There are few TV shows as consistently compelling as amysteryseries. Thoughlighthearted crime drama TV showsare a fun way to pass the time, there’s something uniquely enrapturing about a series that creates a foreboding atmosphere and imparts a sense of dread to the viewer.These series typically incorporate horror and thriller elements into the storyand have a cohesive visual style that creates a moody feel as much as the plot. For audiences looking to be immersed in a narrative unafraid to get serious and almost surreal, these shows are perfect.
It’s impossible toguess the killer right away in these murder mysteries, as the stories are full of twists and turns that leave the audience guessing until the end. While the crime aspects are vital to the plot,these series are character-driven, focusing on the detectives who take on the investigationand unravel them. The detectives are often just as flawed as their criminal counterparts and are looking to heal a piece of themselves by delivering justice to the victims. Of course, this rarely goes as planned, and the protagonists get sucked into larger conspiracies than they could imagine.
The Sinner
Cast
The Sinner is a crime anthology series created by Derek Simonds that ran for four seasons on the USA Network. Bill Pullman is the star in each season, which all examine a different crime committed by the unlikeliest of culprits. The series was originally supposed to be an eight-part mini-series, but the success of season 1 caused USA to continue it as an anthology.
Bill Pullman is one of the only consistent parts ofThe Sinner, other than the fact that every crime he investigates is even more unsettling than the last.This anthology series sees Pullman’s character, Harry Ambrose, look into unexpected crimesthat aren’t what they seem on the surface. Typically, Pullman will have an inkling about who committed the crime or even a confession. However, his job is to find out what drove them to these acts and if there’s a larger conspiracy afoot.
Though Pullman anchors the series, the performances of each season’s new cast can’t be overlooked for how much they change the series with every installment.
This means that Ambrose enters every investigation from the perspective that he can’t trust anyone, establishing a sense of uncertainty from the outset. Though Pullman anchors the series, the performances of each season’s new cast can’t be overlooked for how much they change the series with every installment. While Ambrose might be investigating a crime no matter what,each location and the communities he enters are unique and force Ambrose to crack them open.
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Sharp Objects
Sharp Objects is an HBO thriller mini-series that centers on reporter Camille Preaker, a woman with a dark past returning to her hometown. Returning to Wind Gap, Missouri, to investigate two murders, she takes up at her childhood home, where she must now contend with her mother, who will force her to reckon with her past.
Based on the book by Gillian Flynn, Amy Adams gives a career-making performance inSharp Objects, the Southern Gothic mystery that pulls no punches.Adams plays Camille, a journalist who returns to her hometown in Missouriin the wake of a rash of murders. While solving the murders is a large part of the story, Camille’s relationship with her mother and sister plays a huge role in the plot’s progression as the audience learns about Camille’s upbringing and what’s led to her issues.
The final twist in the last moments ofSharp Objectsis so effective that it throws the entire show into questionand makes the audience reconsider what they thought was true. Planning a twist this arresting is difficult, butSharp Objectspulls it off brilliantly and ensures that the viewer is just as shocked as Camille. Adams is the essential piece ofSharp Objectsthat makes the show work. Thepositive reviews forNightbitch, Adam’s new movie, are an exciting development and bode well for audiences and critics to remember what an amazing performer she is.
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True Detective
True Detective is an anthology series exploring intricate criminal investigations through multiple timelines. Each season examines dark personal and professional secrets revealed during the course of solving complex cases, highlighting the impact of crime on individuals both within and outside the law enforcement community.
Despite its critical acclaim and prestigious reputation,True Detectivehasn’t been the most consistent series since its premiere in 2014.It’s widely agreed upon that the show peaked in season 1when Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson teamed up to bring the terrifying story to life. However, season 3 andNight Countryhave successfully broughtTrue Detectiveback to the forefront of the cultural conversation and encouraged viewers to revisit the seminal series.
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The settings are a large part of what makesTrue Detectiveeffectively thrilling,with sparsely populated corners of the U.S. serving as the backdrop for the horrible crimes. However, the detectives themselves are often as surreal and inscrutable as the criminals they’re investigating. Unsurprisingly, spending so much time entrenched in violent crimes leads the characters down dark and uncertain paths. While this is detrimental to the characters, it makes for amazing television as the audience watches the case and the people unravel.
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Mindhunter
From executive producers David Fincher and Charlize Theron comes Mindhunter, a series that chronicles the founding of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit used to track and apprehend serial killers. Mindhunter follows Agent Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) as they work to establish a framework for understanding the minds of some of America’s most dangerous serial killers. Mindhunter adapts a number of true crime stories, including the BTK murders and the notorious Co-Ed Killer, Edmund Kemper.
It’s no surprise that David Fincher is one of the key creatives behindMindhunter,as the iconic director has contributed to the modern conception of the thriller with movies likeZodiacandSeven. Though it’s a tragedy that there are only two seasons of the brilliantly crafted show, they pack a punch and have Fincher’s characteristic patience and attention to detail. The psychology of crimes is at the forefront ofMindhunter, as the series tracks the early stages of the behavioral analysis unit of the FBI.
Mindhunterdoes a great job of drawing the audience into the killers' traps just as deeply.
The end ofMindhunteris aNetflix TV show cancelation that hurta lot, and there are no plans for Fincher and the cast to reunite for a third season.This means that audiences will always be wondering about the fate of the complex and troubled characters at the heart ofMindhunter, like Holden (Jonathan Groff), who was uniquely susceptible to the serial killers he interviewed. However,Mindhunterdoes a great job of drawing the audience into the killers' traps just as deeply.
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Broadchurch
Broadchurch: Set in a small coastal town, Broadchurch follows the intense investigation into the murder of a young boy, as the case draws significant media attention and threatens the fabric of the close-knit community.
A tragic murder that disrupts the peace of a small town is not a new conceit for a murder mystery, butBroadchurchrefreshes the story and makes it new. David Tennant and Olivia Colman star as the opposite detectives who pair up to solve the murder of a local boy. Of course, in such a small town, word travels fast, and Colman’s Ellie is a longtime resident of the town, creating a conflict of interest. However,Broadchurchinterrogates how well we know our neighbors and the people we love.
Though there are moments of humor and breaks in the tension, the reveal of the killer at the end ofBroadchurchseason 1 sets the rest of the series on a grim and twisting path.Broadchurchseason 1 is the tightest installment of the show,but every season has something to offer and tackles the darkness that hides just below the surface of seemingly idyllic communities. The beautiful seaside setting juxtaposes the grisly murder and the lengths people will go to keep their secrets buried.
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Under the Bridge
Based on the book by Rebecca Godfrey, Under the Bridge is a 2024 true crime series that explores the murder of a teenaged girl named Reena Virk through the testimonies of her accused killers.
Under the Bridgejoins the ranks ofHulu’s best true crime drama TV showsand successfully adapts the real-life story while being respectful of the people involved.Riley Keough plays Rebecca Godfrey, the woman who wrote the book the show is based on,with Lily Gladstone joining her as the detective Cam Bentland, who becomes romantically involved with Godfrey. These two adults attempt to unpack the death of a teenage girl and uncover the deadly perils of adolescence in their town.
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It’s almost unbelievable whatUnder the Bridgediscovers about the cruelty that young people inflict upon each other and how far bullying can go. As she investigates the case,Keough’s Rebecca and Gladstone’s Cam both grapple with their personal demonsand the traumatic history of their home. Taking place in British Columbia, much of the series utilizes the gorgeous natural landscape of the town while simultaneously showing its darker parts. This sets the scene for the budding romance and tough investigation to commence.
Under the Bridge (2024)
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The Night Of
The Night of is a TV mini-series revolving around Nasir ‘Naz’ Khan, a young college student who, after partying with a woman, finds her stabbed to death in his room the following morning. Riz Ahmed stars as Naz alongside John Turturro as his lawyer and Michael K. Williams as Freddy Knight, an influential inmate at Rikers Island.
Mystery series are exceptionally good at tapping into deeper social and cultural issues through the lens of a crime. This is the case inThe Night Of, whichfollows the prosecution of Nasir Khan, played by a critically lauded Riz Ahmed,after he wakes up to find the woman next to him dead with no memory of the night before. Throughout the story, the failures of the criminal justice system and the built-in discrimination that leads to people of color and those with limited financial resources being unfairly imprisoned and targeted.
Unlike other mysteries,The Night Ofis just as much about the legal process and seeing Nasir set free as it is about catching the true killer.
It’s a tragic tale that presents few happy endings or silver linings, as few people step up to help Nasir, and his time in prison has detrimental effects on his health. Unlike other mysteries,The Night Ofis just as much about the legal process and seeing Nasir set free as it is about catching the true killer. However,the audience becomes just as unsure as Nasir about his innocenceand the part he played in the woman’s death.
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A Murder at the End of the World
A Murder at the End of the World is an FX psychological thriller created and directed by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij. The show centers on Darby Hart, an amateur detective who is invited to a billionaire’s remote location only to be forced to solve a murder. A Murder at the End of the World stars Emma Corrin, Brit Marling, and Clive Owen.
There are plenty of well-crafted whodunit murder mysteries for audiences to watch from different eras, butA Murder at the End of the Worldattempts to bring technology and contemporary sensibilities to the genre.Emma Corrin stars as Darby Hart, a detective and hackerwho must uncover the secrets of a reclusive billionaire. Artificial intelligence and its role in humanity’s future is discussed inA Murder at the End of the World, which uses its new age themes and stylization to great effect.
Brit Marling is one of the minds behindA Murder at the End of the World, along with Zal Batmanglij,and it makes sense that the series is so meta-textual and complex, as they also created the sci-fi thrillerThe OA. ThoughA Murder at the End of the Worlddoesn’t hit the same heights asThe OA, it’s still a propulsive mystery that leaves audiences questioning their own biases and beliefs by the end of the narrative.
A Murder at the End of the World (2023)
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Under the Banner of Heaven
Under the Banner of Heaven is a true crime series based on Jon Krakauer’s book and stars Andrew Garfield as Detective Jeb Pyre. Jeb, a religious man, works alongside another detective, Bill Taba. The two attempt to discover the truth behind a murder traced to Mormonism, igniting contentious religious discourse during the case.
Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones play the dual protagonists inUnder the Banner of Heaven,even though they exist in parallel timelines. Garfield’s character, Jeb Pyre, is a detective who investigates the murder of Edgar-Jones’s Brenda Lafferty, who is seemingly the victim of a group of extremist men within her church. The series flashes between Brenda’s experiences leading up to her death, the detective work from the conflicted Jeb, and the founding of the Church of the Latter-day Saints.
If anything, it’s even more affecting to see the inevitable fate of Brenda draw closer and witness how much her experience changes Jeb and his faith in the church.
Thoughthe series is based on true events,and it’s easy to see where the story is going, this doesn’t make it any less compelling to watch it unfold. If anything, it’s even more affecting to see the inevitable fate of Brenda draw closer and witness how much her experience changes Jeb and his faith in the church. This series is a great example of a show that explores higher questions of faith within a gripping mystery.
Under the Banner of Heaven (2022)
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Cynthia Erivo might be getting a lot of attention today for her upcoming role in theWickedmovie, but she’s lent her skills to a variety of genres before this. In the miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s book,Erivo plays Holly Gibney, a private detective who investigates the case,with Jason Bateman and Ben Mendelsohn starring alongside her. Bateman also served as the director of a few of the episodes and has been lauded for his ability to capture the thrills and terror of King’s work.
King’s work is notoriously difficult to bring to life onscreen since there are alwayssurreal and supernatural elements that the series must balance with the gritty reality of the crimes. However, in terms of atmosphere, thismysteryseries hits all the marks and is elevated by its strong performances. Like many tragic shows, the death of a young boy is at the heart of the small town’s conspiracy, which makes the story all the more intense and upsetting.
