The 59 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2021 Edition godless main

The 59 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix: 2021 Edition

For 2021, we have updated our definitive guide for the best crime drama and thriller shows on Netflix to include some of the most exciting new releases.

Note: Our 2020 edition of best Netflix shows is available here. For older coverage, see our 2017 edition of the 40 best crime drama and thriller shows here and The 50 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix: 2018 Edition here. Our last year’s list of best show’s on Netflix (2019) is also available here

In a similar fashion to what we did last year, for 2021 we have incorporated the feedback and comments of our readers on what shows they have loved. Additionally, we have removed some of the older shows in which many viewers have already seen.

The latter change has created room for some exciting international titles including Australian, French, and Scandinavian shows. But if you’re a fan of classics and want to explore more those shows, our earlier years’ editions are a good place to start.

Freshly updated and now in an expanded list, our new selections are highly addictive and intriguing.

For 2021 holiday season and beyond, if you are having difficulty working your way through Netflix shows and want to be entertained in a big way, here is your go-to guide. Hopefully our list will make the life easier for you. Without further ado, here’s a round up of the best crime drama and thriller shows on Netflix that you can watch right now (the numbering is for referencing purposes only):

59. Black Spot

A police inspector investigates a string of murders in a town where the murder rate is six times higher than the rest of the country.

The 59 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2021 Edition black spot

58. The Sinner

Detective Harry Ambrose returns to his hometown in rural New York to assess an unsettling and heart-wrenching crime — parents murdered by their 11-year-old son with no apparent motive. As Ambrose realizes there’s nothing ordinary about the boy or where he came from, the investigation pulls him into the hidden darkness of his hometown. He’s pitted against those who will stop at nothing to protect its secrets — and the mysterious Vera, who proves to be a complicated, enigmatic piece to this haunting puzzle.

The 59 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2021 Edition the sinner

57. Paranoid

`Paranoid’, written by Bill Gallagher, features an all-star cast including Indira Varma, Robert Glenister, Neil Stuke and Lesley Sharp. The drama follows the mystery behind the murder of a local female GP, Angela Benton. When the incident takes place in a rural children’s playground in front of several eyewitnesses, it appears to be a straightforward murder case. However detectives Bobby Day, Nina Suresh and Alec Wayfield discover there is more evidence to uncover as they are taken on a journey across Europe in an investigation to reveal the dark truth.

The 59 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2021 Edition paranoid

56. Ad Vitam

Ad Vitam is a 2018 French-language TV series starring Yvan Attal, Garance Marillier and Niels Schneider. The plot revolves around a world where death has been conquered through a breakthrough medicine called ‘Regeneration’ and people can live forever. A cop, Darius Asram (Yvan Attal), and a rebellious young woman, Christa Novak (Garance Marillier), are investigating the suicides of seven teenagers.

The 57 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2020 Edition ad vitam

55. Criminal: France

Criminal: France is a 2019 police procedural anthology series consisting of twelve episodes, with three episodes set in each of four countries, filmed in local languages – France, Spain, Germany and the UK. Set within the confines of a police interrogation room, French investigators engage in intense games of psychological cat-and-mouse with their accused suspects to find the answers they need in order to solve their cases.

wormwood netflix series mystery tribune

*****

The 57 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2020 Edition high seas

54. High Seas

High Seas is a Spanish mystery series released on Netflix in May 2019. Its plot surrounds mysterious deaths on a luxurious ship travelling from Spain to Rio de Janeiro in the 1940s that uncover secrets surrounding two sisters who are travelling together.

The 57 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2020 Edition criminal france

53. Wormwood

This is a Netflix original series and an exciting one: Filmmaker Errol Morris documents a man’s 60-year quest to identify the circumstances of his father’s mysterious death as he uncovers some of the United States’ darkest secrets. This is a genre-bending tale and is increasingly becoming popular among thriller series fans.

The 59 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2021 Edition Designated Survivor

52. Designated Survivor 

As a lower-level cabinet member, Tom Kirkman never imagined something would happen that would catapult him to the oval office. When a devastating attack on the night of the State of the Union address claims the lives of the president and most of the Cabinet, the Housing and Urban Development secretary — who was named the designated survivor in case of such an event — finds himself promoted to leader of the free world.

Suddenly thrust into his new position of power, Kirkman struggles to keep the country from dissolving into chaos and must adjust to his new normal, unaware of what fresh horrors may await the United States.

The 57 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2020 Edition dirty john

51. Dirty John

Debra Newell has a perfect life — from the outside — she’s successful, beautiful and lives in Newport Beach, one of California’s most desirable coastal cities. The only thing missing from her life is love, so when she meets the charismatic, handsome and charming Dr. John Meehan, she is swept off her feet in a whirlwind romance.

Her daughters, Terra and Veronic, set out to prove that he’s just a conman after they are displeased at the fast-tracked relationship and decide to investigate their mother’s new beau for themselves. As Debra gets drawn deeper into his lies, the psychological manipulation has consequences for the entire family.

The 52 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2019 Edition perfume

50. Perfume

Just in time for the holiday season comes the heartwarming story of “Perfume,” which follows a half-dozen friends so obsessed with the possibilities of smell that the death of one of them dredges up some extremely unpleasant things about their pasts.

The new series is based on the 1985 Patrick Süskind novel “Perfume,” which was previously adapted into the 2006 Tom Tykwer film “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer,” starring a pre-Bond Ben Whishaw, Alan Rickman, and Dustin Hoffman. This new TV venture brings the original story into a modern context, rather than the 18th-century French environs of the novel.

When a woman is found murdered with scent glands excised from her body, a detective probes a group of friends who attended boarding school with her.

The 52 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2019 Edition babylon berlin

49. Babylon Berlin

This is a great new Netflix original for the fans of historical mysteries and crime dramas. Police commissioner Gereon Rath is transferred from Cologne to Berlin, the epicenter of political and social change in the Golden Twenties.

Shellshocked from his service during World War I, he uncovers a dangerous web of intrigue while investigating one of Berlin’s biggest pornography rings. There’s an even bigger conspiracy unfolding, though, when Soviet rebels hijack a train as part of a mission hatched by Trotsky supporters in the city.

*****

48. Sweet Home

As humans turn into savage monsters, one troubled teenager and his neighbours fight to survive and to hold onto their humanity.

The 59 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2021 Edition sweet home

47. Messiah

A CIA officer investigates a charismatic figure whose followers believe he can perform miracles; he may be a divine entity or a dangerous con artist.

The 59 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2021 Edition messiah

*****

The 52 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2019 Edition seven seconds

46. Seven Seconds

Seven Seconds is an American crime drama web television series, based on the Russian film The Major written and directed by Yuri Bykov, that premiered on February 23, 2018, on Netflix. The series, created, executive produced, and showrun by Veena Sud, follows the people involved in investigating the death of a young black boy and the boy’s family as they reel after the loss.

When 15-year-old black cyclist Brenton Butler dies in a hit-and-run accident — with a white police officer behind the wheel of the vehicle — Jersey City explodes with racial tension. This crime drama explores the aftermath of the accident, which includes an attempted cover-up by the police department and a volatile trial.

Assistant prosecutor KJ wants to prosecute the hit-and-run as a hate crime, in addition to a negligent homicide. The longer the case drags on without a resolution, the more tense the situation becomes. Emmy winner Regina King stars as Brenton’s churchgoing mother, Latrice.

The 57 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2020 Edition Dogs of Berlin

45. Dogs of Berlin 

Two cops investigate the murder of a famous Turkish-German soccer player, but one of them has underworld connections that mire the case in controversy.

marcella tv series netflix

44. Marcella

Marcella is a British crime noir detective series produced, written and directed by Hans Rosenfeldt: Former London detective Marcella Backland is devastated when her husband leaves her and their two children. He is head of Legal Affairs at DTG Construction, property developers effectively controlled by the Gibson family.

When Marcella is visited by a senior detective on the murder squad seeking information regarding an unsolved, 11-year-old case of a serial killer who seems to have become active again, Marcella returns to the murder squad. She enters a world of online dating, prostitution, and the dubious dealings of her husband’s employers while trying to save her marriage.

la casa de papel netflix tv series heist main

43. La Casa De Papel

This is a new international title. La casa de papel (literally The House of Paper) is a single-season, 15-episode Spanish heist television series created by Álex Pina. It premiered on May 2, 2017 and stars, among others Úrsula Corberó, Paco Tous, and Alba Flores.

In the series, a mysterious man, who goes by the name of El Profesor (“The Professor”), is planning the biggest heist ever told. In order to carry out the ambitious plan, he recruits a gang of eight people with certain abilities who have nothing to lose. The goal is to enter the Royal Mint of Spain so that they can print 2.4 billion euros. In order to do this, they need eleven days of seclusion, during which they will have to deal with sixty-five hostages and the elite forces of the Police.

The 57 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2020 Edition the witcher

42. The Witcher

The witcher Geralt, a mutated monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world in which people often prove more wicked than beasts.

*****

The 57 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2020 Edition father brown

45. Father Brown

The series is set during the early 1950s, in the fictional Cotswold village of Kembleford, where Father Brown, priest at St Mary’s Catholic Church, solves murder cases. A bumbling police inspector, who often arrests the wrong suspect, gets annoyed by Father Brown’s success.

Father Brown uses the distinctive skills of his close friends as well as his own wits to solve cases, occasionally to the neglect of his more mundane parish duties. His vocation as a priest often gives him an insight to the truth, so that justice (but sometimes, not the letter of the law) may be served.

His commitment to obeying the Seal of the Confessional often presents unique circumstances. The time period is when Britain was still struggling with deprivations and other hardships in the aftermath of the Second World War. At that time the country still applied the death penalty as a sentence for capital crimes such as murder. Father Brown opposes capital punishment.

bordertown netflix finnish tv series crime

44. Bordertown 

We have covered this Finnish crime drama in the past (see here). The series, in a nutshell, is about a brilliant but overworked police detective. The series follows Detective Sorjonen (Ville Virtanen) as he relocates to the small town of Lappeenranta near the Russian border for a quiet life as his wife recovers from a brain tumor. But life is not very peaceful on the border between two worlds.

The 52 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2019 Edition ozark

43. Ozark 

Created by Bill Dubuque (“The Accountant,” “The Judge”), this drama series stars Jason Bateman as Marty Byrde, a financial planner who relocates his family from Chicago to a summer resort community in the Ozarks.

With wife Wendy and their two kids in tow, Marty is on the move after a money-laundering scheme goes wrong, forcing him to pay off a substantial debt to a Mexican drug lord in order to keep his family safe. While the Byrdes’ fate hangs in the balance, the dire circumstances force the fractured family to reconnect.

The 57 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2020 Edition punisher

42. Punisher

After exacting revenge on the people responsible for the deaths of his wife and children, Frank Castle uncovers a conspiracy that runs deeper than New York’s criminal underworld. Now known as the Punisher, he must dig deep into the conspiracy to discover the truth about injustices that affect more than just him and his family.

Assisting the vigilante in his quest to fight criminals are best friend Billy Russo, who runs private military corporation Anvil, and former NSA analyst Micro, who shares common enemies with Castle and helps him as part of a so-called marriage of convenience.

alias grace netflix

41. Alias Grace

This is an interesting Candian-American miniseries for fans of historical mysteries. It is based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood (see here) and adapted by Sarah Polley. The series consists of six episodes and it premiered on CBC on September 25, 2017, and appeared on Netflix on November 3, 2017.

The series tells the story of young Grace Marks, a poor Irish immigrant and domestic servant in Upper Canada who is accused and convicted of the 1843 murder of her employer and his housekeeper. Stablehand James McDermott is also convicted of the crime. McDermott is hanged, but Grace is sentenced to life in prison, leading her to become one of the most notorious women of the period in Canada. The story is based on actual 19th-century events.

el chapo netflix series

40. El Chapo

El Chapo is another popular Netflix series based on real events. The series covers the life of the famous druglord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. It premiered on April 23, 2017 at Univision before airing on Netflix worldwide. It stars Marco de la O as the titular character.

The story mostly recounts the beginnings of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán in 1985, when he was a low-level member of the Guadalajara Cartel, his rise to power as head of the Sinaloa Cartel, and his downfall.

mindhunter netflix

39. Mindhunter

Mindhunter is based on the true crime book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit written by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker. The series is produced by David Fincher and Charlize Theron among others, and debuted worldwide on Netflix on October 13, 2017. In November 2017, it was announced Mindhunter had been renewed for a second season.

Set in 1977 – in the early days of criminal psychology and criminal profiling at the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Mindhunter revolves around FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany), along with psychologist Wendy Carr (Anna Torv), who interview imprisoned serial killers in order to understand how they think with the hope of applying this knowledge to solving ongoing cases.

dark series netflix german

38. Dark 

Dark is a German science fiction thriller and the first German-language Netflix original series (the series is dubbed in English). It debuted on Netflix on December 1, 2017 and received mostly positive reviews from critics. In Dark, the disappearance of two young children in the German town of Winden brings light to the fractured relationships, double lives, and the dark past of four families living there, revealing a mystery that spans three generations.

Manhunt: Unabomber netflix

37. Manhunt: Unabomber 

Manhunt: Unabomber is an new drama miniseries which tells the story of the FBI’s hunt for the Unabomber in the 1990s. Agent Jim “Fitz” Fitzgerld, a fresh-faced criminal profiler with the agency, faces an uphill battle in tracking the infamous criminal but also has to fight against the bureaucracy of the Unabom Task Force (UTF), of which he is a part. Although Fitz pioneers the use of forensic linguistics, others in the UTF dismiss his maverick ideas and new approaches.

Ultimately, though, his new techniques help him identify and capture the Unabomber. The miniseries premiered on August 1, 2017, on Discovery Channel.

Narcos Netflix

36. Narcos

José Padilha’s thrilling series about the rise of notorious drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. Prepare yourself for reading a lot of sub-titles as there is a huge portion of the dialogues in Spanish (The show was filmed in Colombia). Having said that, make sure you add this mind-blowing series to your list as there is plenty of action in this drug-trafficking series and you will not be disappointed.

killing netflix

35. The Killing

Without a doubt, one of the best crime TV series we have watched in years but not on Television. This is a Netflix Original series and it’s not new as it was released in the 2011-2014 period. It has all the elements of drama: A police investigation, a grieving family, and a Seattle mayoral campaign. All these elements collide when the body of 17-year-old Rosie Larsen is found in the trunk of a submerged car.

hinterland netflix

34. Hinterland

We really love this series: It’s a noir drama story of a detective who used to work in London and now works in the rural areas of Wales and running from his past. If you are into atmospheric, complex narratives similar to Scandinavian crime fictions, you will enjoy this. This series will keep you on the edge the whole time.

wallander netflix

33. Wallander

There is actually 2 versions of Henning Mankell’s Swedish Detective on Netflix TV series: A British version and a Swedish one. We liked the latter more for its originality but you will enjoy both. A must-watch for Scandinavian crime fiction fans: The episodes are long and more like movies, so you will have Wallander around for a long time if you start this series.

The 57 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2020 Edition kingdom

32. Kingdom

The deceased king rises and a mysterious plague begins to spread; the prince must face a new breed of enemies to unveil the evil scheme and save his people.

*****

31. Unbelievable

The 59 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2021 Edition unbelievable

When a teen reports being raped, then recants her story, two female detectives follow evidence that could reveal the truth; based on a true story.

*****

Jack Taylor Netflix

30. Jack Taylor

Iain Glen (“Game of Thrones”) plays ruthless and literate in this Irish series about a hard-drinking ex-cop turned private investigator. Most of the episodes of this wonderful Irish television drama are set in Galway: The series is based on the Ken Bruen novel series featuring a hero with the same name.

 

case netflix iceland

29. Case

Case premiered in Iceland in 2015 and has now made it to Netflix in 2016. Although the idea behind the series is not really out of the box, it’s an exciting series for those who love Scandinavian crime fiction. A smart lawyer whose drinking and recklessness send him on a path of self-destruction finds new purpose in investigating a teenager’s apparent suicide.

witnesses netflix

28. Witnesses 

Witnesses is a French television police procedural drama noir series by Marc Herpoux and Hervé Hadmar. It made its debut on Belgian channel La Une in November 2014 and on France 2 in March 2015. Now you can watch the first season of the series on Netflix as well. In this noir story, a young female detective is put in charge of a case and must delve into her partner’s mysterious past in order to solve it. Not bad, right?

broadchurch-netflix

27. Broadchurch

So far two episodes of this exciting British mystery are out. This is another one of our favorites: Very well-written and the cast is great! When the corpse of an 11-year-old British boy, Danny Latimer, is found bloodied and dirty on an idyllic beach, a small Dorset community becomes the focus of a police investigation and media madness.

Out-of-town Detective Inspector Alec Hardy gets the point position over Detective Sgt. Ellie Miller — who feels the job should have been hers. Now she must engage in an efficient working relationship with taciturn Hardy.

The 57 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2020 Edition Hotel Beau Séjour

26. Hotel Beau Séjour

Hotel Beau Séjour is a Dutch-language (Flemish) Belgian supernatural crime drama television series. In the first season, in the village Lanklaar, in Limburg, Maasland, near Belgium’s Dutch border, Belgian teenager Kato Hoeven (Lynn Van Royen) awakens at the small Hotel Beau Séjour to find a bloody corpse in the bathtub – her own. She has no memory of the day before her death or why she was there.

The 52 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2019 Edition Mar de plástico

25. Mar de plástico

If you want to explore with some great Spanish drama, this is a great title: In a town in southern Spain where racial tensions run high among the workers in its many greenhouses, a cop investigates the murder of a young woman.

longmire

24. Longmire

Another one of our favorite, this series is based on the Walt Longmire mystery novels by best-selling author Craig Johnson. In this contemporary crime drama, the Australian actor Robert Taylor stars in the title role, the charismatic and dedicated sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming.

Longmire patrols the county with a brave face and sense of humor, but deep inside he hides the pain of his wife’s recent death. With the urging of his daughter, Cady, and the help of Vic, a new female deputy, Longmire gains a new appreciation of his job and decides to run for re-election. He’s committed to putting his life back together, one piece at a time, and he often calls on best friend and confidant Henry Standing Bear for support.

Continuum netflix

23. Continuum

Police procedural mixed with just the right dose of science fiction: That’s what the Continuum is all about. Detective Kiera Cameron is a cop from the year 2077 who was raised to rely on technology more than anything else, even herself. Now she and a group of deadly criminals called Liber8 are trapped in present-day Vancouver.

Cameron needs to stop Liber8 before it can take down the corporations which will one day rule the world — thus altering the course of the future and changing the 2077 that Cameron calls home. She enlists the help of a teenage tech genius named Alec Sadler to help figure out a way to get her back to her own time, and she manages to work with the Vancouver Police Department with Detective Carlos Fonnegra to keep an eye on Liber8. With different ideals and backgrounds, Cameron and Fonnegra clash, but they trust each other, and Cameron is slowly learning to trust herself as well.

The 57 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2020 Edition peaky blinders

22. Peaky Blinders 

The series is primarily set in Birmingham, England, and follows the exploits of the Shelby crime family in the aftermath of the First World War. The fictional gang is loosely based on the Peaky Blinders, a real 19th century urban youth gang who were active in the city from the 1890s to the early twentieth century.

*****

21. Barbarians

The 59 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2021 Edition barbarians

Three people’s fates are interwoven in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 A.D., during which Germanic warriors halt the spread of the Roman Empire.

*****

The 59 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2021 Edition black mirror

20. Black Mirror

A series of stand-alone dramas — sharp, suspenseful, satirical tales that explore techno-paranoia — “Black Mirror” is a contemporary reworking of “The Twilight Zone” with stories that tap into the collective unease about the modern world, particularly regarding both intended and unintended consequences of new technologies and the effect they have on society and individuals.

Each story features its own cast of unique characters, including stars like Bryce Dallas Howard (“The Help”), Alice Eve, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tom Cullen and Jerome Flynn (“Game of Thrones”). Joe Wright, Dan Trachtenberg, and James Watkins are among the featured directors.

foyle war netflix

19. Foyle’s War

For those who like historical mysteries, this is a nice series to follow. As World War II rages on, criminals try to take advantage of the resulting chaos. In Hastings, they aren’t having much luck, thanks to Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle. As Foyle’s son Andrew, a fighter pilot in the RAF, fights the enemy at war, Foyle battles the black market, profiteering and murder on the home front. He is dogged in his pursuit of justice, honest to a fault and frequently underestimated by his opponents. Together with his sergeant and his driver, Foyle wages his own war on crime.

 

The 52 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2019 Edition tidelands

18. Tidelands

This is a new Australian release by Netflix. Tidelands is an Australian web television series. The eight-part series is written and created by Stephen M. Irwin and Leigh McGrath, and is produced by Hoodlum Entertainment.

Tidelands follows the story of a former criminal who returns home to the small fishing village of Orphelin Bay. When the body of a local fisherman washes ashore, she must uncover the town’s secrets while investigating its strange inhabitants, who are a group of dangerous half-sirens, half-humans called “Tidelanders”.

travelers netflix

17. Travelers

This is one of those fresh Netflix Original series:  A federal agent tracks four people who suddenly seem to possess entirely new personalities, leading to startling discovery about humanity’s future. Intrigued? We don’t want to spoil the story…just add it to your list and you’d find the partial answer by the end of season 1.

river netflix

16. River

River is a six-part British television drama series, created and written by Abi Morgan and starring Stellan Skarsgård and Nicola Walker. The series center around John River (Stellan Skarsgård). He is a brilliant police inspector whose genius lies side-by-side with the fragility of his mind. He is a man haunted by the murder victims whose cases he must lay to rest.

*****

15. Manhunt: Deadly Games

The 59 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2021 Edition Manhunt Deadly Games

This miniseries tells the story of the FBI’s hunt for the Unabomber in the 1990s. Agent Jim “Fitz” Fitzgerld, a fresh-faced criminal profiler with the agency, faces an uphill battle in tracking the infamous criminal but also has to fight against the bureaucracy of the Unabom Task Force (UTF), of which he is a part. Although Fitz pioneers the use of forensic linguistics, others in the UTF dismiss his maverick ideas and new approaches. Ultimately, though, his new techniques help him identify and capture the Unabomber.

14. Freud

The 59 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2021 Edition freud

While investigating several disappearances and murders in Vienna, young Sigmund Freud and a psychic medium become entangled in an occult conspiracy.

*****

The 57 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2020 Edition writer

13. The Writer

Al-Kateb series, listed as “The Writer” on Netflix, tells the story of a best-selling crime novelist whose real life begins to eerily imitating the plot of his own books.

The 57 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2020 Edition bodyguard

12. Bodyguard

The series is set around the fictional character of Police Sergeant David Budd, a British Army war veteran suffering from PTSD, who is now working for the Royalty and Specialist Protection Branch of London’s Metropolitan Police Service.

He is assigned as the principal protection officer (PPO) for the ambitious Home Secretary Julia Montague, whose politics he despises. As the series unravels, the series comments on many issues regarding the controversy around government monitoring of private information and its regulation, and also on PTSD.

*****

The 57 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2020 Edition frankenstein chronicles

11. The Frankenstein Chronicles

The Frankenstein Chronicles is a British television period crime drama series that is designed as a re-imagining of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein. Lead actor Sean Bean also acted as an associate producer on the first series. It follows Inspector John Marlott (Bean), a river police officer who uncovers a corpse made up of body parts from eight missing children and sets about to determine who is responsible.

Lava Field netflix

10. Lava Field

Another Scandinavian crime series which we love: When Reykjavik crime detective Helgi Marvin Runarsson is called in to investigate a suicide case on Snaefellsnes Peninsula, the case turns out to be far from simple. Pulled into a sinister trail of evidence, Helgi’s own deeply hidden secrets are unearthed. Will Helgi turn a blind eye to murder in order to save the life of his daughter?

The 59 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2021 Edition dracula

9. Dracula

Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to meet a new client and finalise the sale of a stately house in London, but finds himself trapped in a terrifying maze-like castle of undead brides with a vampire Count whose ambition is to conquer the world.

*****

break netflix

8. The Break

This is a hidden gem: There is a high chance you have not heard of this series but it is the real deal: A police detective mourning a painful loss moves back to his peaceful hometown, only to be drawn into a murder case that dredges up dark secrets. So far one season of this original Netflix show is available for streaming.

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7. The Forest

The Forest is a French crime drama television series, created by Delinda Jacobs and directed by Julius Berg. It debuted on Netflix internationally in July 2018 and is one of our favorite crime thrillers for this year.

In The Forest, when a teenaged girl disappears from a village near the Ardennes Forest, local police and a concerned teacher begin to uncover a web of unsettling secrets. As the case progresses, viewers find out more about how dark past connected to the seemingly innocent characters in the village.

The 52 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2019 Edition demon path

6. Demon’s Path

This is a Hong Kong-set horror-comedy series that follows a forensic pathologist who has the ability to see the last 10-seconds of life of the dead. Working together with a friendly exorcist and a policeman, they solve homicide cases. But as their investigations proceed, they become the target of a murderer.

The series is directed by acclaimed Hong Kong screenwriters, Ong Yi Hing and Sunny Lau. It features a line-up of popular Hong Kong artistes including Jim Chim Sui Man, Power Chan Kwok Pong and Ai Wai.

The 59 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2021 Edition the spy

5. The Spy

This drama tells the astonishing true story of Israel’s most prominent spy, Eli Cohen, who infiltrated the Syrian government in the 1960s.

*****

sherlock netflix

4. Sherlock

If you have not seen this 21st century reincarnation of the famous detective, you have missed the boat! This is a must watch series which you will love. In this contemporary version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective stories, Dr. John Watson is a war vet just home from Afghanistan. He meets the brilliant but eccentric Holmes when the latter, who serves as a consultant to Scotland Yard, advertises for a flatmate.

Almost as soon as Watson moves into the Baker Street flat, they are embroiled in mysteries, and Sherlock’s nemesis, Moriarty, appears to have a hand in the crimes.

The 52 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2019 Edition ultraviolet

3. Ultraviolet

Inspired by the book “The Skeleton Crew” by Deborah Halber and infused with the personal story of producer Wendy West, the series follows the life of a thirty-year-old woman (Ola Serafin) who is forced by circumstances to leave her husband and London, and return to her hometown of Lódz.

While driving her car one night, she witnesses a dramatic situation which looks like suicide, but which she finds highly suspicious. The police seem to be indifferent to the case. Desperate, Ola looks for help on the Internet, where she finds a group of amateur detectives that solve criminal cases the police are unable to.

*****

2. Ratched

The 59 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2021 Edition ratched

A young nurse at a mental institution becomes jaded and bitter before turning into a full-fledged monster to her patients.

1. Godless

The 59 Best Crime Drama and Thriller Shows On Netflix 2021 Edition godless

Notorious criminal Frank Griffin and his gang of outlaws are on a mission — get revenge on Roy Goode, a former protege who betrayed the brotherhood. On the run, Roy seeks refuge in isolated mining town La Belle, N.M., where he lives with Alice Fletcher, a hardened widower and outcast. When word reaches La Belle, which is governed mainly by women, that Griffin is headed there, the residents of the town band together to defend against his murderous gang.

And…That’s it.

This was our list: Let us know what you think of our picks and leave comments if you have other titles in mind.

 

Photo Credit: Netflix

  1. You guys need to get out more. Read some subtitles. Also available on Netflix…

    The Good Detective (So. Korean)

    Paranormal (Egyptian)

    The Method (Russian)

    Black (Korean)

    Stranger (Korean)

    Four Seasons in Havana (Cuban noir)

    Chicago Typewriter (Korean)

    Tunnel (The Korean version; also a Thai version exists)

    Voice (Thai is the better show, but a Korean version exists, too.)

  2. I feel compelled to agree that the below titles published by Fred Zackel are excellent. I especially liked the Russian series, The Method and the Korean film, The Good Detective. For me these titles were more sophisticated and complex than many on the list of 50. There is a legitimate call for viewers to cross into subtitles and broaden our scope from a more western bias, That said, Wallander is my all time favorite.

  3. No one should waste their time watching Korean long form fiction. Zero clue regarding story structure. I watched Black for 4 episodes and the complete lack of cohesion and character progression was astoundingly bad. The same applies to The Good Detective. Dreadful.

    1. Putting Freud higher on the list than Mindhunter and The Punisher is ridiculous. It’s one of the corniest, most tiresome series I’ve seen – up there on top 5 worst.The plot was all over the place. Seeing that this list is a mixed bag and The Spy has been included, how you missed to include Homeland is, well, a mystery.

  4. I would like a new Longmire show ( I have watch 7 times ). The new show are more the younger people ‘ I would like more old westerns and ones like Virgin Rivers. Right now when I done with Heartland I thinking about cancle Netflex .

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