I feel bad for the review I wrote on Southpaw a few weeks back, because I like Jake Gyllenhaal. Fortunately he is back in a film that does appear to deserve his talent and it went straight to the top of the charts.
But Everest is not the only newcomer to shake things up. This weekend has been very surprising with three new movies at the top and a hefty five total new debuts on the chart. Second is Maya the Bee, which if you can recall seeing as child betrays your age a little. I freaking loved Maya, but I doubt I’ll want to risk my fuzzy nostalgia by revisiting it. Nonetheless, local parents are always looking for ways to distract the kids and animated films do well here – even obscure ones like Yellow Bird. Maya appears to be doing exactly the same.
I’ll also venture that cinemas are becoming more appealing for black audiences, as movies catering towards them certain get a toehold more often than not. Case in point, this week’s number 3: The Perfect Guy. Despite sounding like a team romcom, it’s really a thriller in the vein of Fatal Attraction and all those ‘don’t date a psycho’ genre pieces, but starring an all African-American cast.
Speaking of black moviegoers, the local rom com Tell Me Sweet Something may have dropped five spots to tenth, but that it is still on the charts is testament to something. It’s the best I’ve seen a non-Afrikaans local movie do this year (not counting Schuks!) and matches the chart performance of any of those films released in 2015. Nice!
Speaking of which, Afrikaans audiences have flocked to go see Die Pro, some teen tale involving surfing and no doubt plenty of hot bods. It debuted at seventh. Finally, We Are Your Friends – one of the worst opening movies in history – arrived at ninth.
That leaves the incumbents. Transporter Refueled continues to dazzle viewers and puzzle critics as it slips four spots to fourth – the highest-ranking non-debut film. Schuks! Pay Back The Money also dropped four spots to fifth and Vacation did the same, now in number six. The same goes for Hitman: Agent 47, down four spots to eighth.
Leaving the charts this weekend were Minions, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Southpaw, Dark Places and The Visit.
The top earner on the charts is Schuks! Pay Back The Money with over R11 million in the kitty.
- 01. EVEREST (Incl 3D & Imax)
- 02. MAYA THE BEE
- 03. THE PERFECT GUY
- 04. TRANSPORTER REFUELED (Incl Imax)
- 05. SCHUKS! PAY BACK THE MONEY
- 06. VACATION
- 07. DIE PRO
- 08. HITMAN: AGENT 47
- 09. WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS
- 10. TELL ME SWEET SOMETHING
Last Updated: September 23, 2015
