When it comes to popular TV genres, it’s hard to top a solidly-written crime show. The realism with which they’re often made, good performances, and people’sfascination with crime, true or not, make crime shows the most profitable on modern television. Netflix has created a niche, HBO blows up rating systems with their adaptations, and others have experimented with great results.
However, the excess of crime TV also creates an overflow on streaming platforms that usually puts secondary shows in the back when it comes to users selecting their next binge. They’re not exactly the best shows you will ever see, but they’re much better than you think. In those dusty bins, maybe you will find your next obsession. You just have to be willing to open your mind to analog video, non-English shows, and others you didn’t even know existed.
But we’ll tag along with you and take a trip down memory lane to explore the very interesting world of forgotten TV. These are some of themost thrilling crimeshows you can watch today that barely anyone remembers. Trust us when we say you’re in for a journey of quality television.
10Broadchurch (2013 - 2017)
Broadchurch
Broadchurchis the story of a horrific crime that takes place on the outskirts of Broadchurch, a coastal town in South West England. 11-year-old Danny Latimer is found dead, and his parents and sister are forced to deal with the grief and impact of the violent death. Detective Inspector Alec Hardy (David Tennant in his best performance) and Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman inone of her best performances) are the agents in charge of solving the mystery, but unfortunately, this time the culprit may be closer than they thought.
The Perfect Show About a Small Town Crime That Makes Everyone Shiver
Created by Chris Chibnall, a showrunner who would then go off to participate in the production ofDoctor Who,Broadchurchran for three great seasons on ITV, and it won dozens of awards upon release, including BAFTAs for its cast and the top prize for Best Drama Series in 2014. The series works mainly because of its cast. David Tennant and Olivia Colman lead the show, and they add a dramatic range to the show’s poignant subject.
It was later remade for American and French audiences in the showsGracepoint(which David Tennant also starred in) andMalaterra, respectively. But none would be as effective as this heartbreaking drama, whose writers made sure to make an impact. The solving of the crime, as necessary as it is, is much too dark to make for a friendly conflict resolution. You will be shocked while trying to recover from a drama that isn’t fast-paced but still has the capacity to keep you hooked from start to finish.
Stream on The Roku Channel
9Red Riding (2009)
TheRed RidingTrilogy was a miniseries consisting of very long episodes that were structured in feature film format and actually played like so. In fact, they were released in theaters at some point. The three episodes take place in a 9-year span from 1974 to 1983, and they each tell a story centered on different characters going through the turmoil of the Yorkshire Ripper killings and how this affected the world of politics, law enforcement, and journalism in a dark period of British history.
One of the Best Crime Dramas Ever Made
The extremely well-produced crime show was released on Channel 4 in March 2009, and every episode featured a notable cast of familiar faces:Andrew Garfield in a stellar performance, as well as David Morrissey, Sean Harris, Sean Bean, Paddy Considine, Peter Mullan, and others. The storytelling is based on themes of dread and nihilism that greatly reflect the corruption of man and the organizations that are supposed to run on the truth but don’t exactly comply with their values.
Its visual style goes from arthouse to horror in seconds, depending on the episode you’re watching, but its editing style makes the experience a little more frantic than you would think. This is, by far, the best TV miniseries you’ve probably never seen.
Red Riding isn’t available to stream today
Related:10 Canceled Crime Shows That Deserve a Second Chance
8The Night Of (2016)
The Night Of
The Night Offocuses on Naz, a Pakistani-American college student who lives with his parents in New York City. Naz is a withdrawn guy, and one day he decides to misbehave: he steals his father’s cab to go to a party, but then he meets a good-looking girl. Andrea and Naz end up partying until dawn, when Naz wakes up in her apartment and Andrea’s mutilated body lies beside him. This is the beginning of the young man’s journey through a complicated justice system that never sees him as a possibly innocent man.
Gut-Wrenching Drama Led by an Ensemble of Stars
Created by Steven Zaillian and Richard Price, who based their work on the British seriesCriminal Justice,The Night Ofis a harrowing exploration of prejudice and racism in the 21st century, as seen from the eyes of a man who doesn’t even recognize what he may have possibly done. In the eyes of Naz, he could actually be guilty of what he did, and at some point, he buys into the story because it’s the only way to cope.
Only his attorney, wonderfully played by John Turturro, makes him stay within the confines of Naz’s naive gaze. Eight episodes of pure drama, paced to the rhythm of master screenwriters (Zaillian and Price), who understand the nature of the story and the gray areas of social justice that are supposed to be talked about. One of the few shows on modern televisionwithout a much-needed sequel.
Watch the trailer forThe Night Ofhere.
Stream on Max
7Goliath (2016 - 2021)
Starring Billy Bob Thornton, one of the best actors of his generation,Goliathtells the story of Billy McBride, an attorney who has fallen from grace. At least, according to himself. He once worked for a very powerful firm, but after the acquittal of a murder suspect, the guy kills again, and McBride feels extremely guilty. Now he only defends the innocent in a rundown motel room where he holds his office. Every season ofGoliathshows McBride tackling a different case, and every time, the stakes get higher.
Legal Drama Disguised as a Fascinating Crime Thriller
Produced by David E. Kelley and Jonathan Shapiro for Amazon,Goliathis a riveting series that always refreshes itself with a different storyline in each season. But fortunately, they all feature the usual characters that join McBride in fighting the powers that be, and without this ensemble cast, the show wouldn’t be as effective. As usual, season one stands out, but you will have a great time as you see the character progress into a flawed man whose punchlines in the courtroom are nothing short of bold:
Thornton is excellent in the lead role. As much as it sounds like a legal drama,Goliathis much more than that. It’s a white-knuckle show that will hook you in as the real nature of the characters starts emerging. You’ll notice this right away when you experience a couple of seasons with properly designed villains (the late John Hurt is excellent in one of his last roles).
Watch theGoliathtrailer here.
Stream on Prime Video
6American Crime (2015 - 2017)
american crime
American Crimeis an anthology TV show that takes us to American suburbia, where crime remains a theory only materialized by the black sheep that have escaped the white picket fences. Throughout its run, the show depicted crime stories with a very sober tone, and it also explored themes like racism, bullying, and violence in parts of society that are not often associated with these “deviations.“This is a very underrated showthat was widely acclaimed years ago, but it seems to have fallen out of the public eye.
A Realistic Crime Drama That Went Mostly Unnoticed
John Ridley createdAmerican Crimefor ABC in 2015, and the show went on to become an anthology series that features some of the same performers as different characters depending on the season. The most notable performances are those of Felicity Huffman, Timothy Hutton, and Regina King, among others. But the one that stands out the most is Richard Cabral. The young actor uses the variety of his characters to prove why he must be drawn out of the archetype the industry associates him with.
The multiple award-winning show is a great example of drama television that sticks to its realism to impress, but it doesn’t feature an overkill of current events and themes. It’s entirely fictional, but this doesn’t mean it’s a poor depiction of something very real.
Watch theAmerican Crimetrailer here.
Rent on Prime Video
5Banshee (2013 - 2016)
Bansheetells the story of an ex-con who arrives in the town of Banshee, Pennsylvania, to settle a score. As it turns out, he was betrayed by his partner, the daughter of a mob boss who’s still after him because he aided Anastasia when stealing some very valuable diamonds. He adopts the identity of Banshee’s new sheriff, Lucas Hood, and early on, he’s surprised by the city’s abundance of dark secrets. This is not an ordinary town in Pennsylvania Amish country.
Ultraviolent Drama That Deserves a Rewatch
Antony Starr plays Lucas Hood inthis underrated showthat emerged from Cinemax in 2013.Bansheeis a bizarre case of an action show whose dramatic backdrop is very compelling and features characters that are pretty easy to connect with. Just don’t look for anyone worth redeeming, as there’s nothing of that nature here. This is just a steamy visit (the sexual content is curiously high) to a very rotten town where justice is theoretical and morals are a thing of the past.
Watch theBansheetrailer here.
4Lie to Me (2009 - 2011)
The crime dramaLie to Mefocuses on Dr. Cal Lightman, a specialist with very high psychological knowledge. Lightman has created The Lightman Group, a third-party company that specializes in the interpretation of human expression. They’re advisors to law enforcement, who seek the help of body language experts to catch suspects of unresolved crimes. The show ran for three seasons in the mid-2010s until it was canceled by Fox.
Clever Drama That Was Canceled Way too Soon
Starring the character actor Tim Roth inone of his notable performances,Lie to Meis a great show that was highly acclaimed during its short run, but it seems to have been forgotten by most. It never drifted out of its basic plot, but that’s where its value resided. It’s a dramatized reenactment of a fascinating subject like profiling in the 21st century, when technology isn’t quick enough to draw a conclusion as cleverly as Lightman would.
His character is based on the real-life expertise of Paul Ekman, the consultant who has helped law enforcement deal with terrorism and who actually served as a consultant on the show’s production. You won’t be able to look away as Lightman makes his discoveries.
Stream on Hulu
3The Night Manager (2016)
The Night Manager
Based on the 1993 novel of the same name by John le Carré,The Night Managertells the story of Jonathan Pine, the manager of a luxurious hotel in Egypt, who has a secret. He’s a former British soldier with a spy skill set. Pine becomes romantically involved with the wrong girl; she gives him some documents that reveal an international conspiracy between arms dealers and terrorists. The night manager sends the documents to Angela Burr, a Foreign Office manager, who convinces Pine to work with her to bring down one of the heads of the operation.
Six Episodes of Prime Crime TV
The miniseries runs for six fast-paced episodes that will surely leave you hungry for me. Created by genre TV master Susanne Bier,The Night Managerstars an international ensemble cast that includes Tom Hiddleston, Olivia Colman, Hugh Laurie, Elizabeth Debicki, Tobias Menzies, Tom Hollander, and Noah Jupe, among others. For a show that needs to resolve its conflict in just six episodes, this one’s cleverly written to jump back and forth and essentially ignore geography in order to keep the thrills alive.
Luckily, characters are interesting enough to engage you from the very first moment. Hiddleston, Laurie, and Colman all won Golden Globes for their performances, proving why this underseen crime thrillermust be added to your watchlistas soon as possible.
Watch the trailer forThe Night Managerhere.
2Bloodline (2015 - 2017)
The family dramaBloodlinetakes us to sunny Florida, specifically to Islamorada. The Rayburns are a powerful family whose legacy is visible in the community. However, there’s a family member that isn’t exactly welcome, and he intends to come home to celebrate his parents' anniversary. Danny arrives, and his siblings, John, Meg, and Kevin, aren’t very happy because he will cause his mother’s heartbreak. Not because Danny is a bad man, but because he has some secrets that will take the Rayburn empire down.
Rotten Family Values
Netflix’s crime TV offeris huge, butBloodlineisn’t often mentioned as a noteworthy show. The truth is, the show ran for three seasons to complete an arc that started in the very first episode with a risky twist in which a very important character dies. Then, in the following 32 episodes, the series tries to shed some logic on the despicable act that changes our perception of family values early on.
It’s not exactly that Danny deserves redemption, but throughout the whole series, you will understand his position as the possible stain on the pristine dress of the Rayburn legacy. The performances by Ben Mendelsohn, Kyle Chandler, Linda Cardellini, Sissy Spacek, Norbert Leo Butz, and others are some of the best in the Netflix catalog of exclusive releases.
Watch theBloodlinetrailer here.
Stream on Netflix
Related:10 Underrated TV Dramas That Don’t Get Talked About Enough
1Homicide: Life on the Street (1993 - 1999)
Homicide: Life on the Streetis a police procedural that ran for six years in the ’90s on NBC. It tells the story of law enforcement agents who face every kind of threat as they work in the Baltimore Police Department. The series was based on the book by David Simon,Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, and it’s mostly known for being the show that putthe late Andre Braugherin the industry spotlight.
A Very Underrated Police Procedural Starring a Great Ensemble Cast
The NBC show is considered one of the best TV shows of all time by TIME and TV Guide, but curiously, it’s hard to watch. Only those with a DVD player (it was in syndication for some time on Lifetime) will have the pleasure of revisiting the modern TV classic with extremely good performances by Braugher, Richard Belzer, Yaphet Kotto, Melissa Leo, Isabella Hofmann, and Jon Polito, among others.
When it comes to TV procedurals featuring the dynamics of law enforcement amidst the tension brought by mundane issues,Homicide: Life on the Streetis a great example of exceptional screenwriting, guerrilla-style camera work, and fast editing.
Homicide: Life on the Streetisn’t available to stream today.
To stay in the spirit of thrillers, here’s a video about the very best psychological thrillers you can stream on Netflix today:
