Somehow, we’re nearly halfway through 2024 and the coldest school holidays of the year are upon us.
Thankfully, African streaming service Showmax has rounded up its best kids content of the year so far, to help Showmies keep the peace inside during those long, chilly winter days.
So, if you’re looking for something to watch with the kids these June holidays, start here:
KNUCKLES S1 | ages 9+
The most-watched kids and family title ever on Paramount+, this Sonic The Hedgehog spinoff follows Knuckles as he tries to teach his protegé Wade the ways of the echidna warrior. Knuckles is once again voiced by Emmy nominee Idris Elba. IGN Movies says, “Knuckles is an absolute riot”, calling the six-part miniseries “laugh-a-minute”.
BARBIE | ages 11+
To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken… With two-time Oscar nominee Margot Robbie in the title role, Barbie was the biggest blockbuster of 2023 globally and is the highest grossing live-action comedy of all time.
THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE | ages 7+
The biggest animated opening of all time, and the second biggest box office hit of last year, The Super Mario Bros. Movie follows a plumber named Mario who travels through an underground labyrinth with his brother Luigi, trying to save a captured princess named Peach. Variety says, “You don’t have to be a Mario fan to respond to it, but the film is going to remind the millions who are, why they call it a joystick.”
SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE | ages 9+
The Oscar-nominated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse reunites Miles Morales with Gwen Stacy and catapults him across the multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. When the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles has to redefine what it means to be a hero if he’s to save the people he loves most.
TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS | ages 11+
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts centres on ex-military electronics expert Noah Diaz and artefact research intern Elena Wallace as they work with the Maximals and the Beasties to fight an invasion that threatens to consume Earth. It’s both a prequel to 2007’s original Transformers and a standalone sequel to 2018’s Bumblebee. Geeks hails it as “perhaps the best Transformers movie since the first.”
Also watch the first six Transformers movies on Showmax, starting (chronologically) with Bumblebee.
THE FLASH | ages 13+
DC’s The Flash sees worlds collide when Barry Allen uses his super speed to change the past. But his attempt to save his family creates a world without superheroes, forcing him to race for his life in order to save the future.
Showmax is also home to DC Comics favourites like Aquaman, Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, Black Adam, Man of Steel, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
TROLLS BAND TOGETHER | ages 6+
Poppy and Branch are finally a couple: #broppy. As they grow closer, Poppy discovers that Branch and his brothers were once her favourite boyband, BroZone. When Branch’s closest brother is kidnapped, he and Poppy go on a journey to reunite his family, get the band back together and rescue Floyd.
Showmax is also streaming DreamWorks’ first Trolls movie.
PAW PATROL: THE MIGHTY MOVIE | ages 5+
When a meteor crash-lands in Adventure City, it gives the Paw Patrol superpowers, transforming them into The Mighty Pups. In their 4/5-star review, Common Sense Media says, “The adorable rescue pups continue to charm little kids and their parents, and this sweet sequel reminds all viewers that even the tiny can be mighty.”
Showmax is also streaming Paw Patrol S3 to S9 as well as the specials Jet To The Rescue; Mighty Pups; and Ready, Race, Rescue.
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM | ages 8+
After years of being sheltered from the human world, the teenage mutant ninja turtles set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers by taking on a mysterious crime syndicate. Mutant Mayhem is the best reviewed film (or series) in the franchise yet, with a 95% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes as “an animated treat for the whole family”.
Showmax is also streaming Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles S2 to S4.
AND SO MUCH MORE…
This is just a taster of the kids content on Showmax, which also includes family favourites like:
S1 to S3 of Alex Rider, based on the bestselling teen spy books by Anthony Horowitz
S1 to S3 of Avatar: The Last Airbender, IMDb’s highest rated animated series ever
S1 of Eli Roth’s 2024 Annie Awards nominee, Fright Krewe
The hilarious Showmax Original 2D animated series Twende, about a boda-boda driving pangolin
The Oscar-nominated How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Dragons Rescue Riders Heroes of the Sky S1, and Dragons: The Nine Realms S2
Beloved animated features like DC League of Super-Pets, Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, and Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken
Emmy-nominated shows like Baby Shark’s Big Show, Big Nate S1, and The Tiny Chef Show S1
First seasons of Cocomelon and Cocomelon: Fantasy Animals
Illumination favourites like Despicable Me, Minions, Sing, and The Secret Life of Pets