaces, long nights, and nowhere to escape. A slow burn with eerie visuals, perfect for fans of stormy, gothic horror.

Magpie (2024)

• Genre: Domestic Drama
• Duration: 90 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 6.2
• Director: Sam Yates

Magpie brings Daisy Ridley back to the screen in a very different role from Star Wars. Here, she plays Annette, a woman quietly unraveling after her husband grows a little too fascinated with a glamorous actress on their daughter’s film set.

It’s a modern domestic noir with a simmering undercurrent of jealousy and suspicion. Ridley stars alongside Star Trek: Discovery’s Shazad Latif and Matilda Lutz (Reptile, Rings), who plays the magnetic Alicia at the center of the emotional spiral.

The movie is adapted by Ridley’s husband Tom Bateman from her original story and has earned an 83% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s not built for speed: this one’s all mood, tension, and emotional reckoning. The twist arrives late, but the buildup is what keeps you watching.

Perfect if you’re into psychological drama with sharp edges and don’t mind a slow burn.

Sleeping Dogs (2024)

• Genre: Crime Mystery 
• Duration: 110 minutes 
• IMDB Rating: 6.2 
• Director: Roger Donaldson

Based on the crime novel The Book of Mirrors, Sleeping Dogs stars Russell Crowe as Roy Freeman, a retired detective undergoing treatment for Alzheimer’s. After an experimental procedure meant to restore his memory, Freeman is approached about a decade-old murder case he once closed—but no longer remembers.

What follows is a layered investigation through half-recalled flashbacks, old case files, and unreliable stories of those involved. Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy) plays Laura, whose ties to the victim run deep, while Tommy Flanagan (Sons of Anarchy, Gladiator) returns as Freeman’s former partner, warning him not to stir up the past.

Crowe, last seen in The Pope’s Exorcist, holds the screen with quiet intensity, navigating a storyline built more on psychological tension than high-speed action. There’s no rush to the truth here, just a slow return of memory, guilt, and doubt. The final act makes it worth sticking around.

Dog man (2025)

• Genre: Animal Adventure, Animation 
• Duration: 90 minutes 
• IMDB Rating: 6.3 
• Director: Peter Hastings

DreamWorks’ Dog Man is based on the bestselling comic series by Dav Pilkey, the same creator behind Captain Underpants. It’s a high-energy animated film that follows a dog-headed cop and his oddball crew through a string of chaotic adventures.

The animation sticks close to the books’ playful style, with bold lines and bright colours. The pacing is fast—sometimes very fast—which fits the tone of the source material. It’s silly in all the right ways, and the jokes land for both kids and adults.

Pete Davidson voices Petey the Cat, a standout villain with more personality than expected. Isla Fisher and Lil Rel Howery also lend their voices to the cast. If you’ve read the comics, there’s a lot to recognise here. If you haven’t, it’s still an easy entry point.

It’s a quick 90-minute watch with solid laughs and just enough heart to carry it through. If you’re looking for something fun and light with the family this weekend, this one’s worth checking out.

Shaping Us (2024)

• Duration: 101 minutes 
• Genre: Drama 
• User Reviews: 7.0 
• Director: Kambili Ofili

What happens when a simple dinner party becomes a mirror for the things people don’t say? Shaping Us, the debut feature from Kambili Ofili, draws you into one evening with three couples, each quietly dealing with their own emotional weight.

From infertility to postpartum depression to shifting friendships, the film explores themes not often seen in Nigerian cinema. It stars Uzoamaka Power and Bucci Franklin, with appearances by Lasisi Elenu (The Razz Guy), Omowunmi Dada (Elesin Oba), and Jordan Bangoji.

No spoilers here, but expect layered conversations, awkward silences, and moments that might hit closer to home than expected. If you’re into grounded dramas with solid performances and real-life tension, Shaping Us is worth your binge-time this weekend.

Girl you know its true (2023)

• Duration: 124 minutes 
• Genre: Musical Drama 
• IMDB Rating: 7.1 
• Director: Simon Verhoeven

If you grew up hearing the name Milli Vanilli, or just know them from that scandal, this biopic gives the full backstory. Girl You Know It’s True is a sharp retelling of how two dancers, Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan became global stars only to face a dramatic fall. The story digs into the pressures of pop stardom and the unseen forces that shaped their journey.

The lead actors (Tijan Njie as Rob and Elan Ben Ali as Fab) have a strong resemblance to the real duo and bring solid energy to their performances. Matthias Schweighöfer (known for Army of Thieves, You Are Wanted) takes on the role of Frank Farian, the producer who orchestrated it all, and he’s one of the standouts.

The film doesn’t try to glamorise the scandal. Instead, it shows how it all spiralled and how much Rob and Fab lost when the truth came out. There’s drama, some fourth-wall breaks, and of course, a throwback soundtrack that’ll stick in your head.

Even if you know how it ends, this is a fascinating watch, especially for anyone curious about how the pop machine really works behind the scenes.

White bird (2023)

• Duration: 121 minutes
• Genre: Period Drama 
• IMDB Rating: 7.3 
• Director: Marc Forster

From the world of Wonder, but with a heavier lens. Julian, the school bully from the 2017 film, is now expelled and struggling to adjust. His grandmother (Helen Mirren), visiting from Paris, steps in with a story from her past as a Jewish girl during Nazi-occupied France.

That story becomes the film. Ariella Glaser plays young Sara, whose life changes overnight as her town turns against her. Orlando Schwerdt is Julien, a boy with a limp from polio, who hides her with help from his parents—played by Gillian Anderson and Jo Stone-Fewings.

What follows is quiet and tense: a slow build of trust, fear, and friendship in a world closing in. Directed by Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, World War Z), White Bird stays grounded. Julian’s part in the present-day just bookends a much deeper story about what people choose to do when it matters most.

Wicked (2024)

• Duration: 160 minutes 
• Genre: Musical Fantasy
• IMDB Rating: 7.4 
• Director: Jon M. Chu

Even if musicals aren’t usually your thing, Wicked might catch you off guard. This is the screen adaptation of the hit Broadway show that reimagines the backstory of the witches from The Wizard of Oz. Before Dorothy ever dropped in, Elphaba and Glinda had their own story, one full of friendship, rivalry, and power.

Cynthia Erivo (Harriet) plays Elphaba with serious emotional weight, while Ariana Grande (Victorious, Don’t Look Up) brings charm and chaos to Glinda. The two leads pull off a dynamic that makes the movie feel grounded, even in a magical world.

Visually, Wicked is huge. The sets are immersive, the choreography tight, and the music pushes the story forward without dragging it down. Some say it has more “Disney magic” than anything Disney’s put out lately, and it’s produced by Universal.

There’s already buzz about Part 2, which drops in November. So if you’re curious or planning to watch both, now’s a good time to start.

Diiche (2022)

• Genre: Nollywood Psychological Thriller Drama 
• Duration: 6 episodes, 273 minutes 
• IMDB Rating: 7.4 
• Directors: James Omokwe, Tolu Ajayi, Fiyin Gambo and Ifeoma Chukwuego

Diiche is a six-episode thriller where a Nollywood star, Odiiche, is accused of killing her fiancé. Played by Uzoamaka Onuoha, she must prove her innocence as investigators dig into her past.

The series mixes murder mystery with traditional elements, including a backstory rooted in supernatural beliefs, including a backstory rooted in supernatural beliefs. 

Diiche features Uzoamaka Aniunoh (MTV Shuga), Gloria Anozie-Young (Glamour Girls), Chinyere Wilfred, and Efa Iwara (Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story). The performances, especially from Onuoha and Anozie-Young, are sharp, and the series looks polished.

The story is simple on the surface but folds in twists and flashbacks that unpack deeper layers. It also uses Igbo culture as more than background, making it feel grounded. If you’ve seen Blood Sisters or Jordan Peele’s Us Us, the format might feel familiar.

Diiche keeps its pace, avoids long explanations, and is visually sharp. If you want a local crime series with a fresh tone, this is a solid weekend pick.

Pepeta (2022-2023)

• Duration: 8 episodes, Mini series 
• Genre: Kenyan Crime Drama 
• IMDB Rating: 8.7 
• Director: Vincent Mbaya

Set in Kibera, Pepeta follows a teenage footballer, Junior (Brahim Ouma), caught between chasing a pro career and surviving crime. Inspired by the real-life story of Harun ‘Rio’ Wathari, it explores how poverty, policing, and pressure shape young lives. 

The cast includes Malik Lemuel (Machachari), Avril Nyambura (MTV Shuga), and Lwanda Jawar (Sense8), with direction by Vincent Mbaya (Country Queen). 

It’s sharp, tense, and rooted in real struggles—no fluff. Told through the lens of youth navigating survival, hope, and identity through football, Pepeta deserves a spot on your weekend watchlist.