DStv movie highlights for August 7 to 13,
2020:
MOVIES
Bombshell (Drama)
August 9 on M-Net (DStv Channel 101) at 20h05
(Express to Showmax)
In a post #MeToo world, this movie tells
the provocative real story of Megyn Kelly, Gretchen Carlson and fictional
character Kayla Pospisil. The three whip-smart, ambitious female news anchors
at media empire Fox News set out to expose the man who made them famous, making
headlines in the process.
The Neighbour in the Window (Thriller)
August 10 on Lifetime (DStv Channel 131) at
20h05
Inspired by the book False Victim by Kathie Truitt, The
Neighbour in the Window is a chilling tale of a neighbourly relationship
gone wrong. Highlighting concerns about privacy and what can happen when a
neighbour invades your space, protagonist Karen (played by Jamie-Lynn Sigler of
The Sopranos fame) relocates to
Washington where her life unravels as she finds out the true agenda of
beautiful and charming neighbour Lisa.
Red
Joan (Spy Drama)
August 9 on M-Net Movies Premiere (DStv
Channel 104) at 20h15
Academy award-winner Judi Dench delivers an
emotion-inducing performance as senior citizen Joan Starley who is arrested and
charged with conspiring against her country. Based on a novel of the same name,
Red Joan’s titular character is based
on Melita Norwood, a secretary of the British Non-Ferrous Metals Research
Association who allegedly supplied the Soviet Union with nuclear secrets.
Queen
of Katwe (Drama)
August 9 on BET (DStv Channel 129) at 21h00
The film that shot Kenyan actress Lupita
Nyong’o into the spotlight, Queen of
Katwe is the inspirational true story of chess prodigy, Phiona Mutesi.
After a chance meeting with a soccer coach at a missionary programme, who
introduces her to the game of chess, Phiona becomes a top player with an
opportunity to escape from her life of poverty.
The
Next Karate Kid (Action)
August 9 on TNT (DStv Channel 137) at 18h15
A staple of martial arts movies, the Karate Kid movies inspired many a
Nineties’ kid to take up karate. The Next
Karate Kid is the fourth instalment in the series released in 1994 and sees
Mr Miyagi taking in a troubled teenager, Julie, portrayed by Hilary Swank.
Swank’s portrayal of Julie, whose take-no-prisoners attitude empowered and
encouraged young girls, is seen as her breakout performance.
G I Jane (Action)
August 9 on TNT (DStv Channel 137) at 20h00
Even as main character Lieutenant Jordan
O’Neil, played by Demi Moore, declares that she’s ‘not interested in being some
poster girl for women’s rights’, she motivated an entire generation of girls to
battle against the odds for what they want. The film follows Jordan’s journey
to becoming a Navy SEAL even as everyone expects her to fail.
BOXOFFICE
Capone (Crime Drama)
Available from Friday, August 7
Tom Hardy transforms as the 47-year-old
gangster Al Capone in this biographical crime drama. After spending 10 years in
prison, Capone succumbs to dementia, reliving his violent past through
tormented memories.
Run This Town (Drama)
Available from Sunday, August 9
Recounting the turbulent year of Rob Ford’s
tenure as Mayor of Toronto in 2013, Run
This Town’s success goes far beyond its talented cast, which features The Vampire Diaries’ Nina Dobrev. The
political scandal that lies at the premise of the film is second only to its
scathing yet correct portrayal of backroom politics.
Swimming for Gold (Family)
Available from Monday, August 10
Disney graduate Peyton List stars as young
elite swimmer Claire who is sent to Australia to coach a boys’ swim team
following a jet ski accident. On arrival at the swim camp, Claire is forced to
room with her long-time rival and enemy Mikayla (Lauren Esposito) while
harbouring a secret fear.
The Rest of Us (Drama)
Available from Friday, August 7
Single mother Cami and her daughter
reluctantly take in her ex-husband’s second wife and daughter when his untimely
death leaves his new family homeless. As the mother-daughter duos contend with
their grief, they must also unravel the complicated relationships they have
with the person they’ve lost and each other.
Monday, August 10 on Universal TV (DStv Channel
117) at 20h00
Season two of this unmissable crime drama
is packed full of action. Noel Clarke and Ashley Walters return as Aaron Bishop
and Ronnie Pike, childhood friends from different backgrounds who now work
together for the UK’s National Crime Agency. In the explosive season opener, a
chance discovery leads to the duo being sent undercover to infiltrate the
Markides family, a notorious international crime gang.
Perry
Mason S1
Available from August, 7 on Showmax
In a remake of the 1950s hit TV show,
Matthew Rhys portrays a down-and-out defence lawyer in 1932 Los Angeles, United
States. Based on the novels and short stories of Erle Stanley Gardner, the show
follows Perry Mason (Rhys) as he tries to put the pieces together of the abduction
and gruesome murder of a young boy.
Agatha Raisin S3
August, 7 on BBC First (DStv Channel 119)
at 20h00
Starring Emmy®-nominated actress Ashley
Jensen (Ugly Betty) and based on M C
Beaton’s bestselling novels, Season 3 sees London PR whizz turned amateur
sleuth becoming entangled in mischief, mayhem and murder in the small village
of Cotswold.
Riverdale S4
Saturdays from August 8 on M-Net (DStv
Channel 101) at 21h00
Archie and the gang are back for another
conspiracy-ridden season. The opening episode takes a turn at explaining the
untimely death of Archie’s dad, portrayed by late actor Luke Perry, while the
town prepares for the first Fourth of July celebration in three years.
Katy Keene S1
August 8 on M-Net (DStv Channel 101) at 20h45
Pretty
Little Liars’ fans will be pleased with the return
of Lucy Hale in this Riverdale
spin-off. Aspiring designer Katy, played by Hale, reconnects with Josie (of Josie and the Pussycats, played by
Ashleigh Murray in Riverdale) in New
York City, where they – along with an aspiring Broadway star Jorge and the
mysterious Pepper Smith – try to make their dreams come true.
Saturdays from August 8 on M-Net (DStv
Channel 101) at 22h00
The historical drama that has our eyes
glued to our screens returns for a fifth season. The wedding of Brianna (Sophie
Skelton) and Roger (Richard Rankin) is held at Fraser’s Ridge, bringing all the
characters together for a celebration before the impending Revolutionary War.
However, the celebratory mood is dampened by a mandate from a powerful
political figure in North Carolina and a shocking revelation about a
long-standing adversary.
The Candidate
Weekdays from August 11 on Fox Life (DStv
Channel 126) at 16h40
Feed your passion for Latin TV with the
latest telenovela on Fox Life. The
Candidate tells the story of a woman’s decision to challenge her corrupt
politician husband for the role of president. As one of the most high-profile
telenovelas on screen at the moment, it’s a must-see for any fan.
Black Lightning S3
Tuesdays from August 11 on 1Magic (DStv
Channel 103) at 20h30
DC Universe’s fantasy drama is back, but
Freeland is now under martial law and completely separated from the rest of the
world by a force field. Staying true to its roots, the show unabashedly
addresses societal and systemic issues regarding race, class and privilege –
all while fighting for justice in a superhero’s cape.
Beecham House S1
Thursdays from August 13 on M-Net (DStv
Channel 101) at 22h00
A historical drama set in 1975, Tom Bateman
(Vanity Fair) portrays the enigmatic,
soulful John Beecham. The six-part series follows Beecham’s quest to start a
new life for himself in Delhi, India, all the while harbouring a secret he
hopes will never be revealed.
Barkskins S1
Thursday, August 13 on National Geographic
(DStv Channel 181) at 20h40
Based on the New York Times best-selling
novel by Pulitzer Prize-winner Annie Proulx, Barkskins follows a disparate group of outcasts and dreamers who
are battling to escape their pasts while navigating the brutal frontier
hardships, competing interests and entangled loyalties at the crossroads of
civilisation.
FACTUAL
Reggie Yates meets World S1
Thursday, August 13 on BBC Brit (DStv
Channel 120) at 20h00
This eye-opening series sees British actor,
presenter and DJ Reggie Yates travel far and wide to examine promises of the
new world for young people facing uncertain futures. With knife crime at an
all-time high, Reggie begins his quest by visiting SPAC Nation, a new London
church that offers youth in gangs a way out of crime. Later on, he also travels
to Lagos, Nigeria, to see how the burgeoning film industry – known as Nollywood
– can be a way out of poverty in a country with the biggest wealth divide in
the world.
The Persians: A History of Iran S1
August 7 on BBC Earth (DStv Channel 184) at
19h00
A fascinating insight into the complex
history of the world’s first empire, Persia. The series reveals historical and
cultural sites and artefacts across Iran that few Westerners have ever seen.
Learn about the Shahnameh, one of the most important books in Iran’s history,
used by kings as propaganda but also by modern-day Iranians as a way to connect
with their Persian heritage. Or look inside the ancient Zoroastrian fire
temple, home to a fire said to have been burning for more than 1,500 years.
Witness: Dead Woman’s Pass
August 9 on Al Jazeera (DStv Channel 406)
at 22h30
An award-winning short film series, Al
Jazeera’s Witness brings world issues
to the fore through compelling human stories. Dead Woman’s Pass, which has been selected for competition at the
Austin Film Festival and Palm Springs International Film Festival, follows an
indigenous woman’s journey to her ancestral home in the Peruvian Andes, where
she is forced to confront her past.
Posts
