Some Great Detective Series To Stream
For the last 20 years or so, we've been living in a Renaissance of detective series, with Nordic Noir, gritty American procedurals, and moody regional detective series galore—not to mention the British standards.
Mood, grittiness, reality—all hallmarks of the new crop of detective series. These are some of the best detective shows to stream.
Bodies (2023)
A time-travel detective show, Bodies is based on a graphic novel from DC Comics. The story takes place in four different time periods, with a body appearing in the same location in each period.
Throw in a doomsday cult and four different detectives (one in each time period), and you have a complex and riveting mystery on Netflix.
Unbelievable (2019)
A gritty and realistic Emmy-winning drama, this centers around a series of assaults on women over three years. Focusing on how the victims are often not believed by law enforcement, it takes two detectives, played by Toni Collette and Merritt Wever, to believe the victims, make the connections, and deliver justice.
The Night Agent (2023)
This story centers on a new FBI agent frustrated by the grunt work he’s been assigned but a planned explosion on the subway sets things in motion as the agent thwarts the attack and uncovers a complex conspiracy.
There’s lots of thrilling action in the Netflix series, but it also has a gripping political story and a stand out performance from Hong Chau.
Netflix, The Night Agent (2023 - )
The Indian Detective (2017)
From Canadian comedian Russell Peters, this comedy-drama centers on Peters as a Toronto officer on suspension who gets involved in a murder investigation while visiting his father in Mumbai.
The villain is William Shatner and this four-episode Canadian series is a great quick watch.
CTV, The Indian Detective (2017)
The Sinner (2017)
Originally intended to be a one-season anthology mini-series, The Sinner was so popular that USA Network extended its run. Each episode is linked by the same detective, played by Bill Pullman, with the supporting cast changing each season.
Each individual storyline is clever and compelling, rising above the standard whodunnit.
Iron Ocean Films, The Sinner (2017-2021)
The Good Detective (2020)
A Korean series, The Good Detective centers around two detectives revisiting a five-year-old cold case. The detectives clash in their methods—one is ethical, the other doesn’t let ethics get in the way of the job. A huge international hit, the detectives were brought back for a second successful season in 2022.
Blossom Entertainment, The Good Detective (2020-2022)
Marcella (2016)
Marcella is a detective putting her life together after her marriage breaks down. Focusing on an old cold case, Marcella’s investigation into a complex series of conspiracies proves increasingly difficult as she suffers from memory blackouts. Anna Friel stars as Marcella over the series’ three-year run.
Buccaneer Media, Marcella (2016-2021)
The Stranger (2020)
Based on American mystery writer Harlan Coben’s novel The Stranger, this series focuses on a lawyer harassed by a woman claiming that his wife faked her pregnancy and subsequent miscarriage two years prior.
The ensuing mystery is complex and the series’ claustrophobic atmosphere is emphasized by its setting in a small English neighborhood.
Fool Me Once (2016)
Based on another Harlan Coben novel, Fool Me Once became a hit in 2024, quickly becoming one of Netflix’s most-watched series ever.
A widow sees her late husband on her daughter’s nannycam. The ensuing mystery is unpredictable and riveting.
The Perfect Couple (2018)
Nicole Kidman takes on a television role in a series focusing on the lives of rich people. Just before a huge wedding in Nantucket, a body is discovered in the harbor.
A cross between a classic nighttime soap opera and a murder mystery, The Perfect Couple is slick, stylish, and well-acted by its all-star cast, including Liev Schreiber and Dakota Fanning.
Netflix, The Perfect Couple (2024)
Until I Kill You (2024)
This is based on the true story of a woman who suffers years of mistreatment from her boyfriend, who turns out to be a serial killer.
This relentlessly heartbreaking drama is not easy viewing, but Anna Maxwell Martin’s performance makes for captivating viewing.
World Productions, Until I Kill You (2024)
Slow Horses (2022)
A spy thriller, Slow Horses follows a team of MI5 agents and stars Gary Oldman as the team leader. With its mixture of thriller and humor, Slow Horses focuses on the agents’ big investigations, but also their personal problems and how the two intertwine.
Apple TV+, Slow Horses (2022-)
Ludwig (2024)
Comedian David Mitchell basically plays himself, as usual, in a performance The Guardian calls “as brilliantly awkward as ever.” Mitchell plays Ludwig, a puzzle creator who gets involved in a complicated scheme, posing as his missing twin brother.
Mitchell’s social awkwardness and his “trademark baffled fury” complement his investigation which utilizes his talent for puzzles.
Presumed Innocent (2024)
Based on the 1987 novel, first adapted in 1990 for the feature film starring Harrison Ford, this new adaptation stars Jake Gyllenhaal.
A complex plot is underscored by Gyllenhaal’s character’s fight to prove his innocence. A great ensemble cast rounds out the show.
Apple TV+, Presumed Innocent (2024)
Baby Reindeer (2024)
A big hit for Netflix, Baby Reindeer is the story of a bartender who is stalked by a woman who he had offered a free cup of tea out of pity.
The series is infamously hard to watch, as its quirky tale becomes increasingly dark, tackling subjects such as mental health and victimhood.
Clerkenwell Films, Baby Reindeer (2024)
The Responder (2022)
A series about the struggles of first responders, The Responder follows an urgent-response officer who struggles with his mental health.
Traumatized by events that take place in the first season, he tries to change his response to stress as he continues to cope with the difficulties of his job.
Prisoner (2023)
A Danish series, Prisoner is about a guard struggling with his work and life. The series is unrelenting as it is superbly acted and shot.
After The Flood (2024)
A man’s body is discovered in an underground parking lot elevator after a river had flooded the building.
After it is revealed that he had been there three days before the flood, a pregnant officer races against time (and the arrival of her baby) to solve the case.
Quay Street Productions, After The Flood (2024-)
The Way (2024)
In what The Mirror describes as a “dystopian drama,” the story follows a Welsh family forced to flee their town for the coast following the civil unrest caused by the local steel company’s closure.
The family’s struggle quickly turns nightmarish and the use of archival footage of real historical events gives the series a documentary feel.
Criminal Record (2024)
Peter Capaldi stars as a detective in constant battle with his equally abrasive colleague. The series covers such explosive topics as institutional prejudice and malpractice, and it is far more realistic and nasty than your typical procedural drama.
Broadchurch (2013)
This is a classic British mystery series that is well worth repeated viewings. With a top-level cast led by David Tennant and Olivia Colman, Broadchurch mixes dark humor and gritty heartbreaking realism.
Each of the three seasons focuses on a single case, and they are all difficult but compelling viewing.
Mare Of Easttown (2021)
Part of an interesting trend of atmospheric detective series taking place in rural and small-town Pennsylvania, Mare Of Easttown stars Kate Winslet with a convincing local accent.
The stories are dark, the look of the show is moody and muted, and it makes for compelling viewing.
The Fall (2013)
Gillian Anderson stars as Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson following a lead and discovering that a serial killer is on the loose.
The story is tense and the cat-and-mouse scenario is well worth your time watching the always-reliable Anderson.
Top Of The Lake (2013)
A detective series from New Zealand (it’s not just about Orcs and Hobbits), Top of the Lake is from acclaimed filmmaker Jane Campion. The New Zealand setting is well-utilized, with its natural beauty offsetting the grim story.
The disappearance of a pregnant 12-year-old girl leads a detective to search a women-only commune. This is not easy viewing but it’s well-done and wonderfully acted.
See-Saw Films, Top of the Lake (2013-2017)
DI Ray (2022)
Parminder Nagra stars as Detective Inspector Rachita Ray, drawn into the investigation of crime supposedly involving Britain’s Indian community.
While investigating, DI Ray discovers a complex conspiracy, with the Indian community being used as a scapegoat for the more troubling truth about systemic discrimination in the UK.
Sherwood (2022)
A miner is struck down by an arrow and detective Ian St Clair returns to his hometown, bringing back bad memories of policing the often violent mining strikes in Britain in the 1980s.
The story is political and tense—with a sudden reveal at the end of the first episode setting the stage for a complex drama.
House Productions, Sherwood (2022-)
Line Of Duty (2012)
This British series involves corruption within law enforcement as two detectives uncover high-level involvement. The levels of scheming within official organizations make for some compelling, if somewhat cynical, viewing.
Bloodlands (2021)
Executive produced by Line of Duty’s Jed Mercurio, Bloodlands tackles the history of the IRA with a cold case involving a former IRA operative.
The late 1990s peace accords in Ireland are connected to the old case, and all evidence suggests government and law enforcement involvement.
Acorn TV, Bloodlands (2021-2022)
Undercover (2016)
2016's Undercover focuses on Maya Cobbina (played by Sophie Okonedo), a lawyer who becomes the first Black Director of Public Prosecutions in British history.
Cobbina quickly comes under intense public scrutiny when shocking revelations come to light, and she begins to investigate her own husband, who has been lying to her throughout their marriage. The lies and betrayals are set to destroy her career, while her personal life unravels. What more could you want?
Happy Valley (2014)
A strong-willed detective must come to terms with her daughter taking her own life. But as she investigates further, it becomes apparent that her daughter was a victim of a man at the center of a dark kidnapping.
This is not easy viewing but it’s very well done.
Killing Eve (2018)
Sandra Oh stars as an MI5 security officer stuck at a desk job who longs to be a spy. She becomes involved in the investigation of a criminal living a lavish life, played by Jodie Comer.
The investigator and the criminal become obsessed with one another resulting in a game of cat and mouse.
Sid Gentle Films, Killing Eve (2018-2022)
The Valhalla Murders (2019)
The Nordic Noir genre has been in full swing for around 20 years. The Valhalla Murders is an Icelandic story of Kata Gunnarsdottir, an ambitious detective seeking a lead role in Reykjavik law enforcement.
The body of an ex-drug dealer is found in the harbor, and Kata’s personal and professional lives prove not as much under her control as she had hoped.
RUV, The Valhalla Murders (2019-2020)
Trapped (2015)
Another Icelandic mystery drama, Trapped centers on a Chief in a remote town and the discovery of a body by local fishermen.
Trapped exemplifies the brooding atmosphere of Nordic Noir with the added feel of isolation in a remote town in snow-covered Iceland.
The Outsider (2020)
Stephen King’s The Outsider is adapted for streaming television as a detective takes on the investigation after the body of a young boy is found. With human bite marks evident, the story takes on the supernatural forces one expects from a Stephen King story with the detective questioning everything he has believed in.
Blindspot (2015)
A woman with no memory of her past is found in Times Square by the FBI. She has mysterious tattoos all over her body and when no one is particularly interested in discovering who she is, she investigates her identity on her own.
Warner Bros., Blindspot (2015-2020)
Unforgotten (2015)
A series of historic disappearances seem to have a connection to some cold cases. Two detectives are tasked with solving these long-unsolved crimes, and soon discover that the earlier disappearances may have been more than they seemed.
Mainstreet Pictures, Unforgotten (2015-)
Informer (2018)
Raza Shar, a second-generation Pakistani man in East London, is coerced into becoming an undercover informant by a corrupt counter-terrorism officer, played by Paddy Considine.
Shar is forced to confront his belief systems and possibly compromise the safety of his family, as the officer pushes him further into the world of terrorism.
Neal Street Productions, Informer (2018)
The Bridge (2011)
One of the first, and certainly one of the most acclaimed of the Nordic Noir series, The Bridge begins with the body of a woman discovered during a blackout, in the middle of a bridge between Sweden and Denmark.
The mystery deepens as it is discovered that the body is part of two separate people, each half found on either side of the border.
