Crime thrillers are some of the most beloved TV shows on the small screen, and as a fan of the genre, there are some essential series that should be on your watchlist if you haven’t already seen them. Traditional procedural crime TV shows like The Blacklist and Criminal Minds have left lasting impressions on people, but the genre has also changed over the years.
With streaming platforms taking bigger risks, we’ve gotten some amazing crime thrillers recently, some of which might have flown under a lot of people’s radars. From classic detective stories to disturbing character studies, some shows are essential viewing for crime thriller fans.
10
The Killing (2011)
Starring: Mireille Enos, Billy Campbell, & Joel Kinnaman
The Killing
- Release Date
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2011 – 2014-00-00
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Mireille Enos
Sarah Linden
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Joel Kinnaman
Stephen Holder
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Annie Corley
Regi Darnell
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Brendan Sexton III
Belko Royce
One of the most underrated TV shows released in the 2010s, The Killing boasts an impressive cast, which includes Joel Kinnaman, Peter Sarsgaard, and Mireille Enos. Based on the Danish novel, Forbrydelsen by Søren Sveistrup, The Killing sees two homicide detectives investigate their city’s darkest crimes.
Although The Killing has four seasons, it was by no means an easy ride for the show. The crime drama was cancelled after airing for two seasons by AMC, but was revived by the network. After the third season debuted, AMC decided it wouldn’t be going forward with a fourth season. Fortunately, Netflix picked up the crime dramas for its fourth and final installment.
Given the fact that The Killing was canceled twice but was able to continue, which is a rare occurrence for TV shows, it speaks to the quality of the crime drama. Like many crime thrillers, The Killing has a dark and moody tone to it that adds an element of suspense and foreboding. The series’ main characters, Detectives Linden and Holden, are extremely flawed.
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10 Goriest Crime TV Shows Ever Made
There are several television shows focusing on crime that also have a reputation for being incredibly gory, often pulling no punches in their scenes.
However, they are also well-developed characters who evolve over time. While The Killing deviates from its source material, it’s still an entertaining watch with engaging mysteries and plot twists that will keep any fans of crime thrillers on the edge of their seats.
9
The Night Of (2016)
Starring: John Turturro, Riz Ahmed, & Bill Camp
The Night Of
- Release Date
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2016 – 2016-00-00
- Network
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HBO Max
- Directors
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James Marsh
HBO is synonymous with good television, and The Night Of is no different. Based on the British series Criminal Justice, The Night Of tells a gripping story of a young man who is arrested for a crime he has no recollection of committing. Told in eight short episodes, the HBO miniseries will have you hooked from its first episode.
What the award-winning series does so well is that the mysteries in the show slowly unravel in a way that makes it unpredictable. The Night Of isn’t by any means revolutionary in terms of its premise. However, Riz Ahmed perfected the art of playing a wounded character whose life is ruined by simply being at the wrong place, at the wrong time.
The rest of The Night Of’s ensemble give gripping performances that remain etched in the audience’s minds. From how John Turturro’s John Stone fights for his client, to the impact that Naz’s incarceration has on his family, there’s no scene in the series that doesn’t pack an emotional punch. The HBO miniseries is heartwrenching, but also offers relevant commentary on the justice system.
8
Snowfall (2017)
Starring: Damson Idris, Carter Hudson, & Emily Rios
Snowfall
- Release Date
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2017 – 2023-00-00
- Directors
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Dave Andron
- Writers
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Dave Andron
Snowfall is a character-driven crime drama with an incredibly touching and important premise. Set in Los Angeles between 1983 and 1986, Snowfall centers around the crack cocaine epidemic that had befallen the City of Angels. The crime drama is an enthralling tale of drugs, corruption, and violence.
Damson Idris, who plays Franklin Saint in the series, gives a career-defining performance in the crime drama. Saint is a flawed character with a determination to rise to the top of the crime syndicate. Snowfall is as relevant today as it was when it debuted because it touches on a painful history that deserves to be talked about.
7
The Glass Dome (2025)
Starring: Léonie Vincent, Johan Hedenberg, & Johan Rheborg
Netflix has a lot of great non-English language crime thrillers, including Swedish shows that have become fan-favorites, like The Glass Dome. Set in the small fictional town in Sweden called Granås, The Glass Dome is an exhilarating thriller that takes audiences on a wild ride full of twists and turns.
Like many well-crafted crime shows, The Glass Dome’s strength lies in how well it establishes its plot without giving too much information. Because of this, audiences and the characters in the show are in the same boat as they try to figure out who the bad guy is. The Glass Dome has an engaging mystery, but it also takes the time to shine a light on its characters while also focusing on relevant themes like PTSD.
6
Top Of The Lake (2013)
Starring: Elisabeth Moss, David Wenham, & Peter Mullan
Led by The Handmaid Tales’ Elizabeth Moss, Top of the Lake is an emotionally impactful show that will remain with you long after the credits roll. The premise centers around Detective Robin Griffin and her investigation into the tragedy that befalls two young girls. Top of the Lake only ran for two seasons, but it deserved to have more installments.
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The thriller genre is expansive, and while some shows take time to find their audience, they are still effective must-watch thriller series.
The series is intense from start to finish and includes nuanced characters who bring the story to life. Like many shows about such devastating crimes, Top of the Lake will have you invested from its very first episode with its twists and unpredictable plot that comes to a satisfying conclusion.
5
Black Bird (2022)
Starring: Taron Egerton, Paul Walter Hauser, & Sepideh Moafi
Black Bird
- Release Date
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2022 – 2022-00-00
- Showrunner
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Dennis Lehane
- Directors
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Dennis Lehane
Apple TV+’s Black Bird is an underrated crime drama with an incredible cast and a suspenseful premise. Based on James Keene and Hillel Levin’s In with the Devil: a Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption, Black Bird stars Tarom Egerton, who gives one of his performances as James “Jimmy” Keene in the series.
While Black Bird has a gripping premise, it’s Egerton’s performance that truly brings the show to life. Black Bird offers many heartpounding moments as Jimmy works to elicit a confession from one of the prison’s most dangerous criminals. The crime thriller is so intense and suspenseful that it will keep any fans of the genre glued to the screen.
4
The Twelve (2022)
Starring: Kate Mulvany, Sam Neill, & Marta Dusseldorp
The Twelve
- Release Date
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June 21, 2022
- Network
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FOX Showcase, showcase
- Directors
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Sian Davies
- Writers
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Anchuli Felicia King
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Kris McQuade
Bernice Price
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Hamish Michael
Jamie Merrick
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Silvia Colloca
Sonia Spears
TV shows about jurors and the process they use to either convict or release an accused person have a large fan base, and it’s easy to see why. Based on the Belgian miniseries De twaalf, which was created by Sanne Nuyens and Bert Van Dael, The Twelve is a nerve-wracking series that takes audiences on a thrilling ride as it delves into devastating crimes.
The third season of The Twelve is set to premiere on August 4, 2025.
While The Twelve suffers from pacing issues and sometimes loses its focus, it’s still an entertaining series that any fan of crime thrillers can lose themselves in. Each season of the show has a new crime, giving audiences a fresh look at intriguing and gripping stories about how the justice system works.
3
Mindhunter (2017)
Starring: Jonathan Groff & Holt McCallany
Mindhunter
10/10
- Release Date
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2017 – 2019
- Showrunner
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Joe Penhall
22 years after John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker’s true crime book, Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit, Netflix adapted the novel into a TV show. The series follows two FBI agents who endeavor to understand why criminals commit crimes. Mindhunter is a “whydunnit” type of crime drama, meaning the focus is on why people commit these horrible crimes.
Mindhunter was cancelled after two seasons.
The show’s allure instead lies in how FBI agents Ford and Tench dedicate their lives to understanding the psychology of criminals in order to help solve crimes that have proved difficult to crack. Mindhunter is a masterpiece and offers an interesting insight into one of the most important parts of law enforcement and how it came to be. The series is intense, but also educational, which in turn makes for an entertaining crime drama.
2
Animal Kingdom (2017)
Starring: Ellen Barkin, Scott Speedman, & Shawn Hatosy
Although Animal Kingdom was released in 2016 and found some success, it wasn’t on most people’s radar. However, now that Animal Kingdom is on Netflix, it’s getting the recognition it rightfully deserves. There are plenty of shows about dysfunctional families, but Animal Kingdom sets itself apart with nuanced and flawed characters.
Animal Kingdom has six seasons, with 75 episodes.
The combination of crime, family drama, and high-stakes situations makes for an entertaining watch. The characters are far from perfect, but that’s what makes the series so fun to watch.
1
The Sinner (2017)
Starring: Bill Pullman & Jessica Hecht
The Sinner
- Release Date
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2017 – 2021-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
Once in a while, a great show like The Sinner is created, and it changes how audiences perceive what makes a good crime drama. With four seasons that aired from 2017 to 2021, The Sinner is one of the most gripping TV shows of the past 10 years. Its greatest strength lies in how it changes the formula of crime dramas.
Instead of beginning with a mystery and then trying to solve it, The Sinner’s plot unfolds the other way round. The Sinner starts with a crime being committed and then the detectives trying to figure out why, even when the evidence about who the perpetrator is is already clear. Because of this formula, The Sinner will take you on an intriguing journey filled with questions that get satisfying answers.
