SPOTLIGHT | Favourite cop duo Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back in a thrilling new ‘Bad Boys’ instalment

Spotlight is our entertainment bite-sized snapshot featuring new entertainment releases in South Afroca, exclusive film trailers and much more. New episodes are out every Thursday on Sunday Times Lifestyle, Sowetan Entertainment and on YouTube, plus you can follow Spotlight on Facebook.

This week’s episode of Spotlight features a favourite cop duo returning to the big screen, a fantasy horror to spook you and Robert Downey Jnr in an almost unrecognisable role in a new HBO TV series.

The Bad Boys franchise is back in full force with buddy cop duo Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett heading out on a mission of honour. Trying to clear the name of their late captain from links to illegal drug cartel activity, the action-packed new instalment offers audiences the trademark comedic interaction between stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. The fourth outing of this big budget series sees co-stars Joe Pantoliano, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig and Paola Nunez, among others, return as their well-loved characters in Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

Directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan (daughter of supernatural genre master M Night Shyamalan) in her debut film, the cinema release of The Watchers is based on the novel with the same name written by acclaimed Irish author AM Shine.

Trapped alongside three strangers, all stalked by mysterious creatures, 28-year-old artist Mina (Dakota Fanning) is stranded and desperate to escape an expansive, untouched forest.

An HBO original series, The Sympathizer is based on the 2016 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel from writer Viet Thanh Nguyen.  Harrowing, gutsy and gripping, it centres around a Vietnamese spy near the end of the Vietnam War taking residence in a refugee community in Los Angeles. The miniseries, partly based on real events, offers a unique perspective on the war, delving deeper into the complexities of identity, loyalty and betrayal. Starring a gaunt Robert Downey Jnr, Toan Le, Fred Nguyen Khan and Sandra Oh, the series has garnered praise from international critics. Monday nights on M-Net at 8pm. 

COMPETITION

Spotlight has exclusive movie merchandise from Bad Boys: Ride or Die up for grabs.  To stand a chance to win a hamper, answer the following question via our Spotlight South Africa page on Facebook: In what year was the first Bad Boys movie released in cinemas? Ts and Cs apply. The competition closes on June 13 2024.

• Book your cinema tickets by visiting sterkinekor.com and numetro.co.za.

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.