If you are scrolling through Netflix and wondering what to watch next, here is a list of the best Netflix thriller shows that can help you. From true crime miniseries like Unbelievable to the fabulously entertaining Better Call Saul, Netflix has plenty of shows that are sure to keep you engaged throughout the weekend and even during the weekdays, because it's hard to not keep going when the show is just too good.
10. Ozark
A brilliant financial planner gets on the wrong side of a crime syndicate and is forced to move away from Chicago to the quiet Missouri Ozarks where he is forced to launder money for the cartel. Jason Bateman and Laura Linney star as Marty and Wendy Byrde who have to figure out a way to launder large sums of money without tipping off the authorities. In Ozarks, they meet the young Ruth Langmore (Julia Garner), a young woman who is part of a local criminal family, and who becomes part of their money laundering operations. The show has plenty of twists, cliffhangers, and turns that you barely see it coming. It focuses on the dynamics of Byrde family, and how they rise up to prominence in the local community in Ozarks and in the criminal syndicate they are part of. There is also enough blood and gore and violence if you like your thrillers to be bloody. Ozark received 45 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, with Bateman winning the award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series in 2019 and Garner becoming a three-time winner for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2019, 2020, and 2022.
9. Unbelievable
If you are on the lookout for a true crime miniseries that is both engaging and humane, Unbelievable is the right pick for you. The show recounts 2008–2011 Washington and Colorado serial rape cases through the story of a teenager who faced sexual assault. She goes to the police to narrate her story but is forced to recant it after the cops do not believe her. Three years later, when two female detectives (Merritt Wever's Karen Duvall and Toni Collette’s Grace Rasmussen) encounter a similar case, they realize that a serial rapist is on the prowl. The eight-episode mini-series is a police procedural that takes an empathetic look at the sexual assault survivor, without being voyeuristic. The show has been described thus: "heartbreaking and powerful, Unbelievable transcends familiar true-crime beats by shifting its gaze to survivors of abuse, telling their stories with grace and gravity."
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8. The Sinner
Harry Ambrose (Bill Pullman), an aging, tormented but brilliant detective investigates murder cases and tries to analyse the reasons behind ordinary people committing heinous crimes. Each season of this police procedural anthology focuses on a new crime and criminal, and Ambrose establishes some sort of a connection with the culprit to unravel the motives behind the crime. In the first season, he uncovers the past of Cora Tannetti (Jessica Biel), a troubled woman, to determine why she stabbed a man to death, while the second season focuses on a boy who confesses to poisoning a couple. The third season, which stars Matt Bomer as Jamie Burns, focuses on a fatal car accident and the reasons that led to it, and the fourth and final season of The Sinner involves the daughter of a prominent family who a retired Ambrose meets when he travels to northern Maine for a holiday and to recover from the trauma from the previous case.
7. Midnight Mass
Next in the list is a supernatural crime thriller. The Netflix synopsis for Midnight Mass reads thus: “The arrival of a charismatic young priest brings glorious miracles, ominous mysteries and renewed religious fervor to a dying town desperate to believe.” But this hardly prepares the viewers for what would unfold on screen. Directed by Mike Flanagan, this 10-episode miniseries begins with the return of a young man who served four years in prison for a murder involving drunk driving. His arrival at the town coincides with the appearance of a mysterious priest who wants to revive the town's flagging faith. The show is an engaging but unsettling ride that also ruminates on death, faith, and forgiveness even as there are supernatural forces at play in the town.
6. Squid Game
Okay, this one is fairly popular. If you have heard about it, but haven't yet given it a try, you should. Squid Game will not disappoint you. The South Korean survival drama is about how cash-strapped contestants compete in children's games that turn deadly. Be warned, the show is brutal, bloody, and gory and is certainly not for the faint-hearted although there are plenty of tender moments. While the premise of the show may sound familiar enough, if you have seen Battle Royale and the films inspired by the Japanese thriller, some clever writings, unpredictable twists, and great performances make Squid Game binge-worthy. While the body count is high and bloody moments are aplenty, Squid Game also condemns violence even as it makes a few valid points on human nature.
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5. Narcos
Of course, no list on the finest crime or thriller shows on Netflix is complete without the eminently enjoyable Narcos. The first two seasons chart the rise and fall of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar while the third season focuses on the aftermath of his death. The standalone Narcos: Mexico focuses on the exploits of Guadalajara kingpin Félix Gallardo. The gripping real-life stories of drug kingpins of the late '80s do not attempt to sympathise with the villains; the show is gritty and the war or drugs is bloody. Narcos also details the actions taken by the drug enforcement authorities to battle the drug lords. Solid acting, fast-paced narration and intriguing storylines are sure to keep you engaged even if you have already heard or read about these dread gangsters and their exploits.
4. Peaky Blinders
Next on the list is another gangster series. The show, which boasts a stellar cast, including Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy, follows the Peaky Blinders crime gang in the direct aftermath of the First World War. At the centre of the gang is a former war hero, the ambitious, cunning crime boss Tommy Shelby (Murphy) who would do anything to protect his family. The show is bloody and brutal with plenty of shootings, stabbings, impalements, and torture, but is highly immersive with a lot of interesting characters. It begins with Blinders coming to the attention of Chief Inspector Chester Campbell after they steal a cache of guns. Campbell has been tasked with finding the guns, breaking up the Blinders, and cleaning up crime and corruption in Birmingham—and that is only the beginning. You are in for a thrilling ride if you decided to give Peaky Blinders a try.
3. Mindhunter
Serial killer thrillers are dime a dozen on various streaming platforms, but none can match the quality of Mindhunter, a show about how the profiling unit of the FBI was formed. Helmed by David Fincher, Mindhunter is nothing like the 'case of the week' shows that you may have seen before as it delves into criminals and the eerie territory of their twisted minds. “In the late 1970s two FBI agents expand criminal science by delving into the psychology of murder and getting uneasily close to all-too-real monsters,” reads the synopsis of the show. The two agents, Holden Ford, played by Jonathan Groff and Bill Tench played by Holt McCallany, meet with notorious serial killers Edmund Kemper, Montie Rissell, Jerry Brudos and Dennis Rader also known as BTK among others, to understand what drives them to commit the vicious crimes they have been found guilty of. The critics consensus on Rotten Tomatoes on the show reads: "Mindhunter distinguishes itself in a crowded genre with ambitiously cinematic visuals and a meticulous attention to character development." Mindhunter is sure to reward you if you are a fan of crime/thriller genre.
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2. Breaking Bad
Of course, Breaking Bad! The story of a chemistry teacher-turned-drug lord Walter White is being hailed as one of the greatest television shows ever made. Created by Vince Gilligan, Breaking Bad boasts of some great performances, especially from its two leading men—Bryan Cranston playing Walter White and Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman. The list of awards the show garnered over the years it premiered is numerous, including two Golden Globe Awards, 16 Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Critics' Choice Awards. Cranston won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series four times while his co-star Paul won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series thrice. The show has been praised by viewers and critics alike, with high praise going for the performances, cinematography, screenplay, and character development. The show also gave rise to the larger Breaking Bad franchise, with a prequel-sequel series Better Call Saul, and a sequel film, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.
1. Better Call Saul
If you have already been drawn into the Breaking Bad universe, you are sure to find our top Netflix thriller pick arguably the right choice. This crime and legal drama, created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, follows the exploits of Jimmy McGill before he met Walter White and Jesse Pinkman and his life after the events of Breaking Bad. Many of the charterers in Breaking Bad, including Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks), Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) have larger roles in this prequel which consists of 63 episodes across six seasons. While many hailed it as a worthy successor to Breaking Bad, some even consider it better than its predecessor. It has been ranked No. 48 on The Guardian's list of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century, while Empire ranked it at No. 27 on their list of The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. Most of the seasons have an approval rating of 99 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.