South African psychological thriller The Trek has secured an extended theatrical run following an impressive opening weekend that outperformed several major Hollywood releases on a per-screen basis.
Operating on a limited four-screen release, the indie feature ranked #7 nationwide in Per-Screen Average (PSA) for the weekend of July 31 to August 2. On a per-screen yield basis, The Trek outperformed studio genre competitors, including horror titles Backrooms and Evil Dead Burn, making it the top-performing independent film by PSA over the weekend.
The performance follows strong critical acclaim across South African media. News24 awarded the film a 4.5/5 rating, the Mail & Guardian praised it as “one of South Africa’s standout independent films of the year,” and movie critic Spling called the feature “Beautiful, entertaining, gritty and hauntingly poetic.”
Following high audience turnout at flagship metro sites in Johannesburg and Cape Town, along with well-attended filmmaker Q&A sessions, exhibitor Ster-Kinekor confirmed the film’s run will be extended for a second week.
“Across audiences, critics and our box office metrics, the reaction across the country has been unreal,” said producer James C. Williamson. “Beating out major studio titles on per-screen yield proves South Africa is leading the way for bold, original genre cinema. We’re thrilled that Ster-Kinekor is keeping the momentum going with a second week at Rosebank and the Waterfront.”
Directed by Meekaaeel Adam, The Trek stars Morné Visser, Maurice Carpede, Rob van Vuuren, and Trix Vivier in a survival drama set in the Kalahari desert.
Week 2 Screening Locations:
Johannesburg: Ster-Kinekor Rosebank Nouveau
Cape Town: Ster-Kinekor V&A Waterfront