The psychological thriller is a subgenre that dissolves any sense of reality and instead of physical action, 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 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?

15 'The Patient' (2022)

Created by Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg

Therapist, Alan Strauss (Steve Carell) is held captive by his patient, Sam (Domhall Gleeson) who reveals that he's a serial killer. If Strauss wants to live, he must unravel Sam's mind and find a way to stop him from killing anyone else. The unnerving situation causes Strauss to reflect on his broken life, especially as it seems like it may be cut short. In the process, he uncovers the depths of Sam's compulsions, and he realizes he must fix the rifts within his own family.

Hulu's The Patient is a limited series starring a refreshingly dramatic Carell in his first major television role that puts audiences on pins and needles the entire time. The series dives into the psyche of a murderer but also explores the seemingly ordinary mind of Strauss presenting the extreme possibility that there isn't much that separates Strauss from his patient.

Watch on Hulu

14 'Swarm' (2023)

Created by Janine Nabers and Donald Glover

Creators Janine Nabers and Donald Glover weave a cautionary tale about fandoms in the limited series, Swarm. The critically acclaimed show follows Dre (Dominique Fishback), a woman part of a fanbase called "The Swarm," where she's particularly known for her love for a pop star. Unlike her fellow fans, Dre's admiration of the celebrity is deeper and darker, inspiring her to go to some strange places for the sake of her love.

Swarm is a great show about obsession, using the perspective of fans to tell a genuinely original and darkly comedic story that takes some shocking and unexpected turns. As Dre falls deeper into the engrossing world of the fandom dedicated to a celebrity who is clearly a pastiche of Beyoncé, her desire leads to real consequences. – Hannah Saab

Watch on Amazon Prime

13 'The Undoing' (2020)

Created by David E. Kelley

Manhattan psychologist, Grace Fraser (Nicole Kidman) lives a more than comfortable life with her husband and oncologist, Jonathan (Hugh Grant), and their son, Henry. When the mother of one of Henry's classmates is found brutally murdered, Grace's perfect world is turned upside down when she and her family become the center of the investigation.

Max's The Undoing is a twist on a classic "whodunit" that keeps audiences second-guessing about who is responsible for the senseless crime. Kidman is fantastic as the magnetic Grace Fraser, whose mysterious vibe fits the story perfectly. With many unassuming characters like Jonathan and Grace's father (Donald Sutherland) plus just as many plausible suspects, The Undoing strategically muddies the waters to set the stage for an unsuspected, jaw-dropping finale.

Watch on Max

12 'The Devil's Hour' (2022 - )

Created by Tom Moran

Lucy Chambers (Jessica Raine) is a single mother and social worker who wakes up every night exactly at 3:33, which is known as the Devil's hour. As she tries to figure out the meaning behind the reoccurrence, she struggles to connect with her son, Isaac, who appears to have an emotional disorder. This is further complicated when a mysterious criminal, Gideon (Peter Capaldi) seeks her out, which leads to her finally learning the unbelievable truth behind her life (and her nightly terror).

The Devil's Hour is a British science-fiction and psychological crime TV series with fractured storytelling similar to Christopher Nolan's film, Memento. The Devil's Hour is a haunting blend of murder and time traveling that jumps between two different timelines that come to full fruition once Lucy is face to face with Gideon, whose mere presence sends chills down the spine.

Watch on Amazon Prime

11 'You' (2018 - 2024)

Developed by Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble

A psychological thriller show based on the novels by Caroline Kepnes, You is a series that has evolved over the years. It starts out as a story about Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley), a seemingly harmless bookstore manager who falls in love – and then becomes obsessed – with aspiring writer Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail). When the stalker with a toxic obsession turns into a killer, he moves to the next town (and another season).

While You was initially about Joe and his wild actions and delusions, the series has slowly but surely introduced other characters that can match or even outdo the protagonist. From wealthy socialites to a woman who's very similar to himself, he has had a lot to contend with in recent episodes, which have proven that the familiar world Joe lives in is full of sick and twisted individuals. Will the fifth and final season finally reveal if Joe has met his match? – Hannah Saab

Watch on Netflix

10 'Yellowjackets' (2021 - )

Created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson

Featuring a wildly talented ensemble cast that includes Sophie Nélisse, Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Christina Ricci, and more, Showtime's Yellowjackets is a wholly original and riveting thriller series. It tells the story of a group of high school soccer players, a team of girls about to go to the national competition, but soon find themselves stranded in a mysterious forest after a plane crash.

The show alternates between the time the girls spent in the wilderness and the lives of the adult versions of the Yellowjackets characters who survived, set 25 years later. It never gives too much away, teasing important plot points so that the reveal is that much more satisfying. Yellowjackets is a fantastic blend of the psychological thriller, drama, and supernatural genres, as it often doesn't reveal which parts are hallucinations and which parts are from the "darkness" in the wilderness. It keeps viewers guessing on the unsettling journey, with its latest season leaving fans with more questions than answers. – Hannah Saab

Watch on Showtime

9 'The Fall' (2013 - 2016)

Created by Allan Cubitt

A London detective, Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson) is on the hunt for a dangerous serial killer who has been preying on his potential victims in Northern Ireland. As Gibson's search intensifies, she looks for an obvious suspect but never expects the murderer to be the soft-spoken husband and father, Paul Spector (Jamie Dornan). As she's organizing the case against him, bureaucracy and politics get in the way of justice, making the already terrible situation worse.

The Fall is a terrifying reminder that most of the genuine monsters in the world don't appear to be like the ones children imagine hiding under their beds. Spector's established home life and family adds a different kind of suspense to this intense game of cat and mouse as well as a misplaced empathy for the serial killer as he tries to keep the charade going.

Watch on Amazon Prime

8 'Bates Motel' (2013 - 2017)

Developed by Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin, and Anthony Cipriano

After the death of her husband, Norma Bates (Vera Farmiga) purchases a motel in a coastal town, White Pine Bay, as an opportunity for a new start for both her and her shy teen son, Norman (Freddie Highmore) who has an intense bond with his mother. As Norman starts to open up, he manages to make some friends but he and his mother soon realize that the small town isn't as picturesque as they thought.

Bates Motel is a prequel series to the classic Alfred Hitchcock movie, Psycho and follows a young Norman Bates and the crucial events that led to him becoming an unsuspecting murderer. The series' suspense relies on fear tactics and mental manipulation and is topped off with sharp performances from both Highmore and Farmiga. Hitchcock fans shouldn't expect the same level of novelty and finesse, but there's something there for anyone looking for a decently entertaining psychological thriller.

Watch on Amazon Prime

7 'Sharp Objects' (2018)

Created by Marti Noxon

Camille Preaker (Amy Adams) is an investigative journalist who returns to her hometown to report on a series of unsolved crimes involving two local girls. While digging for clues, she tries to reconnect with her overbearing mother (Patricia Clarkson) and her half-sister, Amma (Eliza Crellin) but as traumatic memories begin to surface, Camille's investigation starts to hit too close to home for her.

Max's Sharp Objects is a miniseries based on the best-selling novel by Gillian Flynn and one of the best book-to-television adaptions in recent years. An award-winning eight-episode limited thriller series, Sharp Objects immediately gets under the skin with the jarring brutality of the crimes in a clearly corrupt town full of secrets. Adams also delivers a phenomenal performance in her first major lead television role, portraying the troubled Camille Preaker in an unforgettable way.

Watch on Max

6 'The Haunting of Hill House' (2018)

Created by Mike Flanagan

In 1992, Hugh (Timothy Hutton/ Henry Thomas) and Olivia (Carla Gugino) Crain move into a mansion in the country with their five children who grow up in what would be known as the famous haunted house, Hill House. Now adults, the unusual occurrences and ghosts of Hill House have continued to follow them while others remain hidden in the corner of their minds.

Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House is the latest adaption of Shirley Jackson's 1959 horror novel created and directed by Mike Flanagan. The Haunting of Hill House embraces haunted house tropes and executes them in fresh and terrifying ways. This blend of horror and psychological thriller is full of hidden clues and Easter eggs that make the series worth watching at least more than once, but definitely not right before bed.

Watch on Netflix

5 'Mindhunter' (2017 - 2019)

Created by Joe Penhall

In the 1970s, F.B.I. agents, Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) are assigned to expand the department's behavioral unit and travel across the country interviewing serial killers. As they sit down with notorious killers, the agents start to uncover certain mental traits and childhood experiences that lead them the agents to develop the modern technique known as criminal profiling.

Netflix's Mindhunter is based on the best-selling novel by former F.B.I. agent, John E. Douglas who assisted in developing the agency's behavioral unit and is considered to be one of the greatest criminal profilers. The acclaimed Netflix original series digs into the disturbed psyches of some of the most brutal serial killers in history including The Co-Ed Killer, Edward Kemper, and The Son of Sam, David Berkowitz.

Watch on Netflix

4 'Dexter' (2006 - 2013)

Developed by James Manos Jr.

Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) is a blood-splatter expert in Miami who leads an unsuspected double life as a serial killer. Dexter justifies his "work" by only killing people who are guilty and manages to rationalize his brutal behavior. No one knows about Dexter's secret except his father (James Remar) who helps his son carry out his grisly misdeeds. Over time, though, small slip-ups and unexpected situations lead to the protagonist having to make some tough decisions to keep his secret safe.

Showtime's Dexter is a dark comedy as well as a suspenseful psychological thriller that blurs the lines of vigilante justice. The series produced one of television's most popular anti-heroes and audiences can't help but root for and hope to continue to successfully get away with his crimes. Dexter lightens the dark content with hilarious moments that sometimes cause viewers to forget that it's also a partial bloodbath.

Watch on Showtime

3 'Severance' (2022 - )

Created by Dan Erickson

Severance has quickly become one of Apple TV+'s best and highest-rated shows thanks to its original premise, intriguing plot, and suspenseful atmosphere. The sci-fi psychological thriller is set in a world where – in a supposed effort to promote work-life balance – employees' brains can be "severed" to separate their work selves (innies) and outside selves (outties). One of these employees, Mark (Adam Scott), begins to notice something sinister about this arrangement.

With more and more fans discussing what possible secrets Lumon Industries is hiding about the severance procedure (and goats), it's never too late to join in the fun – and horror – of discovering the truth behind the corporate program. At the same time, Severance provides biting commentary about the world of work today, and just how twisted it could look a few years from now. – Hannah Saab

Watch on Apple TV+

2 'Hannibal' (2013 - 2015)

Developed by Bryan Fuller

Developed by Bryan Fuller, Hannibal is one of the best versions of the famous story centered on the cannibalistic Hannibal Lecter. In the NBC series, criminal profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) forms an unlikely relationship with Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) in the hopes of catching an elusive serial killer. Soon, Lecter's dark secrets complicate this connection.

Mikkelsen's portrayal of the legendary killer is incredible, imbuing Dr. Hannibal Lecter with the charm and terror that makes his character so intriguing. Indeed, the series features the best depiction of the popular character on the small screen, being a worthy successor to its iconic big-screen counterpart. The psychological horror-thriller series also wasn't afraid of particularly gruesome depictions, especially towards the end, which still holds up well today and makes the show worth rewatching. – Hannah Saab

Watch on Amazon Prime

1 'True Detective' (2014 - )

In the show's most popular season set in 1995, Louisiana homicide detectives, Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) and Marty Hart (Woody Harelson) investigate the brutal murder of a young woman. Seventeen years later, the detectives must revisit the unsolved case along with several other unsolved murder that forces the two detectives to cope with their rocky past.

Nic Pizzolatto's anthology crime series, True Detective, immerses audiences into a sinister series of crimes as well as the complicated relationship between Cohle and Hart that demonstrates the destructive domino effect and irreparable damage the investigation has had on their personal lives. Since the legendary first season, True Detective has told stories about the murder of a corrupt politician and a crime involving two missing children, all of which are framed as riveting procedurals. Its latest offering, True Detective: Night Country, stars Jodie Foster in its lead role, who is a protagonist investigating the mysterious disappearance of six men.

Watch on Max

NEXT: The Best Thriller Series of All Time, Ranked According to IMDb