Entertainment
10 Netflix Detective Shows Where Every Episode Is a Masterpiece
Content Warning: This list features a brief mention of sexual assault.I love a good detective show. They are sort of interactive because as you watch, you try to figure out the mystery along with the detective character, whether it’s an actual detective or an amateur one. There are usually twists and turns whereby you think one person is the perpetrator one episode, but you’re eyeing someone else the next.
Netflix has a nice selection of detective shows, and some of them are true masterpieces from start to finish. Some add a level of humor while others are much darker. One of the best-ever is even based on real-life killers and the formation of the FBI unit that began to track people who fit the newly minted term serial killers. There’s something for everyone, including shows that only ran a single season and ones that ran multiple, some of which have plans to continue.
‘The Residence’ (2025)
The Residence is best described as Knives Out for the small screen with a gender-swapped Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig). Uzo Aduba plays Cordelia Cupp, an eccentric consultant who is called in to help the local police when they are dealing with seemingly unsolvable, often high-profile cases. It doesn’t get much more high-profile than a murder in the White House, and when she arrives on the scene during a state dinner with the Australian prime minister, it’s time to get to work.
The Shonda Rhimes mystery comedy drama is a single-season mystery TV masterpiece. It’s as funny as it is gripping, with every episode told from the perspective of a different person as Cordelia interviews them about what they did that night and what they might know. It’s fun, exciting, and keeps you guessing. It’s a shame The Residence was canceled after just one season since the premise would have worked with a new case and characters, Cordelia returning to do her quirky thing once again.
‘Bodies’ (2023)
Imagine the same dead body showing up four times across four different time periods, starting in the late 1800s right up to the future 2053. There’s something strange going on, and the four investigations eventually come together in Bodies to explain a weird link across space and time.
The British sci-fi mystery thriller Bodies, based on the Si Spencer graphic novel of the same name, stars Adolescence‘s Stephen Graham and Unorthodox‘s Shira Haas. It will leave you stunned through its gripping eight episodes. If you’re looking for a Netflix detective show you can watch in one sitting, Bodies is a good choice.
‘Mindhunter’ (2017–2019)
Arguably one of Netflix’s best detective series, perhaps even one of its best original shows overall, Mindhunter dives into the minds of serial killers. But this is at a time before they were known as such. Special agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany), based on real-life agents, begin to realize that there’s a strange psychological compulsion with these “repeat killers.” The pair come to be part of the original formation of the Behavioral Science Unit (BSU) of the FBI, examining the ritualistic motivations behind these vicious killers, who appear to be driven by something more than just a desire to kill.
Mindhunter is based on not only a real-life story but also features actors playing real-life serial killers from history. Conversations include dialogue that is pulled from actual transcripts. It’s one of the most chilling, riveting psychological crime thrillers, a thriller show with no weak episodes. Mindhunter is a perfect fit for those who love exploring the minds of killers, not just seeing an investigation into who they are.
‘Dept. Q’ (2025–Present)
Set to return for a second season, Dept. Q is a British crime thriller based on the Jussi Adler-Olsen book series Department Q. Carl Morck (Matthew Goode) is a police officer who returns to work after a devastating incident that left him wounded, his colleague paralyzed, and another officer killed. The not-well-liked asocial officer is assigned to head up a new unit focusing on cold cases. In Season 1, they tackle the case of the missing Crown Office solicitor Merritt Lingard (Chloe Pirrie).
Dept. Q is as much about dealing with trauma and moving forward as it is about the cases. Morck is the shining star — a sarcastic, arrogant personality who is often butting heads with others. There’s a lot of potential for where the plot can go in Season 2 of this exciting and underrated detective show.
‘Unbelievable’ (2019)
When a woman claims she was raped, the tables are bizarrely turned on her, and she is instead accused of falsely reporting a crime. But as other similar attacks pop up around town, two female detectives, Grace Rasmussen (Toni Collette) and Karen Duvall (Merritt Wever) start to look deeper into her case.
What’s most shocking about Unbelievable is that it should be believable because it’s based on a true story: the serial rape cases that took place in Washington and Colorado from 2008 through 2011. The premise in this flawless miniseries is heartbreaking with a powerful message about victim blaming or outright not believing women (or men) who come forward with such stories, and about survivor trauma.
‘His & Hers’ (2026)
One of the twistiest detective shows you will have seen in a long time, His & Hers will keep you guessing right up to the literal end of the show. The mystery thriller takes place in a small town where detective Jack Harper (Jon Bernthal) is investigating the murder of a local woman. His estranged wife Anna Andrews (Tessa Thompson), a news reporter, suddenly comes back to report on it. Both have a connection to the victim, and it seems this small town, and this couple, hold a lot of secrets.
The series is a tightly told story though six episodes that will have you convinced you know the truth one minute, then questioning if maybe you’re wrong the next. As new characters come into the mix, you look at each one side-eyed. But trust me, you won’t see the shocking twist coming.
‘Wednesday’ (2022–Present)
Wednesday isn’t technically a detective show. But every season of the supernatural mystery comedy contains at least one case that involves detectives investigating. And it’s usually prompted by Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) having a vision of something horrible that is about to happen. With the police often of no valuable help, it’s up to Wednesday to try and put together the pieces and save someone from almost certain death before it’s too late.
A non-traditional coming-of-age tale about teens attending a private school for outcasts and monsters, each with special powers, Wednesday is one of Netflix’s most watched shows ever, and for good reason. The masterpiece fantasy show is bitingly funny, Wednesday’s sarcasm and brooding personality a perfect contrast to the others around her. Kids will love it just as much as adults.
‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ (2024–Present)
Emma Myers stars in the British mystery thriller A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder as Pippa “Pip” Fitz-Amobi, a teenager who decides to take matters into her own hands when she feels as though the police aren’t doing enough to handle the cases in her small town. While doing her studies and starting her own podcast, she first looks into the murder of a young fellow student. In Season 2, she investigates the disappearance of her best friend’s brother.
Set for a third and final season to stream in 2027, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is like a modern-day Nancy Drew story, a perfect watch for teens of the same age as Pip. It’s a coming-of-age tale with a classic detective story feel and a compartmentalized story for each season. Yet it remains a Netflix mystery show no one ever talks about.
‘Collateral’ (2018)
A forgotten hidden Netflix gem, Collateral technically aired on BBC in the U.K. first before arriving to Netflix, which co-financed the series and released it internationally a month later. Told in four parts, the British drama follows DI Kip Glaspie (Carey Mulligan) who is looking into the shooting of a pizza delivery person. But as she investigates, Kip realizes this story runs far deeper than she ever imagined.
The story in Collateral explores topical issues like racism and immigration and the mistreatment of individuals by both other citizens and agencies that vow to protect residents. Collateral is heavy-handed on social commentary, but there’s no denying its message, which is a powerful one about unity, acceptance, and judgment.
‘Murderville’ (2022)
Want something funnier? Murderville is a murder mystery that combines improvised comedy with typical tropes and celebrities who are willing to dive right into the silliness of it all. Will Arnett leads each episode as Terry Seattle, a senior detective working with a new rookie detective in each episode, assigned to him by his ex-wife and chief of police Rhonda (Haneefah Wood). The celebrities who play these rookies come along for the ride, but the twist is that they don’t have a script. Both are ad-libbing as they go, to hilarious results.
The seven-episode show (there was also a Christmas special) features celebrities like Conan O’Brien, Kumail Nanjiani, Ken Jeong, Jason Bateman, and Maya Rudolph, each bringing their own comedic style to the on-the-fly narrative. It’s totally silly fun, and while there are awkward moments of silence where improv skills aren’t as strong, each episode will make you laugh. Arnett is often able to fill in the gaps.
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