SPOTLIGHT | Giant snakes and a mysterious creature in cinemas, small-screen releases and a new maskandi album - TimesLIVE
Spotlight is our bite-size entertainment snapshot featuring new releases in South Africa, exclusive film trailers and more. New episodes come out every Thursday on Sunday Times Lifestyle, Sowetan Entertainment and YouTube, plus you can follow Spotlight on Facebook.
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Spotlight ends spooky season with monstrous creatures, terrifying survival stories and a celebration of South African musical heritage, from a giant Amazonian snake to a chilling South Korean thriller and the return of an iconic female maskandi group.
Something deadly lurks in the Amazon in the horror film Beware Boiúna. When a team of doctors on a humanitarian mission awakens an ancient giant snake, their mission to save lives becomes a desperate fight for survival. From Wrong Turn director Mike P Nelson, the movie stars Kiana Madeira, Jessica Rothe and Logan Marshall-Green. With a monstrous predator deciding who lives and who dies, nowhere is safe in Beware Boiúna, showing at cinemas.
The hunters become the hunted in Hope, a chilling South Korean sci-fi horror where a mysterious creature emerges near a remote fishing village. What begins as an investigation quickly descends into chaos, forcing the community into a terrifying fight to stay alive. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Na Hong-jin, known for The Wailing, the film was selected for the 2026 Cannes Film Festival and stars Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander. This Halloween, even hope might not be enough to save you. Hope is at cinemas nationwide.
Missed these big-screen adventures? There’s plenty coming to your small screens this week. Before he became America’s first president, George Washington faced betrayal and impossible odds that helped shape his destiny in Young Washington, arriving on BoxOffice from October 30.
For a magical family escape, The Magic Faraway Tree follows a family who discover an enchanted tree leading to extraordinary worlds that bring them closer together. The film airs on M-Net on November 1.
For action fans, Beast follows a former MMA champion who returns to the cage for one last brutal fight to save his brother. Catch it on M-Net on November 1.
We switch gears from monsters to music as the iconic female maskandi group Imithente enters a new chapter with their album Imithente (Legacy). Now led by Nondumiso Ngubane, Nelile Mthalane and Nokuthula Manana, the next generation is carrying the group’s musical heritage forward with a seven-track album that honours its roots while introducing a contemporary sound. The faces may change, but the legacy lives on. Imithente (Legacy) is available on all major music streaming platforms.
For full interviews, breaking news, trailers and clips, visit our Spotlight Facebook page. See you at the movies.
Presenter Collette Prince is styled and dressed by Claris by Gerrit Pienaar when attending premieres and special events.
Facebook @Claris by Gerrit Pienaar/Instagram: gerritpienaardesigns.
