The psychological thriller is an exceptional subgenre that dissolves any sense of reality and, instead of relying on physical action, it builds up the suspense through a character’s misconstrued perspective and complex mental state. Movies such as Rear Window, Cape Fear, and The Silence of the Lambs popularized the subgenre, paving the way for producing the best psychological thriller series, including Bates Motel, True Detective, and David Fincher‘s Mindhunter.
Through the years, there have been dozens of popular psychological thriller shows that earned praise from both critics and audiences, but only a few, such as The Following and Mare of Easttown, can leave viewers on edge. These spine-chilling psychological thrillers are expertly crafted, with well-written plots to complement stunning performances against gritty realities. Which are the most disturbing psychological thriller series worth watching as soon as possible?
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‘The Crowded Room’ (2023)
The Crowded Room is a fascinating miniseries set in 1979, and stars Tom Holland as Danny Sullivan, a troubled young man who is arrested for his involvement in a recent shooting in New York City. As Sullivan begins to recall the events that led him to commit the shocking crime, investigator Rya Goodwin (Amanda Seyfried) realizes that there’s more to Sullivan than she and other investigators initially believed. While Sullivan struggles to come to terms with his complex past and criminal history, he soon discovers that there is a psychological method to his unexplainable madness.
The Crowded Room is based on the 1981 novel The Minds of Billy Mulligan by Daniel Keyes, which tells the true story of Billy Mulligan, who was arrested in 1977 for committing several rapes at Ohio State University. Mulligan gained notoriety for being the first person to not only use his diagnosis of dissociative personality disorder as a defense but also the first to be acquitted of his crimes based on his defense. Holland delivers a highly underrated performance that showcases his dramatic depth and emotional range as a performer, and is also joined by a stellar supporting cast, including Emmy Rossum and Jason Isaacs, who all give outstanding performances in this must-see psychological thriller.
34
‘Cross’ (2024–)
Aldis Hodge stars in the intense series, Cross, as homicide detective and forensic psychologist, Alex Cross, who is tasked with apprehending a sadistic killer who has committed a string of recent murders. As Cross and his partner, Detective John Sampson (Isaiah Mustafa), navigate their way through the criminal underworld in search of their suspect, Cross must also protect his family from an unexpected threat involving his past and the tragic death of his wife.
Amazon’s latest hit series, Cross, is based on the Alex Cross novel series written by James Patterson and has also been previously portrayed by notable names, including Morgan Freeman and Tyler Perry. While Patterson’s literary detective is no stranger to audiences, Cross is the first adaptation for the small screen and has an undeniable cinematic quality and intensity that the film adaptations have failed to grasp fully. Hodge, who recently starred in Showtime’s City on a Hill with Kevin Bacon, was born for the role of Cross and delivers an emotionally raw and powerhouse performance that will leave viewers waiting on pins and needles as he searches for a modern madman.
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‘Paradise’ (2025–)
Hulu’s Paradise is a criminally marginalized political thriller that is set in an underground utopia in Colorado three years after a doomsday event destroyed the world. When the President (James Marsden) is found brutally murdered in his highly guarded home, a Secret Service agent, Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown), refuses to go along with the others’ proposed narrative that he died of natural causes. As Collins digs into the President’s murder, he uncovers a series of secrets and cover-ups that suggest that there’s a more sinister force that is pulling the strings behind the seemingly picturesque society.
The science fiction thriller series, Paradise, is a unique show that, despite its sci-fi elements, is still appealing to those who are not fans of the science fiction genre. The show does an excellent job of presenting its main mystery while gradually intertwining other subplots and characters into the mix, which keeps viewers guessing at every turn. Despite some criticism of the show’s pace, Paradise received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Drama Series and has been praised for its intriguing premise, original writing, and standout performances by Brown, Marsden, and Julianne Nicholson, who all earned Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
32
‘Black Bird’ (2022)
Taron Egerton stars in the gritty Apple TV thriller series, Black Bird, as a once-promising football star turned drug dealer, Jimmy Keene, who, after being arrested in a large-scale drug bust, is approached with an offer to have his potential ten-year prison sentence fully commuted if he can gain vital information from a convicted serial killer, Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser) who authorities believe is responsible for fourteen other murders. Considering his undeniable charisma and smooth talking skills, Keene takes the deal, but once inside, he discovers that behind Hall’s boyish appearance and calm, soft-spoken demeanor lies a clever, cold-blooded killer.
Black Bird is based on the 2010 autobiography, In With the Devil: A Fallen Hero, A Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption, written by James Keene, who managed to gather crucial information from Larry Hall, who, during the 1980s, was suspected of murdering dozens of young women and girls in the Midwestern area. While Egerton is simply sublime, Hauser ultimately steals the show as Hall, portraying the serial killer down to the finest detail with a disturbing allure that effortlessly sends chills up viewers’ spines. Black Bird does a great job at keeping its focus on Keene’s task while also keeping viewers on their toes with unforeseen challenges and sketchy characters, which essentially provides the series with a consistent tone of uncertainty and unsettling suspense.
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‘Slow Horses’ (2022–)
Oscar-winning actor, Gary Oldman, stars in the British spy thriller series, Slow Horses, as an unruly but sharp MI5 agent, Jackson Lamb, who is the head of a unit of dysfunctional agents known as Slough House or Slow Horses. As the group of misfit agents work together to protect England from carnage and sinister forces, they must also endure Lamb’s eccentric behavior and unpredictable mindset if they expect to not only stay on board but also survive.
Slow Horses is a darkly humorous espionage series based on the Slough House novels written by Mick Herron, and also stars Jack Lowden, Jonathan Pryce, and Kristin Scott Thomas. The series has as much intensity as it does heart, conveying the perfect blend of cheeky comedy and genuine emotion without losing sight of its main premise of action and thrills. While the series features an array of excellent performances, Oldman is undoubtedly the show’s main attraction with his performance as Lamb, whose unpredictability and elusive presence make him as much of an enigma as the series of missions Lamb’s agents face.
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‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’ (2020)
Victoria Pedretti stars as Danielle Clayton in the gothic horror thriller The Haunting of Bly Manor. Danielle is hired as a live-in nanny by a family living in the English countryside, but as she settles into her new home and job caring for two young children, she begins to experience strange occurrences throughout the house. She slowly uncovers a series of dark secrets surrounding the manor as well as its residents.
Mike Flanagan‘s hit Netflix series, The Haunting of Bly Manor, is based on the 1898 novella The Turn of the Screw written by Henry James and follows a nonlinear plot that is full of thrilling twists and turns. The series has a ghostly, suspenseful tone, slightly toeing the line of horror, but is more of a reflection of an Edgar Allan Poe tale, which relies more on psychological intensity and mystery than visuals of gore and violence.
29
‘Fool Me Once’ (2024)
Fool Me Once is one of Netflix’s latest psychological thriller series that centers around a young mother, Maya Stern (Michelle Keegan), who is struggling to cope with the brutal murder of her husband, Joe (Richard Armitage). While Stern tries to pick up the pieces of her life, she hires a nanny to help out with her daughter, and, for peace of mind, she decides to install a nanny cam. When Stern goes to check the footage one day, she is stricken with fear when she sees Joe, alive and well, playing with their daughter.
Based on the 2016 mystery thriller written by Harlan Coben, Fool Me Once puts a spin on the traditional whodunit with a shocking revelation, sending Stern into a thrilling downward spiral searching for answers while also trying to protect herself and her child. While it might not be one of those series you watch more than once, Fool Me Once is still a worthy series for any die-hard fans of psychological thrillers who enjoy piecing together a complex web of a mystery.
28
‘The Watcher’ (2022)
Inspired by true events, The Watcher stars Bobby Cannavale and Naomi Watts as Dean and Nora Brannock, a married couple who recently move into a new home with their son and daughter in Westfield, New Jersey. Initially, they’re happy in their new home and picturesque neighborhood, but when they start receiving harassing letters from an anonymous writer known as The Watcher, the family starts to become paranoid, believing everyone is a potential suspect.
Ryan Murphy‘s mystery thriller The Watcher is loosely based on real-life events of a family receiving a series of anonymous letters from an unknown sender who expressed an unhealthy infatuation with their home, but even today, the author has never been identified. While the series is mainly fiction, it also leaves audiences with a series of unanswered questions, and even though it was intended to just be a miniseries, Netflix renewed the series for a second season. Despite some loose ends, The Watcher is still an exhilarating thriller with an intriguing mystery that presents several theories, making it one of the most recent top-notch psychological thrillers.
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‘Sugar’ (2024)
Colin Farrell stars in the psychological neo-noir series Sugar as private investigator John Sugar, who is hired by a famed Hollywood producer (James Cromwell) to find his granddaughter, who has been missing for several weeks. Sugar takes on the high-profile case, but as he begins his investigation, he uncovers family-kept secrets and past incidents that make him start to realize that this is more than just a missing persons case.
Sugar is a unique drama mystery series that meticulously intertwines certain scenes with classic noir films, giving it an edgy, gritty appeal similar to the setting of a traditional noir. With Farrell providing an off-camera hardboiled narrative and his character carrying secrets of his own, Sugar is a fitting homage to the noir genre, tailored to a modern mystery that will have viewers guessing at every turn. There is an unexpected element to the series that tips the overall plot sideways, but once viewers get past it, Sugar is indeed a psychological rollercoaster and one of the best series in recent years.
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‘Castle Rock’ (2018–2019)
A supernatural horror series inspired by the eponymous fictional town in Stephen King’s stories, Castle Rock draws from characters, motifs, themes, and settings of King’s universe. The Hulu anthology series follows the lives and events revolving around various characters linked to the titular town, intertwined through unprecedented and mysterious circumstances. The first season focuses on death row attorney Henry Deaver (Andre Holland), who gets a mysterious call to return to his hometown of Castle Rock, which he left in a dire situation. The second season, featuring Lizzy Caplan as Anne Wilkes, alludes to 1990’s Misery, a film adaptation of the eponymous novel by King.
Castle Rock is a beautifully crafted, dark tale combining supernatural horror, crime thriller, and psychological drama with intimate storytelling that makes for a must-watch for Stephen King and/or genre fans. The characters are meticulously created and brought to life with remarkably chilling performances by Bill Skarsgård in Season 1 and Lizzy Caplan in Season 2. —Maddie P
