Crime thrillers are one of the only places where you can be almost certain that the bad guy will be brought to justice. It’s a versatile genre that encompasses spy dramas, drug trafficking, police procedurals, and even manhunts for dangerous serial killers. I’m sure you think you’ve seen them all, but there may be some out there that will surprise you. So strap on your weapon of choice and let’s dive into the underworld of crime thrillers.
1
‘Breaking Bad’ (2008 – 2013)
Created by Vince Gilligan
Breaking Bad was created by Vince Gilligan and features a cast of great actors, including Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte, Giancarlo Esposito, and Bob Odenkirk. The series follows Cranston as a high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with stage-three lung cancer, so he turns to a life of crime and partners with a former student, played by Paul, to cook meth to make lots of money before he dies.
Breaking Bad was so popular that it spurred the spin-off Better Call Saul, a prequel series featuring Odenkirk, and a follow-up movie, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, starring Paul’s character, Jesse.
2
‘Mr. Robot’ (2015 – 2019)
Created by Sam Esmail
Mr. Robotwas created by Sam Esmail and stars Rami Malek, Carly Chaikin, Portia Doubleday, Martin Wallström, Christian Slater, Michael Cristofer, Stephanie Corneliussen, Grace Gummer, and BD Wong. The series follows Malek as a cybersecurity engineer and hacker with social anxiety and clinical depression who is approached by an anarchist, played by Slater, to join a group of hacktivists looking to destroy all debt records.
Mr. Robot received a myriad of award nominations and wins, including Golden Globe Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Peabody Award. The series quickly gained a cult following due to Malek and Slater’s performances, the cinematic direction, and the memorable musical score.
3
‘True Detective’ (2014 – Present)
Created by Nic Pizzolatto
True Detective is an anthology series created by Nic Pizzolatto, with each season structured as a self-contained story, featuring new casts, characters, and settings. Though the settings vary, the arcs typically follow a set of police officers investigating a strange case. Taking the lead over the seasons have been talented actors like Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch, Mahershala Ali, Stephen Dorff, Jodie Foster, and Kali Reis.
Though True Detective has had mixed reviews from season to season, it has consistently been praised for the acting, cinematography, and writing, especially the first and fourth seasons, which each had multiple award nominations.
4
‘The Wire’ (2002 – 2008)
Created by David Simon
The Wire was created by former police reporter and author David Simon and stars Dominic West, John Doman, Idris Elba, Frankie Faison, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Wood Harris, Deirdre Lovejoy, Wendell Pierce, Lance Reddick, Andre Royo, and Sonja Sohn. The series takes a deep dive into different institutions of Baltimore, Maryland, from the perspective of a team of cops and the working-class folks of Baltimore.
Though it didn’t get the love it deserved during its run on TV, the show cultivated a cult following and is among the most beloved series of all time due to its rich themes and writing.
5
‘Fargo’ (2014 – 2024)
Created by Noah Hawley
Fargo is a dark comedy crime anthology created by Noah Hawley, set in the same world as the film of the same name by the Coen Brothers. Though each season follows a different group of characters in this small town, there is often an overlap that maintains continuity across the show and the film.
This seven-time Emmy-winning show has featured a host of talent across the five seasons, including Billy Bob Thornton, Colin Hanks, Martin Freeman, Kirsten Dunst, Patrick Wilson, Jesse Plemons, Ewan McGregor, Chris Rock, Jessie Buckley, Jason Schwartzman, Juno Temple, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Jon Hamm.
6
‘Twin Peaks’ (1990 – 1991)
Created by David Lynch and Mark Frost
Twin Peaks is a surrealist mystery-horror series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch that follows Kyle MacLachlan as an FBI special agent who arrives in the fictional Pacific Northwest town of Twin Peaks to investigate the murder of a teenager, played by Sheryl Lee, who washes up on the local shore.
The supernatural elements and kooky characters mixed with the campy soap opera vibe of the series have made it a cult classic as rabid fans analyze every frame to unwrap the mysteries that Lynch places throughout. Since the end of the series’ short run, the story has continued with the feature film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and the revival back in 2017, wrapping up the series with a third season.
7
‘Narcos’ (2015 – 2017)
Created by Chris Brancato, Carlo Bernard, and Doug Miro
Narcos was created by production trio Chris Brancato, Carlo Bernard, and Doug Miro. The series chronicles the life of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, played by Wagner Moura, as he gains power in the Medellín Cartel by producing and selling cocaine. Though Escobar is the focus, the show is told through the investigation by DEA duo Steve Murphy and Javier Peña, played by Boyd Holbrook and Pedro Pascal, respectively.
Narcos has been nominated for and won many awards, including Golden Globes and Emmys, and gained enough popularity to earn a spin-off called Narcos: Mexico that takes the DEA action from Colombia to Mexico with an all-new cast.
8
‘The Americans’ (2013 – 2018)
Created by Joe Weisberg
The Americans is a period spy series created by Joe Weisberg that stars Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Maximiliano Hernández, Holly Taylor, Keidrich Sellati, and Noah Emmerich. The show follows Russell and Rhys as two Soviet KGB agents posing as an American married couple in Virginia, where they try to fulfill their spy duties while raising their children and avoiding being caught.
The Americans explores the ideas of marriage, identity, and parenthood while using the Cold War to reflect and amplify their struggles. Over its six-season run, the show became one of the most popular series on cable television, eventually landing a Golden Globe and Emmy in its final season.
9
‘Luther’ (2010 – 2019)
Created by Neil Cross
Luther is a British series written by Neil Cross that combines aspects of Sherlock Holmes with the format of Columbo. The series stars Idris Elba as the titular Luther, along with Ruth Wilson, Paul McGann, Steven Mackintosh, Indira Varma, and Warren Brown. Elba takes on the role of an obsessive and violent yet hyper-intelligent detective who is often consumed by the darkness of the crimes he investigates, which often leads him to seek his own form of justice.
Wilson and Brown take on the Holmes archetypes of Irene Adler and Watson as he leans on them to help him solve particularly serious crimes throughout London. Each episode of the short seasons presents a new case for the detective to solve while constantly at odds with his own precinct, until it all culminates in the feature film Luther: The Fallen Sun, where he finally meets his own Moriarty.
10
‘Hannibal’ (2013 – 2015)
Created by Bryan Fuller
Hannibal is a loose adaptation of the early days of Dr. Hannibal Lecter’s time as a serial killer, created by Bryan Fuller using characters from the Thomas Harris novels. The series focuses on the relationship between Hugh Dancy as an FBI agent and Mads Mikkelsen as the forensic psychiatrist and secret, cunning serial killer Hannibal Lecter. They work together to profile and investigate murderers across the United States.
Joining Dancy and Mikkelsen on the cast list over the three-season run are Caroline Dhavernas, Hettienne Park, Laurence Fishburne, Scott Thompson, Aaron Abrams, and Gillian Anderson. The series is a refreshing take on the Lecter character with stunning performances, a unique visual style, and the best-looking culinary dishes.
