This week’s recommendations have movies that stay with you, series that grip from the first episode, music worth putting on repeat and small comforts that make everyday life feel lighter.
Johannesburg, South Africa (09 January 2026) – Friday Five has always been about more than recommendations. It’s about a pause. About reflection. About that moment at the end of a long week when you get to ask yourself, what am I enjoying right now? What’s making me laugh, think, feel something… or simply switch off.
That’s why this column exists. And why I love it so much.
Friday Five is my go-to guide for good things. Movies, series, games, books, music, places to eat, places to breathe and everything in between. It’s the space where I get to be a little more personal, a little more opinionated and a lot more honest about what’s lighting me up at any given moment. It’s also where I get to share a bit of the behind-the-scenes magic. I’m lucky enough to be invited to movie premieres, to watch series before they hit your screens, to attend launches and events that don’t always make it onto social media in real time. Friday Five is where I bring all of that back to you. No hype. No hard sell. Just the stuff that genuinely stood out.
So let’s dive right in!
🎬 Movies I Watched (and Felt)
🥺 Twinless
I watched Twinless this week and I loved it far more than I expected to.
Twinless explores grief, identity and connection in a way I don’t think I have ever seen before. It’s uncomfortable (many times) but the entire movie is filled with so much heart. And then there’s also Dylan O’Brien. I completely fell in love with him… both sides of him. It’s a beautifully layered performance, vulnerable and it carries the emotional weight of the story with remarkable ease. You feel like you’re watching a human being trying to hold himself together.
I’ve been thinking about the movie nonstop since I watched it. I actually think I may watch it again.
🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿
Where to watch: Available to rent on Apple TV, Amazon or Google Movies (coming to Disney+ on the 16th of January… which is also my birthday)
😇 Eternity
I also watched Eternity this week and, while I enjoyed it, I found myself sitting with it long after it ended. It asks a genuinely unsettling question: what happens after this… and then what? And if you’re given a choice, how do you even begin to make it?
The movie doesn’t try to shock or overwhelm. Instead, it nudges you into thinking about love, consequence, permanence and the weight of decisions that stretch beyond a single lifetime. It’s a “comedy-romance”, I guess… did she make the right choice? You’ll have to watch it yourself to figure that out.
🍿🍿🍿🍿🥤
Where to watch: Available to rent on Apple TV, Amazon or Google Movies
📺 Series That Had Me Hooked
🤯 All Her Fault
From the first episode, it tightens its grip and refuses to let go. It’s tense, smart and emotionally loaded, with writing sharp enough to keep you questioning everyone and everything. The pacing is excellent, the stakes feel real, and the performances, especially the lead, are exceptional.
What really elevates this series is the human complexity beneath the mystery. Yes, you’ll binge it because you need answers. But you’ll stay because it understands fear, guilt, love and the cracks that form under pressure.
🍿🍿🍿🍿🥤
Where to watch: Streaming now on Peacock (soon to be screened on DStv and Showmax)
🩺 The Pitt
Season 2 of The Pitt has officially landed, with the first episode dropping today on HBO Max (although South Africa will have to wait a little longer to see it_.
It is every bit as gripping as Season 1, if not even better.
What made the first season so compelling, that real-time structure capturing one relentless shift in a chaotic emergency room, is back. This time, the pressure cooker is set during a high-stakes 4th of July weekend and the series hits the ground running. Led once again by Noah Wyle as Dr Robby, the ensemble delivers performances that pull you into both the medical emergencies and the deeply personal moments unfolding underneath. The storytelling feels more confident, richer and emotionally sharper this season.
If you haven’t watched season 1 yet… NOW IS YOUR TIME!
🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿 (but can I give it a 6?)
Where to watch: Now on HBO Max (coming to DStv soon)
🎧 Music That’s On Repeat
🎶 Jack Savoretti “We Will Always Be The Way We Were”
This song feels like memory wrapped in melody. It’s reflective, warm and emotional. Jack Savoretti has a way of writing songs that feel lived-in and this one hits straight in the chest.
🎶 Robyn “Sexistential”
Robyn is back. And she’s not in the corner, dancing on her own anymore. This return feels confident, sharp and unapologetically her. It’s bold pop that reminds you why she’s always been ahead of the curve.
🎶 Sabrina Carpenter “Such A Funny Way”
It’s playful, clever and emotionally precise, showing once again how good Sabrina Carpenter has become at blending vulnerability with pop sensibility.
🏡 A Place Worth Investing In: Home
As Dezemba fades and many of us make our way back to routine, I’ve been thinking a lot about home.
What if we made our homes places we actually want to return to? Not just crash pads between busy weeks but spaces that restore us. Places where we rest properly, laugh freely and feel safe enough to exhale.
You don’t need a renovation or a budget overhaul to do that. I think it’s more about intention. A corner that invites stillness. A table that welcomes people. A mindset shift from I have to be here to I get to be here.
We’ve been in our home for 16 years now, and over time we’ve slowly, deliberately turned it into our own little oasis. It’s become a holiday away from our holidays. A place we genuinely look forward to coming back to. We’ve layered it with memories, comfort, familiar routines and the things that make us feel grounded. There’s something powerful about creating a space that feels safe. Where the noise softens. Where you can drop your shoulders, take a breath and just be. In a world that asks so much of us, having a home that gives something back matters more than we realise.
Holidays remind us how good rest can feel. The real trick is learning how to carry a little of that feeling back with us… and letting home be part of that magic.
❤️ One More Thing (and this matters)
While much of South Africa leaned fully into the Dezemba energy, the braais, the beach days, the late nights, there was another story unfolding alongside it.
Thousands of South Africans were on duty.
Doctors. Nurses. Paramedics. Lifeguards. Firefighters. Police officers. Retail workers. Petrol attendants. Hospitality staff. Drivers. Cleaners. Municipal teams. Security guards. Animal welfare workers. Volunteers. Helpers of every kind.
They showed up so others could switch off.
So this is a simple, deliberate thank you. If you worked through the festive season, if you missed moments so others could enjoy theirs, please know this: you were seen, you were appreciated and you made a real difference.
From all of us who got to rest while you carried on… thank you.
And as we move through Januworry… that long, demanding stretch where budgets are tight and energy feels a little lower, it’s worth remembering that good things don’t disappear just because life feels heavy. They show up in small, steady ways. In moments of rest. In laughter where you didn’t expect it. In something that lifts your mood, even briefly. Getting through this month isn’t about pushing harder; it’s about noticing what’s already carrying you.
Good things still exist. And that’s more than enough to keep going.
by 