Are you finding yourself in the mood for murder, most foul? Well, we have you covered with our list of the Best Crime Series on Netflix. From docuseries like The Keepers to Netflix originals like Mindhunter and Bloodline, as well as British series like Bodyguard and Peaky Blinders, there should be something to tempt you below.
Like with our Best TV Dramas on Netflix, we have even more lists of TV subgenres on the streaming giant to share, including the Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy, Best TV Comedies, and more. So if you don’t see your favorites here, keep checking!
This list will continue to grow, but for now, check out our list of crime-specific recommendations below and let us know some of your other favorites in the comments.
Editor’s Note: This piece was last updated in October 2023 to include Bodies.
The 23 Best True Crime Shows on Netflix Right Now
These stranger-than-fiction docuseries are well worth your time.Dare Me (2019)
Dare Me
- Release Date
- December 19, 2019
- Cast
- Willa Fitzgerald , Marlo Kelly , Rob Heaps , Zach Roerig
- Seasons
- 1
Based on Megan Abbott’s 2012 novel of the same name, Dare Me is a teen drama series that follows a team of high school cheerleaders who uncover a dark mystery that has woven itself into the fabric of their small hometown. Praised for breaking down the stereotype that often surrounds high school cheerleaders, Dare Me is much more twisted than an average teen drama, with each of the central characters humanely flawed. The ugly nature of competitiveness is shown through the innate jealousy and rivalry within the group, with the wonderfully dark lead performances highlighted in particular by Willa Fitzgerald’s cheerleading coach Colette French. Only surviving for one season, Dare Me is often cited as moody and relevant, with praise being given to main writers Megan Abbott, Gina Fattore, Lisa Lutz, and Joe Johnson. - Jake Hodges.
Bodies (2023)
Bodies
- Release Date
- October 19, 2023
- Cast
- Jacob Fortune-Lloyd , shira haas , Kyle Soller , Synnove Karlsen
- Creator
- Paul Tomalin
- Seasons
- 1
Based on the DC comic and graphic novel of the same name, this eight-episode series follows four detectives all investigating the same murder in London — except each of them is from a different point in time. Mind-bending but never far from its gritty, crime-based roots, Bodies contains a stellar cast boasting the likes of Stephen Graham, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, and Shira Haas, with each of them finding the brooding moments of tension and action-packed fury that a story of this nature requires. Sometimes pensive but with a constant feeling of impending action, Bodies is a detective tale like you’ve never seen it before. - Jake Hodges
Painkiller (2023)
Painkiller (2023)
The series takes viewers to the epicenter of America's struggle with opioid addiction, from the boardrooms of Purdue Pharma, to a distressed Virginia mining community, to the hallways of the DEA.
- Release Date
- August 10, 2023
- Cast
- Uzo Aduba , Matthew Broderick , Taylor Kitsch , Dina Shihabi
- Seasons
- 1
Overflowing with award-winning performers, Painkiller stars the incredibly talented Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black), Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights), West Duchovny (Saint X), and Matthew Broderick in the role of Richard Sackler. Painkiller, from Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, is inspired by the opioid crisis that ravaged a nation, specifically focusing on Purdue and the American OxyContin epidemic. Setting itself apart from Hulu’s Dopesick, which also centered on the US drug problem, Painkiller dives deeper into stories of doctors, victims, and investigators who were intent on bringing perpetrators to justice. – Yael Tygiel
Midnight at the Pera Palace (2022)
Midnight at the Pera Palace
- Release Date
- March 3, 2022
- Cast
- Hazal Kaya , Tansu Biçer , Selahattin Pasali , James Chalmers
- Seasons
- 2
One of the things that set Netflix apart from its competitors is the attention the service gives to talent from around the globe, more so than any other streamer. So here's an international production for you. A Turkish Netflix Original historical fantasy mystery crime series (wow, that's a mouthful), Midnight at the Pera Palace (2022) brings together Turkish history, time travel, and Agatha Christie to create a fascinating period drama. The show picks up with present-day reporter Esra (Hazal Kaya) being sent to the historical (and real-life) Pera Palace Hotel, where Christie allegedly wrote her 1934 novel Murder on the Orient Express. There she meets the hotel manager Ahmet (Tansu Biçer), collecting information for a story celebrating the hotel's 130th anniversary. After spending the night in the hotel, Esra finds herself mysteriously transported to the year 1919, where she soon discovers that she has a doppelganger in that time period who has been brutally murdered. With suspects all about her and only Ahmet (revealed to be in on the hotel's secret) for support, Esra must assume her doppelganger's identity and try to maintain the course of history by preventing a political assassination, all while solving the murder and finding a way home. Story-wise, Midnight at the Pera Palace can be quite predictable, but it makes up for that with its gorgeous costumes, exquisite set design, and excellent camerawork that sets it all off to maximum effect. It's thoroughly enjoyable and a great showcase of Turkish history, bolstered by the performances of its talented cast.— Remus Noronha
Barracuda Queens (2023)
Barracuda Queens
- Release Date
- June 5, 2023
- Cast
- Izabella Scorupco , Johannes Kuhnke , Tea Stjärne , Alva Bratt
- Seasons
- 1
Inspired by a real story, Barracuda Queens is an exciting Swedish drama from creator Camilla Ahlgren, centering on a gang of disaffected teenage girls who turn to a life of crime. Starring Alva Bratt, Tindra Monsen, Sarah Gustafsson, and Tea Stjärne, Barracuda Queens takes place in 1995 Sweden, where these young women entertain themselves by stealing upscale jewelry from wealthy homes before escalating to taking high-end art from burglaries targeting their privileged neighborhoods. Like The Bling Ring and the short-lived series Fakes, Barracuda Queens is a fascinating exploration of angst, entitlement, and economic inequalities. – Yael Tygiel
Florida Man (2023)
Florida Man
- Release Date
- April 13, 2023
- Cast
- Abbey Lee , Anthony LaPaglia , Edgar Ramirez , Clark Gregg
- Seasons
- 1
Florida Man is a bonkers game of ex-cop and robbers created by Donald Todd (Samantha Who?) and produced by Jason Bateman (Ozark). Edgar Ramírez (Gold) leads this crime comedy about a disgraced Philly police officer who agrees to go back to his hometown in Florida to track down a mob boss’s girlfriend in exchange for total debt forgiveness. But what began as a simple job quickly snowballs into a massive ball of chaos, criminal activity, and conspiracy. As to be expected of a series named after the constant stream of shenanigans that comes out of Florida, the show uses every ounce of craziness that the sunshine state can mister and milks it for absurd amounts of comedy.
In From the Cold (2022)
In From the Cold
- Release Date
- January 28, 2022
- Cast
- Margarita Levieva , Cillian O'Sullivan , Lydia Fleming , Charles Brice
- Seasons
- 1
There's a certain joy you get only from spy shows, with their double-crosses and triple-crosses, endless masquerades, and complicated cat-and-mouse games. In From the Cold (2022) offers all of that and more, with a storyline that deftly combines crime, espionage, and science fiction. The sci-fi part of the series is executed with some brilliant visuals, but it's the crime you're here for after all. And at the heart of this series is a mysterious string of deaths that defy explanation.
The story kicks off with Jenny Franklin (Margarita Levieva) arriving in Spain with her daughter's figure skating team. Unexpectedly, she is exposed by a CIA agent as a former KGB assassin and is forced to work with him to solve a series of seemingly unrelated crimes. As it turns out, "Jenny" possesses secret technology developed during the Cold War that gives her extremely unique abilities (which we're not going to reveal here). But even with the help of those powers, she'll have a hard time cracking the mystery, which connects to both her own past and a rising group of hyper-nationalistic criminals in the present day. In From the Cold is a sadly under-appreciated series that delivers twists and turns right up to the very end, keeping you at the edge of your seat all through its eight-episode narrative. — Remus Noronha
Lupin (2021)
Lupin
- Release Date
- January 8, 2021
- Cast
- Omar Sy , Ludivine Sagnier , Hervé Pierre , Soufiane Guerrab
- Seasons
- 3
If there are classic crime solvers, there are also classic criminals like Arsene Lupin, a character created by French novelist and short-story writer Maurice Leblanc in the early 1900s. Created by George Kay (Criminal: UK) and Francois Uzan (Represent), the series Lupin follows Omar Sy as Assane Diop, a professional thief who is inspired by Leblanc’s fictional “gentleman thief”. Following a tragic childhood incident, Assane sets out to seek revenge after 25 years, using his masterful sleight of hand, disguise, charisma, and everything he has learned from Arsene Lupin’s stories.
First released in January 2021, Lupin became the most-watched non-English series on the streaming platform at the time with critical acclaim for Sy’s performance. The series was nominated for the 2022 International Emmy Awards and the 79th Golden Globe Awards for Best Drama Series and Best Actor. After two successful seasons, Lupin is set to return with a third one, currently under production. - Remus Noronha
Inside Man (2022)
Inside Man
- Release Date
- September 26, 2022
- Cast
- Stanley Tucci , David Tennant , Dolly Wells , Lydia West , Dylan Baker
- Seasons
- 1
David Tennant (Doctor Who) co-stars alongside Stanley Tucci (Easy A) in Inside Man, a thrilling series that unfolds over the course of four gripping episodes. Developed and created by experienced writer and showrunner Steven Moffat (Sherlock), Inside Man is a mystery drama that reveals flaws in the American prison system through the perspective of a former criminology professor-turned-death row inmate (Tucci) after being convicted of killing his wife. Undoubtedly carried by two brilliant actors, and with every episode directed by Paul McGuigan, Inside Man meticulously reveals dark twists and surprising turns despite Moffat’s flimsy foundation. – Yael Tygiel
The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Widow (2023)
The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window
- Release Date
- January 28, 2022
- Cast
- Kristen Bell , Tom Riley , Mary Holland , Cameron Britton
- Seasons
- 1
Just judging from the title, you can probably guess what you're in for when it comes to this Netflix original series — a parody meant for those of us who avidly devour thriller paperbacks from the airport bookstore that have some derivative of the show's title on the front cover. From the jump, The Woman in the House... is a series that doesn't take itself seriously at all (Kristen Bell literally hosing wine is another big clue on that front), but it's a throughline that continues all the way through to finding out exactly who the killer is. Come for the obvious wink at thriller movies (and the resulting hilarious deadpanning through dark comedy), stay for the absolutely bonkers celebrity cameo at the very end. - Carly Lane
Better Call Saul (2015)
Better Call Saul
- Release Date
- February 8, 2015
- Cast
- Bob Odenkirk , Jonathan Banks , Rhea Seehorn , Patrick Fabian , Michael Mando , Tony Dalton , Giancarlo Esposito
- Seasons
- 6
AMC’s Breaking Bad spinoff goes back to find Saul Goodman (Odenkirk) at a time when he was known as Jimmy McGill (or “Slippin’ Jimmy”), a hustler with courtroom ambitions, whose life had yet to be turned upside down by Walter White. Though as comedically quirky as expected, the languid and artistically rendered Saul also proved to also be very dark, affecting, and dramatic, thanks to Odenkirk’s outstandingly nuanced performance. Jimmy’s complicated relationship with his brother Chuck (McKean) drives the emotional undercurrent of the show's first couple seasons, alongside his being thwarted in his ambitions to join a real law firm. When he opens up his own business (in the closet of a nail salon), a revolving door of crazy clients appear, but it’s the selfless work that Jimmy does on behalf of an elderly contingent in town that imbues his journey with meaning, and gives the series truly dramatic stakes. Still, at every step, Jimmy finds himself running into walls, and his frustration with the misfires and betrayals that litter his life eventually start adding up to his transformation into the slick Saul Goodman. The show is at its best when it distances itself from Breaking Bad, and though it starts off slow with some curious digressions, Better Call Saul picks up tremendously towards the end of the first season and becomes a series that may even technically be better than Breaking Bad. Ultimately, being swept along in the chaos, hilarity, and sadness of Jimmy’s rise and fall (and eventual resurrection as Saul) is an immersive experience. - Collider Staff
Clark (2022)
Clark
- Release Date
- May 5, 2022
- Cast
- Bill Skarsgard , Vilhelm Blomgren , Nicklas Berglund , Sandra Ilar
- Seasons
- 1
At a time when true-crime stories and biopics of criminals are a dime a dozen, Clark is a stand-out in the genre. The Swedish series is a portrait and biography of Clark Olofsson, a con man and thief whose actions during the Norrmalmstorg robbery in the 1970s led to the origins of the term Stockholm Syndrome. But that's just a footnote in the colorful story of this man. Through one of the best performances Bill Skarsgård has ever given, we see Clark's story unravel from birth to imprisonment to escape to more. It helps that the series is tightly written and absolutely hilarious, but what really makes this an engaging watch is the incongruence between what Clark thinks his life is like and what we can see the reality is. The show is narrated from the POV of its protagonist, with plenty of fourth-wall breaks that add to the humor. But Skarsgård's Clark Olofsson is the ultimate unreliable narrator, only ever revealing what he wants you to know. As charming as the character might be, the show leaves no doubt in the audience's mind that Clark is an irredeemable sociopath, one who has been given every opportunity to change his ways but still insists on being a callous, self-absorbed creature driven only by his lust and greed. - Remus Noronha
Great Pretender (2020)
Great Pretender
- Release Date
- June 2, 2020
- Cast
- Chiaki Kobayashi , Jun'ichi Suwabe , Natsumi Fujiwara , Wolf Williams
- Seasons
- 1
The art of the con has been the subject of many great shows but you've never seen a bunch of con artists like these. Great Pretender is an original anime series by Wit Studio that follows an over-confident Japanese conman who falls in with a debonair French gentleman thief. Over the three arcs, or "cases", of the show, we see these two and their associates pull off some daring scams, exposing some dangerous and corrupt people along the way. It's a fun, high-energy show, bolstered by stylish animation and an excellent sense of humor. - Remus Noronha
Narcos (2015)
Narcos
A chronicled look at the criminal exploits of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, as well as the many other drug kingpins who plagued the country through the years.
- Release Date
- August 28, 2015
- Cast
- Pedro Pascal , Matias Padin , Damian Alcazar , Alberto Ammann , Michael Stahl-David
- Seasons
- 3
Narcos was one of Netflix's first major hit shows, premiering in 2015. The series charts the rise and ultimate downfall of Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura) and the DEA agents who helped bring him down, Steve Murphy (Boyd Holbrook) and Javier Peña (Pedro Pascal). While viewers likely know the fate of the central character going in, that doesn't stop the series from being one of the most riveting, exciting, and addicting originals Netflix has ever released. A companion series, Narcos: Mexico, was released in 2018, and like its predecessor also lasted three seasons. - Nate Richard
Good Girls (2018)
Good Girls
- Release Date
- February 26, 2018
- Cast
- Christina Hendricks , Retta , Mae Whitman , Reno Wilson , matthew lillard
- Seasons
- 4
What do you do when it feels like the whole world is against you? Rob a grocery store, apparently. Good Girls is a crime comedy-drama that first aired on NBC for four seasons. The show follows the lives of three suburban moms who are struggling to make ends meet. As pressures both financial and emotional pile up, the trio decides to rob a grocery store. But this is no straightforward heist series, oh no! As it turns out, the money they stole belongs to a violent street gang and things soon snowball into chaos. The three lead actors are excellent in this show and Christina Hendricks in particular is a delight to watch. With a well-balanced mix of laughter and tears, Good Girls is the perfect watch for when you want a crime series with a healthy dose of humor. - Remus Noronha
Money Heist (2017)
Money Heist
- Release Date
- May 2, 2017
- Cast
- Enrique Arce , Rodrigo De la Serna , Najwa Nimri , Úrsula Corberó , Itziar Ituño , Pedro Alonso , Álvaro Morte
- Seasons
- 5
Possibly one of Netflix's most successful shows ever, Money Heist (or La Casa de Papel as it's called in Spanish) is a crime drama that revolves around two heists and an eternally endearing cast of characters. Those characters are a huge part of why Money Heist has managed to find fans around the world. From the badass protagonist Tokyo (Úrsula Corberó) to the genius master criminal known as the Professor (Álvaro Morte), each person in this story presents a sincere, multilayered story. But of course, the real reason we love Money Heist so much is because of the exciting game of cat and mouse that is involved in the show's ambitious heists. Set in Madrid, the story follows the Professor as he brings together a group of eight people to break into the Royal Mint of Spain, take 67 people hostage, and execute an intricate plan with life and death hanging in the balance. After the first season, the crew returns for an even more daring robbery with higher stakes than ever before. It doesn't get much better than this. - Remus Noronha
Who Killed Sara? (2021)
Who Killed Sara?
- Release Date
- March 24, 2021
- Cast
- Manolo Cardona , Ginés García Millán , Carolina Miranda , Eugenio Siller
- Seasons
- 3
Netflix's collection of Spanish-language content boasts quite a few great thrillers and Who Killed Sara? is one of the best of them. Álex Guzmán (Manolo Cardona) is a former convict who spent 18 years in prison after being falsely convicted for his sister Sara's murder. Devoted to getting revenge for her death and his subsequent imprisonment, Guzmán looks for the truth about the incident. In the process, he comes into conflict with the wealthy Lazcano family. The show has its issues but this hit Mexican drama is a very engaging watch, especially if you're in the mood for a good revenge thriller. - Remus Noronha
Unbelievable (2019)
Unbelievable
- Release Date
- September 13, 2019
- Cast
- Kaitlyn Dever , Toni Collette , Merritt Wever , Blake Ellis
- Seasons
- 1
Set in two different counties, Unbelievable is based on the true story of two police detectives chasing after a serial rapist who has terrorized women in both their state of Colorado and also in Washington. A difficult show to watch at times, we follow now only these two detectives, but the story of Marie Adler (Kaitlyn Dever) a survivor of sexual assault who is believed to be lying about her rape. The police who think she's just crying wolf let the monster slip through their fingers to terrorize more victims. In a field dominated by men, it is detectives Rasmussen (Toni Collette) and Duvall (Merritt Weaver) who crack the case. The approach both Collette and Weaver take to their characters emulate confidence, empathy, and a hard-boiled nature. Entrancing to watch, it's easy to root for these detectives to get justice for these women. — Therese Lacson
Elite (2018)
Elite
When three working-class teenagers begin attending an exclusive private school in Spain, the clash between them and the wealthy students leads to murder.
- Release Date
- October 5, 2018
- Cast
- Omar Ayuso , Itzan Escamilla , Miguel Bernardeau , Aron Piper
- Seasons
- 8
Elite gets your heart racing from start to finish, never letting the tension break even for a second. About a group of students from an upper-class school in Spain who get entangled in a murder, Elite bets on the mystery of whodunnit and the relationships to bring you back — and it does. Sometimes, being larger-than-life pays off, and it does more often than not for Elite. With a new mystery every season, Elite shocks at every turn, and while it might sometimes get lost in its ambitions, it is over-the-top television at its best and one of the easiest show to lose yourself in. - Arianne Binette
Peaky Blinders (2014)
Peaky Blinders
A gangster family epic set in 1900s England, centering on a gang who sew razor blades in the peaks of their caps, and their fierce boss Tommy Shelby.
- Release Date
- September 30, 2014
- Cast
- Cillian Murphy , Sam Claflin , Helen McCrory , Sophie Rundle
- Seasons
- 6
Peaky Blinders is historical fiction at its finest. The BBC crime drama takes a fictionalized approach to the story of the titular real-life gang, which was active in England from the 1890s to the 1910s. The show begins in 1919, just after the First World War. After the Blinders accidentally come across a consignment of guns and choose to steal them, the government sends a detective to find the thieves and recover the weapons. The first season focuses on the plot of the weapons and the investigation into the Blinders' activities. Later seasons push their story to new heights, bringing in more historical figures and tying into important events.
Cillian Murphy stars as Tommy Shelby, the charismatic and ruthless leader of the Peaky Blinders, delivering a brilliant performance that combines a cold, calculating exterior with a sense of hidden ferocity. Peaky Blinders is easily one of Murphy's most memorable performances but the series also features a number of great actors in both main and recurring roles. The show is easily one of the most popular series on Netflix. Season 6 was released on Netflix on June 10, having first premiered in the UK on February 27, 2022. If you're a fan of crime fiction, you absolutely must watch this show, by order of the Peaky Blinders! - Remus Noronha