{"id":547704,"date":"2021-12-20T12:59:24","date_gmt":"2021-12-20T10:59:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=547704"},"modified":"2021-12-20T12:59:24","modified_gmt":"2021-12-20T10:59:24","slug":"for-your-consideration-the-best-of-2021-to-stream-on-showmax","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/industry-news\/547704\/for-your-consideration-the-best-of-2021-to-stream-on-showmax\/","title":{"rendered":"For your consideration: the best of 2021 to stream on Showmax"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Showmax brought South Africans four of the top six TV shows of 2021, according to Metacritic\u2019s roundup of the TV shows mentioned on most critics\u2019 Top 10 lists. This includes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/yous6pmy-succession?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Succession<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/u2h3ff0r-the-white-lotus?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>The <\/strong><strong>White Lotus<\/strong><\/a>, ranked first and second respectively, as well as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/e3rwk3dl-hacks?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Hacks<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/1sx2qcgf-mare-of-easttown?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Mare of Easttown<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Viewers have also loved local shows, with Showmax Originals <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/rqt1s4ns-the-real-housewives-of-durban?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>The Real Housewives of Durban<\/strong><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/buf5r8wt-uthando-lodumo?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Uthando Lodumo<\/strong><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/lguobeqc-devilsdorp?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Devilsdorp<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/illlj7pc-the-wife?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>The Wife<\/strong><\/a> all setting new viewing records for Showmax this year, as you\u2019ll see when we release our Most Watched of 2021 lists in January 2022.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/welcome?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Subscribe to Showmax from R39 per month. Until 9 January, sign up for one month and get another month free.<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">The best international TV series of 2021<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/yous6pmy-succession?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Succession S3<\/a> &#8211; Binge now, first on Showmax<\/h3>\n<p>Succession is currently leading Metacritic\u2019s round-up of the TV shows mentioned on the most Top 10 lists for 2021, having been named Show of the Year by everyone from Adweek to Complex to Vanity Fair. It\u2019s also the most nominated series overall going into both the 2022 Critics\u2019 Choice and Golden Globe awards.<\/p>\n<p>Succession follows four very rich siblings behaving very badly while trying to win their father\u2019s approval &#8211; and control of his company, a global media and entertainment empire.<\/p>\n<p>As Vanity Fair says, \u201cThere\u2019s no other show that\u2019s as dramatically compelling or twistedly funny as HBO\u2019s big hit Succession\u2026 the best showcase of performances on television\u2026&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It\u2019s hard not to reach for hyperbole when talking about how Succession makes the viewer feel, because the show utilizes its interpersonal drama\u2014almost always, the relationship between a child and their father\u2014to dig into the reach and power of big money, embodied in the show by the titanic and offensive personality of patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox).&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The stranglehold that extreme wealth has on everything\u2014on all of our lives\u2014is demonstrated by how the Succession cast dances like puppets to his tune, battered by his indifference but easily manipulated by his charm\u2026 Succession has become an indispensable fixture of the landscape\u2014a balm that makes the widening wealth gap humorous instead of, you know, a harbinger of the end of days.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/u2h3ff0r-the-white-lotus?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The White Lotus S1<\/a> &#8211; Binge now, first on Showmax<\/h3>\n<p>The White Lotus is currently in second place on Metacritic\u2019s round-up of the TV shows mentioned on the most Top 10 lists for 2021, having been named Show of the Year by The Globe and Mail, The Ringer, Slant and more.<\/p>\n<p>Set over the course of a week, the HBO series gradually peels back the glossy veneer of picture-perfect travellers, cheerful hotel employees, and the idyllic island locale itself to reveal something far uglier beneath.\u200b<\/p>\n<p>As The New Yorker says, \u201cWho is the standout in Mike White\u2019s fable of the maladjusted elite? Is it Jake Lacy as Shane, the fratty, entitled honeymooner? Murray Bartlett as Armond, the hotel manager on a drug bender? Natasha Rothwell as Belinda, the resort\u2019s spa manager who has the last dredges of her optimism drained? Jennifer Coolidge as Tanya, the woo-woo loner who drains Belinda of that optimism? This series gave us some of the best performances of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/e3rwk3dl-hacks?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hacks S1<\/a> &#8211; Binge now on Showmax<\/h3>\n<p>Hacks is currently in second place on Rotten Tomatoes\u2019 roundup of the Best TV of 2021 and in sixth place on Metacritic\u2019s round-up of the TV shows mentioned on the most Top 10 lists for 2021, having been named Show of the Year by Decider and Paste.<\/p>\n<p>The comedy-drama series centres on legendary Las Vegas comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart in an Emmy-winning performance), who takes on an entitled, down-on-her-luck Gen Z comedy writer (Hannah Einbinder in an Emmy-nominated performance) in a bid to find fresh material and remain relevant as her performance dates start to dwindle.<\/p>\n<p>Decider calls it \u201cas good as it gets\u2026 expertly penned\u2026 a deft blend of brilliant observational humor and relatable hilarity.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/1sx2qcgf-mare-of-easttown?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mare of Easttown<\/a> &#8211; Binge now on Showmax<\/h3>\n<p>Mare of Easttown is currently in fifth place on Metacritic\u2019s round-up of the TV shows mentioned on the most Top 10 lists for 2021, having been named Show of the Year by TVLine.<\/p>\n<p>HBO\u2019s Mare of Easttown dominated the Limited Series acting categories at the Emmys, with Kate Winslet winning Best Actress as small-town detective Mare Sheehan, who must investigate a murder while trying to keep her life from falling apart, and Evan Peters and Julianne Nicholson taking home the Supporting Actor and Actress categories as her colleague and friend respectively.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHBO reliably serves up a twist-laden murder mystery for us to solve every year, it seems \u2014 but even without the murder, Mare still would have been must-see TV,\u201d says TVLine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, it gave us plenty of clues, but it also took its sweet time painting a deeply intimate portrait of a tight-knit small town where everyone knows everyone else\u2019s darkest secrets. Kate Winslet shone, of course, in a complicated role that\u2019s like nothing we\u2019ve ever seen from her, but the excellent work from Jean Smart, Evan Peters and Julianne Nicholson just added more detail and texture to a masterfully observed human drama.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/urkn6mpb-what-we-do-in-the-shadows?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">What We Do in the Shadows S3<\/a> &#8211; Binge now, first on Showmax<\/h3>\n<p>What We Do In The Shadows features prominently on multiple Top 10 lists for 2021, including top five placements from Decider and Paste. It\u2019s also at number 11 on Rotten Tomatoes\u2019 list of the best-reviewed TV shows of 2021, with a 100% critics\u2019 rating, and was just nominated as Best Comedy, among other honours, at the 2022 Critics\u2019 Choice Awards.<\/p>\n<p>Based on the 2014 cult movie from the batty brains of nine-time Emmy nominee Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) and Oscar winner Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit, Thor: Ragnarok), What We Do in the Shadows follows four vampires who\u2019ve \u201clived\u201d together for hundreds of years &#8211; plenty of time to get on each other\u2019s nerves.<\/p>\n<p>As Decider says, \u201cFX\u2019s mockumentary series featuring the world\u2019s dumbest vampires, What We Do In the Shadows, has been one of the best comedies on TV since it premiered in 2019.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;But Season 3 felt like the show\u2019s breakout year, in part because of the internet\u2019s affinity for the brilliant slow-burn relationship between Nandor the Relentless (Kayvan Novak)\u2014formerly a bloodthirsty leader, now a somewhat reluctant vampire going through a midlife crisis\u2014and his human familiar, Guillermo de la Cruz (Harvey Guill\u00e9n), formerly a soft-spoken servant, now a badass vampire slayer. It\u2019s a season full of priceless, quotable moments.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Special mentions:<\/strong> other shows featuring on critics\u2019 Top 10 lists for 2021 and Rotten Tomatoes\u2019 list of the best reviewed TV of 2021 include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The romantic comedy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/le1gsnyi-love-life?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Love Life S2<\/strong><\/a>;<\/li>\n<li>The HBO drama <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/krb297aj-scenes-from-a-marriage?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Scenes from a Marriage<\/strong><\/a>;<\/li>\n<li>The horror <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/pq1okdeb-chucky?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Chucky<\/strong><\/a>;<\/li>\n<li>The teen cringe comedies <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/48u349y1-pen15?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>PEN15 S2<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/h7r0rtkc-chad?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Chad S1<\/strong><\/a>;<\/li>\n<li>The sci-fi comedy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/of48e651-resident-alien?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Resident Alien<\/strong><\/a>;<\/li>\n<li>The superhero series <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/dy2z0aha-batwoman?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Batwoman<\/strong><\/a>;<\/li>\n<li>The action series <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/mrelf67y-the-equalizer?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>The Equalizer<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/6ygseqtn-gangs-of-london?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Gangs of London<\/strong><\/a>;<\/li>\n<li>The sitcom <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/8u1n18sf-young-rock?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Young Rock<\/strong><\/a>;<\/li>\n<li>The period drama <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/kc6uk2ez-pursuit-of-love?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Pursuit of Love<\/a>;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/wn5r923e-friends-the-reunion?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Friends: The Reunion<\/a>, as well as shows headed to Showmax soon, like the final season of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/2ji8dze7-insecure?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Insecure<\/strong><\/a>; Yellowjackets; Dr. Death; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/y101eo8g-in-treatment?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>In Treatment S4<\/strong><\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/l5itz4yk-the-good-fight?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>The Good Fight S5<\/strong><\/a>; and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/3xeuijjn-curb-your-enthusiasm?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Curb Your Enthusiasm S11<\/strong><\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">Best International non-fiction<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/nw54tw4v-the-crime-of-the-century?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Crime of the Century<\/a> &#8211; Binge now, first on Showmax<\/h3>\n<p>The Crime of the Century was named Best Political Documentary at the 2021 Critics\u2019 Choice Documentary Awards; cracked The Wall Street Journal\u2019s list of the best TV shows of 2021; and has a 95% critics\u2019 rating on Rotten Tomatoes.<\/p>\n<p>From Oscar- and Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, The Inventor), The Crime of the Century is a searing indictment of big pharma and the political operatives and government regulations that enable over-production, reckless distribution and abuse of synthetic opiates.<\/p>\n<p>As FilmWeek says, \u201cOnly Alex Gibney can get his arms around the behemoth that is the opioid crisis in America&#8230; It will open your eyes and make you angry.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/movie\/6arupb2z-in-the-same-breath?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">In the Same Breath<\/a> &#8211; Stream now on Showmax<\/h3>\n<p>In The Same Breath is in fifth place on The New Yorker\u2019s roundup of the best films of 2021 as their top-ranked documentary. It\u2019s also in Top 10 films lists from the likes of Slant and cracked Indiewire\u2019s round-up of the best documentaries of 2021.<\/p>\n<p>Winner of the Festival Favourites Audience Award at SXSW 2021, the HBO feature documentary illustrates the devastating toll of widespread misinformation in the earliest days of the Covid-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>Directed by four-time Emmy nominee and 2020 MacArthur Genius Grant recipient Nanfu Wang (One Child Nation), who was born in China and now lives in the United States, the documentary explores the early confusion and parallel campaigns by authorities to try to contain the virus as well as shape the public narrative through misinformation, resulting in a devastating impact on citizens of both countries.<\/p>\n<p>As Vox says, \u201cIt\u2019s hard to imagine any pandemic documentary being better than In the Same Breath\u2026 a chilling, truly absorbing film with big implications for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">Painting With John S1 &#8211; Stream now on Showmax<\/h3>\n<p>Painting With John is at #21 on Rotten Tomatoes\u2019 list of the Best TV of 2021, with a 100% critics\u2019 rating,<\/p>\n<p>Painting With John &#8211; written, directed by and starring John Lurie, co-founder of musical group The Lounge Lizards &#8211; is part meditative tutorial, part fireside chat. Each episode has John at his work table at his home in the Caribbean, honing his watercolour techniques and sharing what he\u2019s learned about life.<\/p>\n<p>The Playlist hailed the series as \u201cone of the smartest shows on television,\u201d placing it seventh on their best TV shows of 2021 list, and adding, \u201cIt\u2019s a show about painting that\u2019s not really about painting. Lurie uses the time to ponder questions about life, music, and art.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It becomes a series of deeply personal conversations with a genius as Lurie opens up about his own life, including his cancer treatment. We may have all been alone in January 2021, but John Lurie made that isolation easier to take.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Special mentions: other non-fiction highlights featuring on critics\u2019 Top 10 lists for 2021 include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/7zeqmxkg-tiger?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Tiger<\/strong><\/a>, about Tiger Woods; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/movie\/xoh7knzf-the-day-sports-stood-still?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>The Day Sports Stood Still<\/strong><\/a>, about Covid\u2019s impact on sport; and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/jbnef8oc-allen-v-farrow?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Allen v. Farrow<\/strong><\/a>, about Woody Allen and Mia Farrow, as well as series coming to Showmax soon like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/3hcj02m8-how-to-with-john-wilson?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>How To With John Wilson S2<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/tvseries\/ukiwrkoh-were-here?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>We\u2019re Here S2<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">Best movies<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/movie\/4ois2jmd-minari?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Minari<\/a> &#8211; Stream now, first on Showmax<\/h3>\n<p>Minari ended the year in Top 10 lists by everyone from The Economist to NME after winning over 100 awards, including the 2021 Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Korean star Yuh-jung Youn.<\/p>\n<p>Minari is a moving semi-autobiographical drama about a family of South Korean immigrants who try to start a farm in rural Arkansas in the 1980s.<\/p>\n<p>NME calls the film \u201ca quiet exploration of the immigrant experience in America, especially when difficulties on the farm arise. But more than that, it\u2019s a greater exploration of family and the sacrifices we make for one other. Star performances from (breakout child star Alan) Kim and Youn are joyous to watch, as are scenes following the family\u2019s quest to make their new life work, no matter how much adversity is thrown their way.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">This Is Not A Burial, It&#8217;s A Resurrection &#8211; Stream from 3 January 2022 on Showmax<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kBAfSS7ux3o\" width=\"640\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>This Is Not A Burial, It\u2019s A Resurrection is #5 on Metacritic\u2019s list of the best reviewed films of 2021, with a 91% critics\u2019 rating. It\u2019s also at number 5 on Slant and 9 on The Playlist\u2019s round-up of the best films of 2021.<\/p>\n<p>The late, legendary Mary Twala (Black Is King) stars as a widow in Lesotho who rediscovers her lust for life when her village is threatened by the construction of a reservoir.<\/p>\n<p>Produced by Urucu (The Wound), it was hailed by Vulture as \u201cthe first masterpiece of 2021\u2026 I recommend seeing it more than once: luckily, it\u2019s so gorgeous and spellbinding that it invites repeat viewings.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">Special mentions<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.showmax.com\/eng\/movie\/mzh5285v-palm-springs?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Palm Springs<\/strong><\/a> is another Showmax film featuring on Top 10 lists, while three other critics\u2019 favourites &#8211; Promising Young Woman, Judas and the Black Messiah and Zack Snyder\u2019s Justice League &#8211; are coming soon.<\/p>\n<p>This year, Showmax also brought out the 2021 box office hits Wrath of Man and The Marksman; the 2021 Oscar winner Tenet; and Moffie, which has a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Baby Done, which has a 93% critics\u2019 ranking on Rotten Tomatoes, premieres on Showmax on 30 December 2021.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><strong>Get two months of Showmax for the price of 1<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Double the festive fun and get the <a href=\"https:\/\/stories.showmax.com\/showmax-2-for-1-deal\/?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Showmax 2-for-1 deal<\/strong><\/a> before 9 January 2022 to score two months of entertainment for the price of one!<\/p>\n<p>Enjoy the latest and greatest movies, series, kids\u2019 shows and sport, as well as all your festive favourites in our holiday collection. Yours to enjoy, whenever, wherever, on any screen. <a href=\"https:\/\/stories.showmax.com\/showmax-2-for-1-deal\/?utm_source=BusinessTech&amp;utm_medium=SponosoredArticle&amp;utm_term=December2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Get the deal here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Showmax brought South Africans four of the top six TV shows of 2021, according to Metacritic\u2019s roundup of the TV shows mentioned on most critics\u2019 Top 10 lists. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":547706,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10459],"tags":[10293],"class_list":["post-547704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-news","tag-showmax"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/547704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=547704"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/547704\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":547756,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/547704\/revisions\/547756"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/547706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=547704"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=547704"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=547704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}