The 15 Best Crime TV Shows Streaming On Netflix

Given how shows like "The Wire" and "The Sopranos" helped turn HBO into the destination for quality television in the late '90s and early 2000s, it isn't too surprising that Netflix would see a similar rise to prominence off the back of its own well-received crime-influenced series like "House of Cards," "Orange is the New Black," and even "Bloodline." It causes one to wonder what exactly it is about these stories that makes them so central to the midwifing of new eras of television — perhaps such crime dramas, universally captivating despite often being too violent, disturbing, and complicated for mainstream TV, naturally find themselves at home wherever risks are most welcome.

Whatever the case, Netflix is now where many go for the thrills that a simulated life of crime can offer. Whether a viewer is looking for a classic series that predated the streamer's existence or is willing to take a chance on one of their newer originals, there's a daring story of a liar, thief, or murderer waiting for them at the click of a button.

We'll start our investigation with a bit of an unusual — and, in our opinion, criminally underrated — suspect coming from within Netflix. Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda's "American Vandal" first premiered on the streamer in 2017, when shows like "Making a Murderer" were helping Netflix establish itself as the place for true crime. The series works as a comedic response to this growing trend, using a mockumentary format to parody the already recognizable tropes of the true crime genre at large.

However, instead of following hardened police officers or lawyers on the trail of a killer, its heroes are two teenage aspiring documentarians (Tyler Alvarez and future "Tall Girl" star Griffin Gluck) investigating pranks at their high school. The 1st season follows the dubious persecution of Dylan Maxwell, a senior suspected of vandalizing a school parking lot with obscene imagery (played by YouTuber and actor Jimmy Tatro), while the 2nd season follows the aftermath of a devastating laxative prank at a Catholic school. Though "American Vandal" was tragically and unfairly sentenced to early cancellation by Netflix in 2018, its anthology format wraps each season up in satisfying fashion.

Streaming has allowed the crime genre to enter a whole other world of complexity, style, and danger, but that doesn't mean we don't have a soft spot for those network TV dramas that paved the way for the bounty we now enjoy. "The Blacklist" is inarguably one of the most popular and culturally impactful television crime thrillers to be produced in the last decade, combining a twisted version of the police procedural subgenre with an overarching mystery surrounding the series' entrancing anti-hero.

As part of a career renaissance that saw him return with force to screens big and small (in projects ranging from "The Office" to "Avengers: Age of Ultron"), James Spader stars as Raymond Reddington, a powerful international criminal who inexplicably chooses to turn himself in to the FBI despite having easily evaded capture for years. In exchange for total immunity and a Lecter-esque partnership with fledgling agent Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone), Reddington offers to share with the bureau his "black list" — a rolodex of criminals so deadly and elusive that the FBI has no chance of identifying them without his help, let alone apprehending them. "The Blacklist" is more of a time commitment than most shows we'll talk about further down, but its reliably entertaining format should earn it a place on your watch list.

If you're looking for something between the openly parodical "American Vandal" and the grim thrills of "The Blacklist," you can't go wrong with Netflix's new murder mystery dramedy "The Residence." An unexpected but entirely welcome tonal departure for Shonda Rhimes (who executive produces the series alongside creator Paul William Davies), this high-energy whodunnit plays out like if "How to Get Away with Murder" had a more charming sense of humor, and evokes the intellectual criminal intrigue of an Agatha Christie story.

The series follows the investigation of a murder that took place within the White House, with consulting detective Cordelia Cupp ("Orange Is the New Black" alum Uzo Aduba) tracking her case through the halls, offices, secret passages, and staff quarters of this American landmark. The ensemble cast also includes Giancarlo Esposito (who stepped in for Andre Braugher, after the "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" star passed away), Molly Griggs, Ken Marino, the late Julian McMahon, Kylie Minogue, and former U.S. senator Al Franken. Despite receiving positive reviews and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Aduba, the series was cancelled after one season.

One of the most controversial shows produced by TV's favorite provocateur, Ryan Murphy, "Monster" is a true crime anthology series that feels so unbearably vicious that it's often difficult to keep watching. And yet, both seasons so far have absolutely dominated Netflix's streaming charts.

This isn't too surprising when you consider the winning formula Murphy has found for this project — a combination of the dark psychological drama and historical fascination of "American Crime Story" and the salacious wickedness of "American Horror Story." Where "Crime Story" covers complicated cases such as the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson or the impeachment of U.S. President Bill Clinton, "Monster" focuses on the lives and deaths of the world's most evil killers.

There are two equally controversial seasons available to stream as of writing, the 1st covering the life of the cannibalistic serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer (played by regular Murphy collaborator Evan Peters) and the 2nd covering the Menendez brothers, who killed their parents in 1989. A 3rd season is currently in development, and will star "Sons of Anarchy's" Charlie Hunnam as '50s serial killer Ed Gein.

If you're in the mood for a crime series told from the perspective of a criminal, but perhaps aren't in the mood for something as upsetting as Ryan Murphy's "Monster," Netflix has at least one other original series you should consider. Created by George Kay (of the Idris Elba Apple TV+ miniseries "Hijack") and French screenwriter François Uzan, "Lupin" is a French-language crime thriller that follows the escapades of a master thief inspired by the titular 20th-century literary antihero.

Omar Sy ("Jurassic World: Dominion," "Transformers: The Last Knight") plays Assane Diop, the thief in question who initially sets out to use his skills to exact vengeance against a businessman who framed his father for robbery. All three seasons are flat out some of the most addicting television Netflix has ever produced, blending this taut heist with elements of mystery, human drama, and escapist thrills.

Don't let its association with the most annoying and cringe-inducing people on the internet dissuade you — "Peaky Blinders" is an unmistakable work of art within the crime genre bolstered by some of the best performances you'll encounter through any of the shows on this list. Future "Oppenheimer" star and Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy leads the British drama as Thomas Shelby, a fictional Irish crime boss who runs the titular gang in early-1900s England.

Despite not receiving much in the way of marketing, "Peaky Blinders" is one of the most popular shows ever distributed by Netflix. Murphy himself has attributed this to word-of-mouth, with the series apparently capable of turning anyone daring enough to witness its brooding tale into a passionate acolyte. This passion is so strong, in fact, that the upcoming "Peaky Blinders" feature film won't even be the end of the series, with a spin-off titled "The Immortal Man" currently in development.

For a British crime drama with a contemporary setting, look no further than Netflix's "Bodyguard," a series created by British TV stalwart Jed Mercurio. In addition to the hit medical drama "Bodies" and several other successful shows, Mercurio created the subversive cop drama "Line of Duty," which is often regarded as one of the best British crime dramas ever made.

We're more than comfortable counting "Bodyguard" among that crowd as well, though Mercurio takes viewers into a world that's sharply distinct from the precincts of "Line of Duty." This series stars "Game of Thrones" alum Richard Madden as David Budd, an Afghanistan War veteran-turned-Principal Protection Officer (for American readers — think secret service) for Conservative MP and Secretary of State Julia Montague (Keely Hawes). Living with post-traumatic stress disorder and agonizing memories of the war, Budd's simmering skepticism about the government makes his duty of protecting Montague all the more complicated — especially when he becomes aware of a conspiracy unraveling before his very eyes.

Those who have seen "Prison Break" may take some umbrage with its placement on this list. It's the sort of show that enjoys a conflicted but passionate fanbase — some of whom feel its late-stage drop-off was so dramatic it isn't worthy of inclusion over other titles, while others feel its early efforts were so perfect it deserves an even higher placement. In either case, those who have yet to see it themselves can take heart that almost everyone agrees its 1st season is one of the best works of crime fiction made for television.

Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller (perhaps better known to some readers as Heatwave and Captain Cold from "The Flash" and "Legends of Tomorrow") play brothers desperately trying to break out of a maximum security prison before one of them is wrongfully executed by the state. Though it was cancelled in 2009, the series has since been revived once and has found an even larger audience through Netflix.

If you, like us here at /Film, are enjoying the cultural phenomenon that is Pedro Pascal, you should join us in thanking "Narcos" by giving it a much-deserved watch. The historical crime drama featured the future Hollywood icon (currently stretching himself across multiplexes in Marvel Studios' "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" while enjoying continued acclaim for roles in "The Last of Us" and "Materialists") as real-life DEA agent Javier Peña — one of the men responsible for investigating prolific drug lord Pablo Escobar (played in the series by "Civil War" star Wagner Moura).

Fans of HBO's "The Wire" will enjoy its novel-like storytelling, which engages equally with operations on both sides of the law and considers challenging perspectives from all involved with this story. Those who have already seen "Narcos" should also consider the spin-off series "Narcos: Mexico," a worthy successor that stars fellow "Star Wars" and Marvel alums Diego Luna and Michael Peña.

If you haven't seen Netflix's "Ozark" yet, it's probably because anyone who's ever tried to sell you on the show without spoilers has struggled not to make it sound boring. Jason Bateman — an actor who has broken down the stock character of the mild-mannered, middle-aged everyman so many times at this point that he's turned it into an art — stars in the series as Marty Byrde, a financial advisor who moonlights as a high-paid money launderer for a Mexican drug cartel. After it comes to light that Marty's business partners have been skimming millions off the top, he is forced to move his family to the rural lake community of the Ozarks, where he's given the impossible task of using the town's unpredictable tourist economy to upscale his laundering side hustle.

Still sounds a little boring? Yeah. We know. It doesn't help that, if we had to describe Bateman's Byrde, the primary adjectives would be calculating, cautious, and compulsively frugal. But that's exactly what makes the show so uniquely compelling. Like they did with "The Accountant," creators Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams create thrilling and often disturbing stories by throwing a cerebral protagonist into a world dominated by violence. Trust us – its best episodes are up there with the likes of "Breaking Bad" and "The Sopranos."

Based on Luke Jennings' novel "Codename: Villanelle" (and originally written by "Fleabag" star-creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge), "Killing Eve" is a captivating and continuously surprising gift to fans of TV thrillers. It stars Sandra Oh (of "Grey's Anatomy" and "Invincible" fame) as an American MI5 agent who — despite being deeply flawed, dysfunctional, and prone to erratic behavior — is given one last shot to salvage her crumbling career when she's tasked with helping MI6 track down an enigmatic assassin known as Villanelle (Jodie Comer).

Villanelle is without a doubt one of the most psychologically arresting villains created for TV, as audacious, unpredictable, and brilliant as the show itself. One can't help but become entranced by the cat-and-mouse game this charming psychopath plays with Oh's dogged detective. Though some fans remain divided on its final season (especially after hearing about the plans for an abandoned, darker ending that might've been a little better), newcomers will still find the fast-paced thriller worthy of a close watch.

As the years go on and the world marches with uncomfortable confidence toward a future dominated by tech corporations and CEOs with infinite bank accounts and debilitating god-complexes, "Mr. Robot" is a show that unfortunately continues to age like fine wine. The unassuming and unexpected breakout hit from the USA Network originally aired in 2015 and ended in 2019, and yet, Sam Esmail's darkly compelling vigilante thriller remains prescient regarding its dissections and speculative extrapolations on technology, financial structures and institutions, and how social revolutions adapt to the age of social media.

Rami Malek gives a star-making performance as Elliot Alderson, a brilliant but disturbed programmer who hides a secret identity as a white-hat hacktivist. When he catches the attention of the mysterious technological anarchist known only as "Mr. Robot" (Christian Slater), he is drawn into a plot that has the potential to end the world as he knows it. That only covers the 1st season, and is essentially all we can say without spoiling the twists and turns of the series' best episodes. Suffice it to say, "Mr. Robot" is as unpredictable and tense as it is hard to escape once you first log in.

No conversation about Netflix's infamous and admittedly frustrating habit of cancelling shows at the peak of their quality can be had without an agonizing mention of "Mindhunter." Created by Joe Penhall and heavily produced by legendary contemporary filmmaker David Fincher, the quasi-historical thriller takes viewers back to the origins of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit, where intrepid agents attempt to better understand the psychology of the country's most horrific serial killers.

Despite rave reviews, Netflix cancelled "Mindhunter" after only two seasons. In defense of the streamer, this decision seems to be at least in part due to Fincher's own exhaustion after producing season 2. Even in its slightly incomplete state, however (at least until we get those "Mindhunter" movies that have been rumored for some time), the series is an impeccably well-written and directed thriller that deserves to be remembered as one of the best ever produced by Netflix.

Unfortunately, it's hard not to spoil our No. 1 pick with this choice. It would either be this show, or the series that preceded and laid the groundwork for its creation — and fans of both have been debating for years which of the two is the superior work of television. Both shows are not only two of the greatest crime TV shows ever produced, but two of the greatest shows of any genre, period. And both are currently streaming on Netflix.

For now, let's maintain our focus on "Better Call Saul," a prequel series so astounding, subversive, and psychologically complex that it exceeded the arguably unfair expectations fans had for the project going in. Bob Odenkirk reprises his role as the unscrupulous lawyer "Saul Goodman," who is living a life of quiet indignity and constant fear as he perpetually evades the consequences of his life of crime. The majority of the series takes place in the past, where Odenkirk and co-creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould show us how the "criminal" attorney Saul Goodman was born from the mind of scrappy aspiring lawyer Jimmy McGill.

In experiencing Jimmy/Saul's complicated relationship with his brother Chuck (a career-best performance from Michael McKean), his toxic friendship with his peer Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn), and his bitter rivalry with the congenial corporate attorney Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian), the series gets to the heart of how troubled people trap themselves in prisons of their own making.

Is there anything we can really say at this point to convince someone who somehow hasn't watched "Breaking Bad" to finally give it a chance? The AMC series is unquestionably one of, if not the most popular and culturally impactful, television dramas of all time, rivaled only by other behemoths like "Game of Thrones" and "The Sopranos." You would have a hard time finding a person alive and over the age of 16 who hasn't at least heard of it — older viewers followed the series throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, or binged it shortly thereafter; younger viewers are being fed countless clips of it through reels-based video platforms like YouTube Shorts.

The epic saga of the downfall of Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and the ascension of the international drug lord known as Heisenberg represents television at its finest — thoughtful, realistic, challenging, with writing so tight and structurally brilliant that it can capture anyone's attention. Even the worst "Breaking Bad" episodes are worth dissecting, and the best episodes are simply some of the greatest episodes of TV you'll find anywhere. 

If you haven't yet seen "Breaking Bad" and are looking for a crime drama to binge, respectfully, ignore the rest of this article at least until you've made it through the pilot. For everyone else, it's still an endlessly rewatchable masterpiece that will surely satisfy your crime cravings.