20 Best Thriller TV Shows, Ranked
20. You
Image: Netflix - ‘You' takes viewers into the world of stalker-killer Joe Goldberg, who will do anything to satisfy his twisted version of “love.” The series is dark and psychological as Joe isn't a run-of-the-mill creepy guy; he is charming and caring, until he snaps.
19. Squid Game
Image: Netflix - The South Korean drama became a global phenomenon, and for good reason. With its take on childhood games becoming bloodsport for the amusement of the rich, the thriller is a highly binge-worthy Netflix offering.
18. Mr. Robot
Image: Prime Video - Elliot Alderson, played by Rami Malek, is a brilliant but unstable cyber-security engineer and vigilante hacker. He becomes a key figure in a complex game of global dominance when he and his shadowy allies try to take down the corrupt corporation he works for.
17. True Detective
Image: Prime Video - ‘True Detective’ is a brilliant anthology series in which the cops hunt ruthless criminals, but there is more than meets the eye in this show. The investigations lead to the secrets of the police as well the dangerous elements they are chasing. Suffice to day, the lines of the law become blurry in no time.
16. Dark
Image: Netflix - One of most mind-bending thrillers is 'Dark.' The mysterious story exposes a sinful past as two children go missing in a small German town. The lives of four families are forever changed as bizarre events take place one after another.
15. Prison Break
Image: Netflix - In 'Prison Break,' the lives of brothers are uprooted as one of them is sent to death row despite his innocence, all due to a political conspiracy. But, blood is thick and the younger sibling, who had helped design the prison, deliberately enters it to help his brother escape.
14. Ozark
Image: Netflix - Jason Bateman's Marty Byrd is a Chicago-based financial advisor. His entire family is pushed under the shadow of crime as he finds himself in a life or death situation. The Byrds eventually move to Ozark as Marty agrees to wash truckloads of money for a Mexican drug lord.
13. Black Mirror
Image: Netflix - This anthology series thrusts viewers into a disturbing, dystopian future. It's a world where technology has taken over the lives of people and humanity is dying a slow death. If your present circumstances seem bleak, 'Black Mirror' will ring loud as a warning or worse conditions.
12. Dexter
Image: Showtime - 'Dexter' dominated TV for years due to its ingenious concept and terrific performances. Here is a serial killer who commits crimes at night against those who slip through the clutches of the law. During the day, he analyzes blood splatter and solves crimes with the police. Now, that's a complex anti-hero.
11. Hannibal
Image: Prime Video - The psychological thriller explores the early relationship between renowned psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter (cue the cannibalistic fetish) and a young FBI criminal profiler who is haunted by his ability to empathize with serial killers.
10. Homeland
Image: Showtime - Claire Danes gives a performance of a lifetime as a CIA operative who suffers from bipolar disorder in 'Homeland.' She suspects that Al-Qaeda has turned a prisoner of war and his return to the United States will spell disaster for its citizens. She is relentless in her pursuit of the truth in relations to terror attacks and those who orchestrate them.
9. The Blacklist
Image: Netflix - One of the FBI's top wanted criminals, Raymond Reddington, mysteriously surrenders after evading the authorities for decades. His condition? He will help catch the world's most ruthless criminals if his task force includes rookie agent, Elizabeth Keen. But, what's Reddington's agenda? The mastermind disguises that with his enigmatic persona.
8. Slow Horses
Image: Apple TV+ - Led by Gary Oldman in the role of notorious Slough House head, Jackson Lamb, ‘Slow Horses’ is a fantastic spy thriller. Here is a team of rejected MI5 agents who move through the spy world combating forces that endanger the peace and prosperity of Britain. But, they are as dysfunctional as the their service records.
7. Mindhunter
Image: Netflix - The brainchild of David Fincher, the series is in a league of its own. 'Mindhunter' takes a deep dive into the psyche of criminals who commit the most ruthless acts without any rationale or regret. As FBI agents interview killers to understand them, the brilliance of the idea delights and distresses in equal measure.
6. Sherlock
Image: BBC - In a sea of Sherlock Holmes adaptations, Benedict Cumberbatch's take on the world-famous detective reigns supreme. The show mixes the classic crime-solving tales with modern-day elements. There's a dash of humor, too, and a great relationship with Martin Freeman's Dr. Watson.
5. Stranger Things
Image: Netflix - Set in the 1980s, 'Stranger Things' follows a bunch of kids and the residents of Hawkins as they deal with some sinister goings on in their beloved town. It's not just what unfolds above the ground, but in the dark Upside Down that amps up the thrill factor and heightens emotions.
4. Fargo
Image: Prime Video - The chain of mysterious murders around Minnesota is addressed by 'Fargo.' There is a delectable mix of characters who are weird and wacky in their own ways, and the tragedies that hit the residents in this black-comedy drama is worthy of being called must-watch TV.
3. The Wire
Image: Prime Video - 'The Wire' chronicles the Baltimore drug scene through the eyes of the good and bad guys. But the demarcation isn't so clear cut, and we are shoved into the the rise and fall of crime as influenced by the law enforcement, media, education, and politics.
2. Narcos
Image: Netflix - 'Narcos' traverses the horrific, drug-laden history of Colombia during the time of the kingpin drug dealer Pablo Escobar. He became powerful, he dominated, then he was hunted, incarcerated and eventually killed. This show might feel like fiction, but it's the best of Netflix's true-crime series.
1. Breaking Bad
Image: Netflix - One of the best shows ever made, 'Breaking Bad' might not be an edge-of-the-seat thriller, but its slow burn unraveling of Walter White's life - from a chemistry teacher to a drug lord - makes for breathtaking drama. There are enough twists and shocking deaths to keep up the mystery about the story's trajectory.
