Best movies like Platteland

Set against the backdrop of a decaying Midwestern town, a murder becomes the focal point of three people who work in a doll factory.

Finley Tremaine, a small-town farm girl, longs to spread her wings and soar as an aspiring performer. When a Hollywood film crew arrives in her sleepy town, she is determined to land a role in the production and capture the attention of handsome lead actor Jackson Stone. Unfortunately, a botched audition forces her to change course. Now, disguised as cowboy “Huck,” Finley finally gets her big break. But can she keep the charade a secret from everyone, including her evil stepmother and devious step-siblings?

Tells the story of one day in the lives of the various people who populate a police detective squad. An embittered cop, Det. Jim McLeod, leads a precinct of characters in their grim daily battle with the city's lowlife. The characters who pass through the precinct over the course of the day include a young petty embezzler, a pair of burglars, and a naive shoplifter.

A drifter and his pet puma stand up against a motorcycle gang in a small American town.

Set in the magical Karoo town of Prince Albert the story revolves around forgiveness, acceptance and the meaning of miracles. When Maritjie Naude, an 18 year old farmgirl and the only child of Ella and Kallie the owners of Hoopfontein, comes home on Christmas Eve and tells them that she’s pregnant, it’s enough to shock any parents of a young daughter, but then she drops a real bombshell that will flabbergast not only her mum and dad, but the entire town. Maritjie assures them that she’s still a virgin. The only explanation to her pregnancy – it must be the work of the Holy Spirit!

Producer Mel Wexler is putting together "Manhattan," a night-time soap opera that will definitely be the toast of the town. He puts together a stellar cast, however, each member of this cast has his own little secret: Zach is a Hollywood leading man apparently being blackmailed by 2 mysterious women; Jane was a former daytime soap star who had to abruptly leave her popular role due to problems at home; Bill is a male model whose marital status would rather be kept secret by his agent; Gaby is a struggling actress determined to make it on her own; and Sabina is a legendary film star who must now take a role on a television series due to a serious "involvement" in San Francisco. One by one, their secrets unfold in this television movie based on the bestseller by Danielle Steel. (Summary Written by Phil Fernando)

From a bland tract house on the outskirts of Los Angeles, Simon Geist (with occasional help from his platonic girlfriend Darla) wages war against all of modern American popular culture. Geist starts up a magazine called "The Next Big Thing", which he uses to confront and insult upcoming actors, comics, models and rock bands. As Geist's mysterious Underground Agenda escalates, will he become the "last big thing", or be co-opted by the very forces he is railing against? Written by Van Film Fest

An Afrikaans story about a chubby 17-year old (Kallie) who struggles to fit in in his new school. On top of that, luck has it that he falls in love with the school bully's sister.

Susters' is a new South African film about three sisters who reunited during a road trip down memory lane, with a fabulous local cast.

Distraught after being fired from his job, Willi Willeboer leaves town for Oubaas du Toit's Paradise Game Reserve, where he falls for the owner's daughter, but she sees him as nothing more than a brother.

Mr. Conradie is a conventional music teacher who lives for his singing group, Die Bekfluitjies. Die Bekfluitjies represent the outcasts of their sports-crazy school. Circumstances force them to fight for what they believe in - their music - because when they sing, life just makes more sense!

An Afrikaans sex comedy which follows the adventures of a third-year student and his buddy at their holiday job. Desperate to lose his virginity, he hooks up with a hot babe for some hanky panky, only to discover that her ex boyfriend does not understand the 'ex' part and wants to get violent. The plot (and cast) is rounded out by some really weird characters, all contributing to the general mayhem and laughs.

A young teacher from Oudtshoorn, Cybil Ferreira, will do anything in her power to ensure the success of her project at the small farm school, Kalfieskraal. Cybil dreams about establishing a centre at the school that will provide a safe haven for the local children. The problem is, Cybil’s dream is in danger of collapsing before it even gets off the ground. The land Kalfieskraal is situated on is for sale, and none of the possible buyers are interested in her project. Not even her wealthy fiancée, ostrich farmer Meyer Labuschagne, could be bothered about her project or the fate of the children. Then Frans Coetzee comes into the story. A filmmaker with a broken heart, he is in the Klein Karoo with his team to make a documentary about social upliftment work in the area - and in the process hopefully forget about women, love, and all the baggage that comes with it.

In this dystopian-musical-comedy, corporations and self-appointed guardians of "decency" and "morality" have society in a fascist choke-hold. It's up to a rag-tag group of actors, artists, and musicians to save the world the only way they know how - through the power of - wait for it - Performance Art! Led by the legendary Existo (Bruce Arntson (musical composer, "Ernest" film franchise), his faithful sidekick Maxine (Jackie Welch, (Ernest Goes to Jail), provocateur Marcel (Jim Varney, (Ernest, Toy Story), and Vigo (Cooper Thornton (Parks & Recreation) this troupe of subversive insurgents have the Religio-Capitalist Complex in their cross-hairs. But the powers-that-be know Existo's weak spot - his ravenous libido - and seek to exploit it to derail the Revolution with a secret weapon - a curly-haired corporate-pop singer named Penelope (Jenny Littleton).

Hollywood in my Huis is 'n coming-of-age romantic comedy set against the backdrop of 2004's matric dance in South Africa. The story focuses on an ordinary teenage girl - Jana van Tonder - who lives in an impoverished railway neighborhood with her dysfunctional parents. When she witnesses Charlize Theron's iconic Oscar win, Jana is inspired to transform her upcoming matric dance into her very own Hollywood Red Carpet mooment. Meanwhile, Jana's secret cursh, Brandon, the school's tennis champ, breaks off his relationship with Angelique, the school's most popular girl. But just as Jana needs to scrape together the courage to ask Brandon to the dance, her best friend and boy-next-door, Frikkie, reveals his true feelings for her. With the matric dance less than a month away, Jana has to make the difficult decision between her closest friend and her dream date.

The second movie based on a South African sitcom by the same name.They celebrate their new found richness in style but soon lose more than they had won. Scam artists rob and deceive them.The mine fires them and their wives won't allow them to come home. They numerous trials and tribulations to get everything back to the way it was.

Somer Son tells the story of a thirty something couple that decided to break away on a last gasp holiday to Mozambique in an attempt to get their marital spark back. Pieter and Sonja (played by Reynard Slabbert and Juanita De Villiers) still love each other, but question their relationship. Sonja feels the fact that they can’t fall pregnant is a sign that the relationship is in serious trouble. Pieter had a vasectomy because he chose to focus on his career as a successful lawyer but keeps this dark secret from Sonja. A dream holiday in paradise might be the answer… but an accident along the way sends them on an unexpected adventure.

Ben, a mechanic at a Johannesburg car dealership, and Linda, a beautiful, smart redhead, cross paths one night. He immediately recognises her as his boss’s daughter, although she has no idea who he is. They’re immediately attracted to each other, and, in a frantic and uncertain effort to disguise his identity, Ben lies to Linda and claims to be in a band. When their love blossoms unexpectedly and he decides that he wants to live up to his lie, he starts a band with a few fellow employees, and they enroll for a battle-of-the-bands competition.

Treurgrond tells the painful story of a farming community in South Africa trying to survive the numerous farm attacks confronting farmers almost every day. These gruesome acts affect not just those closely related to the victims, but set in motion a chain of events. Amidst the pressure and anxiety increased by the growing number of farm murders, Lukas Van Staden tries to protect his family, his friends and his farm.

"e’Lollipop" is the extraordinary story of two inseparable South African children, Tsepo and his orphaned friend Jannie. Jannie is sent to a missionary station in Tsepo’s village where they become best friends as Jannie finds his place in his new home. Life is full of childhood fun and antics until tragedy strikes: Jannie, now 10 years old, is seriously injured. In the face of much adversity, Tsepo and his community pull together so that Jannie can get specialised medical treatment. A daunting challenge lies ahead... At what cost will Jannie survive? Tsepo and Jannie’s inspirational story unfolds against the breathtaking backdrops of a dramatic African landscape and New York City in the mid-1970s. "e’Lollipop" is a life-changing story that reminds us of the true value of friendship, community, sacrifice and family - despite our color or creed.

A young woman, Sonja Daneel, crashes her car near the spectacular Hotel Njala in Hazyview and loses her memory. Upon her arrival at the hotel, she gets involved with an obsessed family whose lives are controlled by this spooky, eerie hotel. She also quickly discovers that family secrets and an obsession with the past haunt and control their every move. Sonja soon falls in love with the enigmatic Ryno Lategan, a tour guide who befriends her and promises to help her regain her memory. But when a vicious axe murderer starts terrorising Sonja, she realizes that she has some strange connection to this hotel in her past and that this connection could cost her her life. Things change when an eccentric investigator, Lieutenant Conrad Nolte and his assistant, Sergeant Berta van Schalkwyk, start investigating the murders at Hotel Njala and make some startling discoveries that even shock these two hardened investigators.

Film version of the Royal Shakespeare Company's 2012 production of Shakespeare's fast-moving thriller. A vivid story about a struggle for democracy, Julius Caesar is also a love story between two men united by an explosive act of political violence. The setting is a modern African state in which the tyrant Caesar is about to seize power. Cassius persuades Brutus to join the conspirators plotting an assassination. Featuring a distinguished cast of black actors, the film is shot on location and in the RSC's theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon

The Pro tells the story of a young surfer, Tiaan Nothnagel that has to come to terms with the accidental death of his best friend, Dirkie Lawrence just before their last year at school.After Dirkie’s death, Tiaan swears off surfing for good, as he can’t stand to be reminded of everything that he and Dirkie shared. But then, Dirkie’s twin sister (who went to live with their dad after their parents split up the previous year) arrives in town on a mission: to be selected to go on Wave-Seekers, a fictional World Surf Tour and something that Tiaan and Dirkie dreamt of doing.

Len van Jaarsveld used to be on the top of his game. As one of the country’s leading music producers he had it all: the stars, the hits, the connections and the. But it all came crashing down: his wife left him, his bands abandoned him, the creditors moved in and he found himself on the street with nothing. As he’s about to hit rock bottom Len is introduced to a rising new star Robbie de Wee. A shy young man with an amazing natural talent, this youngster has success written all over him. Len sees this kid as a ticket back into the music industry and he’s determined to make him a star. He takes Robbie on, organizing tours, publicity, music videos and helps Robbie climb the ladder to stardom while rediscovering his own formidable business talents. But when a young girl is found dead in the singer’s hotel room, Len goes into overdrive to protect his star from the media and the authorities.

Rebecca Dreyer (Karen Zoid) is almost forty, lives with her mother (Marie du Toit) and works in a café in a small Karoo town. To escape her depressing life, Rebecca dreams of getting as far away as possible from her smothering mother and pursue the stardom her mother never experienced – that of a successful singer.

Leaving her seemingly glamorous Hollywood life on hold, Evie Lee is forced to return to her small hometown of Balsam Falls, Tennessee and her family's once-thriving Christmas tree farm to attend her father’s unexpected funeral. As the eldest sibling, she finds herself executor of an estate that owes a massive inheritance tax, much to her younger brother's dismay. Torn between pursuing her music career and saving her family's legacy, she must decide what it really means to find her place in the world. Charleene Closshey stars amidst a colorful cast including Robert Loggia, Tyler Ritter, Booboo Stewart and Naomi Judd in this heart-warming musical holiday tale about facing your past, rediscovering your voice, and fulfilling your dreams.

This engaging Afrikaans comedy/romance is about the power of love and music to transport and inspire, and to make dreams come true – sometimes. Fanie (Frederik Burgers), a struggling producer/composer, needs to write a winning song to keep his agent happy and his company in work, but, alas, he’s lacking inspiration. Until, that is, his musical partner Ben (Al Debbo) starts dreaming – and singing in his sleep – about a beautiful girl, all in operetta style. Seizing this Cupid-sent gift, Fanie secretly tapes Ben’s songs. The delighted agent pushes for more songs to produce a full-scale musical, which means Fanie has to keep Ben dreaming, and stay awake to tape the songs. All goes well until Ben suddenly stops dreaming. Fanie’s attempts to restart the flow of inspiration fail until Cupid’s arrow comes to the rescue again – only this time, it is Fanie who falls in love.

The name of the film, Liefling, says it all. This is a love story that's been told by using evergreen Afrikaans songs from the 70's up to the latest hits of today. This musical is mainly about the life of Liefling Marais, a girl with a passion for life, who loves adventure. Liefling lives on a farm with her father Simon, mother Linda, grandfather Karel, brother Kobus and house keeper Katy. Simon is a professor at the university where we meet the 3 friends, Jan, Pieter and Gert in one of his classes. They also live in Hartbeespoort Jan lives with his grandmother Elsa Ferreira. The story starts during the December holidays. A spoilt rich girl, Melanie von Staden has one thing in mind and that is to reel in heart throb Jan Ferreira who has his eye set on Liefling. Fate unexpectedly brings lovers, friends and so called enemies together. This is a love story full of tears and laughter, song and dance.

"The film is a rollicking Afrikaans musical set in the 50s. In the small, bright and vibrant town of Pretville, anything is possible and lots of interesting things happen all the time."

The story revolves around Steve (Ian Roberts) a zoologist who does research on poisonous snakes with the help of his long time friend Thabo (Peter Se-Puma) Steve and his wife Katrien are newly weds and very much in love but Steve's dangerous occupation casts a shadow over Katrien's happiness and causes tension between them. Sonja an aspiring artist and Katrien's best friend visits the couple and seeks inspiration for her work form the beautiful rural surroundings but she also becomes aware of undercurrents that strike fear into her heart and a series of strange murders only feeds her anxiety and an unexpected discovery that will seal her fate.

Twenty years ago, twin brothers Adriaan and Paul van der Bijl went their separate ways after an argument that left Adriaan blind. Embittered, Adriaan stayed on in his diabetic father’s mansion, eventually marrying the sick man’s beautiful nurse Marie.On the day of his father’s funeral, which Adriaan does not attend, Paul returns. The brothers’ meeting is not friendly: a shot rings out, and one lies dead. Adriaan tells his manservant, Freddie, that he killed Paul in self-defence. As the two are trying to dispose of the body, a detective knocks on the door. He has been hired to find Paul, who may be a beneficiary in the old man’s will. And to make matters worse, Marie is becoming suspicious as well.

Die Spook van Uniondale tells the story of the legend of The Ghost of Uniondale. It is a charming romantic family comedy based on true rumours. The movie is filled with original characters such as the charming Cornelius played by Tobie Cronje and the sinister Jan-Dawid played by Andre Schwartz. The princess of the film Marie is portrayed by Tanya van Graan and her love interest Johan played by Ivan Zimmermann. This film is bedazzled with light hearted moments that will make you smile and gut wrenching scenes Written by Pierre Smith

Lisa discovers a long-held family secret and heads to France looking for answers, which yield unexpected results.

Mareike (Lika Berning) is a city girl and successful in her demanding career. The same can not be said for her love life. After a confrontation with her boss, she decides to swop the city for the platteland and a bakery that she inherited from an aunt. But her new life in the small town is more than she expected. Apart from the fact that she must trade her business suits for an apron, things really hot up when she must choose between Mr Handsome and Mr Right.

Jay van Niekerk is a young, attractive and career driven comic book illustrator. Although he is advancing in almost every aspect of his personal and professional life, his one true desire seems to be the one furthest from reach. This has brought him to a crossroad in his life. Does he give up and keep fully focused on his career or does he finally open his heart to fulfill his deep longing for love and set out to meet the woman of his dreams? He wants someone funny, someone bright, who will appreciate his love of comics and embrace his eccentric lifestyle.