For anarchists and Blumhouse fans:
THE ANARCHISTS | Binge from Wednesday, 10 July
From HBO and Blumhouse Productions (Get Out), The Anarchists follows a cast of dreamers, fugitives, and crypto-enthusiasts whose annual gathering in Acapulco, Mexico, becomes a massive anarchist community. But what begins as a hopeful experiment to live out a radical new way of life proves to be more challenging and dangerous than anyone could have expected.
Unfolding over six years, the six-part documentary series chronicles a strange and deadly series of events that began with an impulsive one-off gathering in 2015 to promote anarchy in its purest form – an ideal espousing the absence of government with absolute individual self-rule.
The Anarchists features candid, first-hand accounts from the reluctant figurehead of the movement, Canadian entrepreneur-turned-provocateur Jeff Berwick; anarchy activists Lisa and Nathan Freeman, who left the US with their children to find a freer life in Mexico; and John Galton and Lily Forester, American fugitives on the run from drug charges, among others.
For local true crime fans:
SCHOOL TIES | Binge from Saturday, 13 July
Hallowed halls. Deep dark secrets.
From local true-crime pioneers IdeaCandy (Devilsdorp, Tracking Thabo Bester) and Steinheist director Richard Gregory, School Ties confronts the grooming and sexual abuse of learners in some of South Africa’s most prestigious boys’ schools, unravelling the trauma endured by victims and the culture of silence that allows this to happen, as well as the responses of authorities, schools, and society at large.
The four-part series examines the tragic suicide of 16-year-old Thomas Kruger on the grounds of the elite St Andrew’s College in Makhanda; looks at how a former Parktown Boys’ High School educator allegedly normalised violent and sexual behaviour; and delves into Julio Mordoh’s suicide a decade after allegedly experiencing abuse by his school sports coach. The final episode investigates a ring of school coaches accused of sex offences and speaks to South African Police Service Colonel Heila Niemand, who led the operation.
School Ties highlights the red flags that could point to abuse and offers insights from child protection specialists and experts on children’s rights, including Childline South Africa CEO Dumisile Nala, Child Protection and Development specialist Luke Lamprecht, clinical psychologist Marita Rademeyer, child protection activist and journalist Robyn Wolfson Vorster, and Deon Wiggett, the author of My Only Story: The Hunt for a Serial Paedophile.
Cape Town Today says, “School Ties serves as an urgent call for action and a beacon of hope for the countless victims who have been silenced for far too long… We can only hope that this series will act as a catalyst for significant change.”
For everyone who cares about freedom of the press:
ENDANGERED | Stream from Wednesday, 24 July
“As journalists, we can’t let the truth down.”
An official selection at Tribeca, Endangered chronicles a year in the life of four journalists living and working in democratic countries where freedom of the press has historically been considered a “given”. Yet, as online misinformation proliferates and world leaders brazenly denigrate the press, mistrust of traditional media is on the rise, and journalists are increasingly facing situations more typically encountered in war zones or autocratic states.
The HBO documentary film is directed by Oscar nominees Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing (The Boys of Baraka, Jesus Camp), and executive produced by Ronan Farrow, winner of the International Documentary Association’s Truth to Power Award, whose investigative reporting on Harvey Weinstein won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize.
Endangered has a rare 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the Times (UK) calling it a “thoughtful, depressing and, if you’re a journalist, utterly enraging documentary,” adding, “Actually scrub that… [it] should be disturbing for everyone capable of critical thought.”
As Variety says, “You can tell the filmmakers, like their subjects, are struggling to suppress a scream.”
EVERYTHING ON SHOWMAX THIS JULY
Other highlights on Showmax this July include:
• The Showmax Original drag queen reality series Beaulah: Queens van die Kaap, from the creators of The Mommy Club
• Kate Winslet in HBO series The Regime, one of BBC and Vogue’s best series of 2024 so far
• 2024 blockbusters The Beekeeper, with Jason Statham, and Mean Girls, with Reneé Rap
• 2024 People’s Choice nominee Anyone But You, starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell
• 2024 Critics Choice Super nominee Blue Beetle
• Emma Stone in A24’s series The Curse, dubbed “the weirdest, most unforgettable show of 2023” by Entertainment Weekly
• The critically acclaimed second season of Killing It, starring Craig Robinson (The Office, Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
• Mzansi Wethu’s most-watched show ever, Sibongile & The Dlaminis
See everything headed for Showmax here.
