Entertainment
10 Almost-Perfect Crime Thriller Shows, Ranked
Isn’t it so annoying when crime thrillers promise everything and end up delivering nothing? High stakes and shocking twists sound great until one realizes that the actual story starts collapsing under all that. A good crime thriller, that’s why, has to strike a very delicate balance. Twists and turns can only take things so far if the characters feel one-dimensional or if the beats of the story don’t add up.
That’s because shock value might grab attention, but it can never sustain it, and the sooner showrunners understand that, the better. For every half-baked story, though, plenty of others get things exactly right. This is a list of such crime thriller shows that come dangerously close to perfection.
10
‘Banshee’ (2013–2016)
Banshee is a crime thriller that embraces chaos like no other. The series takes place in the fictional town of Banshee in Pennsylvania, where a recently released master thief (Antony Starr) assumes the identity of a murdered sheriff named Lucas Hood. The story revolves around Hood trying to keep up the charade while secretly continuing his criminal life. Most people would assume that these stakes are high enough for the show to create a sense of tension. However, Banshee keeps expanding its central conflict by introducing new characters, including the ex-Amish crime lord Kai Proctor (Ulrich Thomsen), along with Hood’s partners Job (Hoon Lee) and Sugar Bates (Frankie Faison).
Every season features new threats, while the town serves as a pressure cooker of violence that can explode at any moment. Banshee fully commits to its over-the-top premise and is packed with brutal hand-to-hand fight sequences, intense shootouts, and pulpy storytelling. The show can feel ridiculous at times, but it never stops being entertaining thanks to the depth it gives to its characters and their relationships. The series is one of TV’s most underrated crime thrillers and remains a true hidden gem.
9
‘Top of the Lake’ (2013–2017)
Top of the Lake is the definition of quality TV. The story begins with the disturbing disappearance of a 12-year-old girl who is revealed to be pregnant in the opening moments of the show. Elisabeth Moss stars as Detective Robin Griffin, who becomes entangled in the investigation while she is in town to visit her dying mother. She believes that this will be yet another missing-person case, but little does she know that it will quickly unravel into something much darker. Top of the Lake is a slow-burning psychological drama that constantly plays with the audience’s expectations.
The investigation takes its sweet time to unfold and exposes complex systems of power and misogyny that exist within this community. The deeper Robin digs, the more the case becomes intertwined with her own unresolved trauma. Top of the Lake strikes the perfect balance between layered character work and a mystery that keeps getting increasingly addictive. In Season 2, the story moves to Sydney and continues Robin’s journey several years later. However, the show never lets go of its willingness to explore difficult themes. This isn’t a conventional thriller series by any means, but one that forces the audience to question their own role in systemic injustice.
8
‘Rubicon’ (2010)
Rubicon deserves way more appreciation than it gets. The political thriller follows intelligence analyst Will Travers (James Badge Dale), who works at the shadowy New York-based organization called the American Policy Institute (API). The story picks up when Will’s mentor and father-in-law dies in what appears to be a staged accident, and Will knows he needs to get to the bottom of what really happened. However, what pulls him deeper is a pattern hidden across crossword puzzles in multiple newspapers. At first, Will thinks it’s a coincidence, but when he begins to connect the dots, he realizes that the mystery is far more complex than he initially thought. All of a sudden, he suspects he is being watched and notices small inconsistencies in his everyday interactions.
Rubicon breaks away from the typical thriller beats by slowing the narrative down. Most of the action in the story happens in offices through conversations, data, and Will’s personal analysis of the situation. However, that pace only adds to the show’s constant sense of uncertainty. Rubicon thrives on this ambiguity, where the audience and Will don’t know who to fully trust. The show taps into the very specific fear of being exploited by those in power, and that’s exactly what makes its central conspiracy feel so plausible. Unfortunately, Rubicon was canceled after Season 1 before it could give its characters the long-term arcs they deserved. Even then, though, the show is a must-watch for anyone looking for sharp writing and a compelling mystery.
7
‘Mare of Easttown’ (2021)
Mare of Easttown might be a miniseries, but it feels more complete than several long-running shows that lose the plot after the first few seasons. The crime thriller follows Detective Marianne “Mare” Sheehan (Kate Winslet), a local hero whose life is falling apart right when a teenage mother is found murdered, while another young girl remains missing. Mare is then forced to confront a complicated case as the town both relies on her and constantly questions her competence. What makes Mare of Easttown so special is how it connects the detective’s personal and professional lives. As her investigation deepens, she is forced to confront her friends, family, and neighbors to find answers.
All of this unfolds as Marianne copes with the suicide of her son, deals with an increasingly strained relationship with her daughter, and is involved in a custody battle over her grandson. The case is yet another factor that contributes to her downward spiral and makes the story feel emotionally heavy. The fact that nearly everyone is connected to the murder in one way or another makes the whole thing all the more unsettling. Mare of Easttown is a masterclass in building suspense and delivering payoffs that are actually worth the patience. By the end, the show is no longer a whodunit. Instead, it tells a much more complex story about loss and community.
6
‘Dexter’ (2006–2013)
Dexter flips the crime thriller formula on its head by making the audience root for the bad guy. The series is set in Miami and follows Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), a forensic analyst by day and vigilante serial killer by night. The show revolves around this constant balancing act as Decter juggles his jobs and relationships while also targeting murderers who have escaped justice with chilling precision. The show could have easily leaned into the shock value of it all. However, it chooses to focus on Dexter’s psyche and how his life begins to unravel over time. Each season introduces a new adversary for the protagonist, but what’s interesting is how these killers mirror him in different ways.
The show moves smoothly between Dexter’s complicated personal relationships, especially his sister Debra (Jennifer Carpenter), who unknowingly gets close to the truth. Dexter is especially compelling in how it forces the audience into an uncomfortable position. Dexter’s internal monologue pulls viewers deeper into his mind, and that moral conflict becomes the driving force of the story. There’s no denying that the show really shines in its first few seasons compared to its later installments. Despite that, though, it still remains one of the most iconic crime thrillers of its time.
5
‘The Killing’ (2011–2014)
The Killing is the kind of crime drama that creates tension through its setting. The show takes place in a constantly rainy Seattle and follows homicide detectives Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) and Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman) as they investigate the murder of a teenager. The case seems pretty straightforward initially, before it slowly expands into a complicated web of political conspiracies, dark secrets, and a never-ending list of suspects. However, the story isn’t a standard procedural. It focuses just as much on the victim’s family as they deal with grief, along with the detectives and the cost of their jobs.
The show doesn’t want to give the audience quick answers because the entire point is to sit with that unsettling feeling of not knowing what comes next. The Killing is committed to realism and explores the far-reaching consequences of crime. Not to mention that it doesn’t present Linden and Holder as typical heroes who swoop in to save the day. The fact that they are flawed and often make questionable decisions out of desperation only adds to the believability of it all. The Killing isn’t always comforting or even satisfying in its resolutions, but that’s exactly why it stays with the audience long after the credits roll.
4
‘Ozark’ (2017–2022)
Ozark is essentially a show about how one bad decision can spiral into a lifetime of consequences. The series follows financial advisor Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman), who is forced to relocate his family from Chicago to the Lake of the Ozarks after a money-laundering scheme for a Mexican drug cartel goes horribly wrong. However, this survival attempt quickly takes a dangerous turn as Marty and his wife Wendy (Laura Linney) find themselves involved with local crime families while also staying under constant pressure from cartel leaders and the FBI.
The narrative puts the characters and the audience in a world where the threats and betrayals just keep getting worse. Marty and Wendy are forced to adapt almost constantly, and that drives the plot forward. Wendy’s journey, in particular, is one of the highlights of the show because she starts operating out of fear that slowly turns into ambition and a ruthless power for hunger. Ozark is a complex show with no easy heroes or villains. It’s rooted in relatable family dynamics but takes those emotions a step further by exploring the psychological toll of crime.
3
‘Quarry’ (2016)
Quarry is a crime thriller that does everything right, so it’s unfortunate that it slipped under the radar. The series is set in 1972 and follows Mac Conway (Logan Marshall-Green), a Marine returning home to Memphis after serving in Vietnam. However, instead of being welcomed back, Mac finds himself ostracized due to his rumored involvement in a wartime massacre. As he struggles to reintegrate into civilian life, Mac is approached by a mysterious figure known as The Broker, who recruits him into a network of contract killers operating along the Mississippi River.
Each job drags Mac into a world where morality is blurred, and soon enough, he is trapped in a web of violence, corruption, and manipulation with no way out. The show isn’t driven by constant action because it focuses more on the slow yet inevitable unraveling of the protagonist. The show was canceled after just one season, but despite its short run, it feels complete in its vision and execution. Quarry’s strong writing and immersive period detail are a masterclass in storytelling and deserve a lot more applause than they get.
2
‘Gomorrah’ (2014–2021)
Gomorrah is a story about pure evil. The crime thriller is set in Naples and follows Ciro Di Marzio (Marco D’Amore), a loyal member of the powerful Savastano clan, led by ruthless boss Pietro Savastano (Fortunato Cerlino). However, when Pietro is arrested, the entire power structure begins to collapse and triggers a brutal internal conflict between the old guard and the next generation led by his son, Gennaro “Genny” Savastano (Salvatore Esposito). Ciro finds himself constantly choosing between loyalty and power as alliances shift and members of the clan start betraying each other. However, it’s interesting that the show manages to portray all this chaos without ever romanticizing crime.
Gomorrah makes it a point to convey that it’s a show about flawed people operating in a system that is practically built on violence. The writing constantly subverts expectations, and none of the characters are given any plot armor. This constant sense of unpredictability drives the story forward and keeps the viewers hooked till the very end. The best part about Gomorrah is how lived-in and authentic the show feels. The narrative builds tension organically instead of relying on spectacle, and that elevates Gomorrah from another typical crime story to an unsettling exploration of power.
1
‘Mindhunter’ (2017–2019)
Mindhunter is a crime thriller that traded action for psychology, a gamble that definitely paid off. The show is set in the late 1970s and follows FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany), along with psychologist Wendy Carr (Anna Torv), who interview imprisoned serial killers in an attempt to understand their behavior and use those findings to solve active cases. The exercise soon takes a dark turn as the detectives become increasingly immersed in these conversations and start to mirror the same manipulative tendencies that they are studying in all these killers. Their personal lives begin to intersect with the emotional toll of their work, and that’s where the emotional weight of the show comes from.
The interviews, of course, are the highlight of the show. They feel less like conversations and more like psychological chess matches where both parties are constantly sizing each other up. The show portrays real-life serial killers, including Edmund Kemper (Cameron Britton) and Jerry Brudos (Happy Anderson), with chilling precision, which adds a layer of authenticity to the story. Mindhunter is the perfect example of a show that is meticulous in its storytelling. Its slow-burn approach might feel a little too restrained at first, but it’s exactly what pulls the audience into this unsettling world.
Mindhunter
- Release Date
-
2017 – 2019
- Network
-
Netflix
- Showrunner
-
Joe Penhall
- Directors
-
David Fincher, Carl Franklin, Andrew Dominik, Andrew Douglas, Asif Kapadia, Tobias Lindholm
You must be logged in to post a comment Login