The best crime shows on Netflix

Nothing gets the juices flowing quite like crime, eh? A heist, some weapons trafficking, maybe a little arson?

The problem is the consequences. The court appearances, the jail time, the change of relationships with family and friends. Sometimes it’s just not worth it. That’s where crime TV shows come in: all the thrills of crime without the negative personal ramifications!

Netflix has a whole bunch of crime shows waiting to be dug into, whether it’s court-focused miniseries, investigation procedurals, or action-packed spotlights on criminal activities. Netflix being Netflix, there are quite a few shows to sift through and maybe some you might miss on a cursory search, so we compiled the best crime shows you can watch on Netflix.

1. American Vandal

Image: Scott Patrick Green / Netflix

This mockumentary-style comedy series is set in a high school where two heinous crimes have taken place. In the first season, someone spray paints dicks on a bunch of cars in the parking lot. In the second season, someone tampers with the cafeteria offerings, making dozens of students lose control of their bowels. Shot through the lens of a few high schoolers trying to document their search for the truth, both season are hilarious as the mysteries unravel and we learn more about these high schoolers, their relationships, and their proclivity for hijinks. — Kellen Beck, Entertainment Reporter 

Where to watch: Netflix

2. Breaking Bad

Image: Ursula Coyote / AMC

Breaking Bad takes one guy involved with one specific topic, methamphetamines, and covers it from pretty much every possible angle imaginable. The series stars Bryan Cranston as mild-mannered chemistry teacher Walter White who turns to producing and selling meth to cover the costs of his cancer treatments and make sure his family will be financially stable no matter what. Things spiral out of control continuously for several seasons as the DEA (including his brother-in-law) hunts him and his hunger for power drives Walter to mingle with increasingly dangerous dealers, cartels, and gangs. The setting of New Mexico, the writing, the photography, and the entire cast is excellent. The spin-off, Better Call Saul, which is a bit less crime-y, is equally as entertaining (if not a little more so), and is also available to stream on Netflix. — K.B. 

Where to watch: Netflix

3. Death Note

Death Note, based on the manga of the same name, is a fantastic anime series that blends the supernatural with psychological thrills and mystery. Light Yagami, a young genius, finds a book called the “Death Note,” to which a shinigami (demon) named Ryuk is attached. The Death Note allows whoever uses it to kill anyone by writing their name down in it, and Light gets to work killing lots of people he deems bad, setting off a manhunt led by a detective known as L to track him and stop him. It’s weird, dark, sometimes goofy, and full of suspense and moral quandary. (There’s also a live-action movie on Netflix, which is pretty bad. Stick to the anime.) — K.B. 

Where to watch: Netflix

4. Dexter

While the back end of Dexter has gotten a fair share of criticism, there’s still plenty of great show to go around for the majority of the series. The titular Dexter (Michael C. Hall) has his day job as a bloodstain pattern analyst with a Miami police department and moonlights as a serial killer of serial killers. There’s plenty of entertaining and bloody vigilantism, mystery, and suspense through the first five seasons, just maybe stop it right there if you want to remember it as a good show. — K.B. 

Where to watch: Netflix

5. Good Girls

Image: Jordin Althaus / NBC

Three of your TV faves — Christina Hendricks of Mad Men, Retta of Parks and Recreation, and Mae Whitman of Arrested Development — star as a trio of suburban moms who stick up a grocery store to pay some bills. Unsurprisingly to anyone who’s ever seen a crime drama before, they quickly discover they’ve gotten in way over their heads. Equal parts thrilling and funny, with unexpected touches of emotion and cast chemistry you want to live in, Good Girls is a great time. — Angie Han, Deputy Entertainment Reporter

Where to watch: Netflix

6. Hannibal

Image: Brooke Palmer / NBC

Hannibal sure sounds like “cannibal,” huh? A crime series with a healthy dose of horror, Hannibal focuses on secret cannibal Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) and an FBI investigator, Will Graham (Hugh Dancy), who is under his supervision. Lecter is a pretty manipulative and evil guy (obviously) but seems to have a little soft spot for Graham. I mean, who wouldn’t? The story that unfolds and the cat-and-mouse of it all is thrilling. — K.B. 

Where to watch: Netflix

7. How to Get Away with Murder

How to Get Away with Murder is a show of complicated storylines and simple pleasures. The premise, which centers on a law professor and five students who get tangled up in a high-profile murder case, lends itself to one dizzying twist after another. But you can reliably count on the series for increasingly ridiculous plot twists, a knowingly campy tone, a super-sexy cast, and above all, a powerhouse performance by Viola Davis that elevates it into something truly special. Just be warned: You will try to binge the whole first season in one sitting. — A.H. 

Where to watch: Netflix

8. Mindhunter

Based on true accounts of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, a now-defunct department of the ‘70s credited with establishing many modern criminal profiling tactics, Mindhunter offers a terrifying meditation on violent crime. Although much of the series is structured around the hunt for Dennis Rader (aka “BTK”), Mindhunter isn’t a police procedural in the true sense. Instead, it takes its viewers on a terrifying meet-and-greet with some of the most prolific serial killers of the 20th century, and asks why they did what they did. It’s a tremendously dark watch, but offers a nuanced portrait of criminologist history worth a watch for any true crime fan. — Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Netflix

9. Narcos

Image: Juan Pablo Gutierrez / NETFLIX

Whether you caught this Netflix staple in its heyday or are circling back after getting into its successor Narcos: Mexico, you’re definitely making a solid crime show choice with Narcos. Better and better across its three seasons, this look at the life of drug lord Pablo Escobar (played by Wagner Moura, who earned two Golden Globe nominations for his performance), is deeply unnerving and tremendously dark. Still, its consistently excellent pacing and high production value make it more than a slog through underworld horror, instead offering a warped but resonant portrait of power. — A.F.

How to watch: Netflix

10. Ozark

As Tolstoy wrote, every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. But in Ozark? The Birds get screwed in a uniquely shitty fashion. In this spiritual successor to Breaking Bad, executive producer and director Jason Bateman stars as Marty, a mild-mannered money launderer who accidentally sticks his family in the crosshairs of a Mexican drug cartel. Across three seasons — with a fourth and final installment expected in 2021 — we watch as Marty, his wife Wendy (Laura Linney), and their two kids (Sofia Hublitz and Skylar Gaertner) grapple with life and death consequences against the ominous backdrop of the Ozarks. This one is just truly great TV, with supporting performances to die for. — A.F.

How to watch: Netflix

11. Peaky Blinders

Peaky Blinders is a superbly gripping British crime drama that’s loosely based off of real people and historical events. The series, created by Steven Knight, is set in post-World War I Birmingham, England, and follows war hero Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy) who’s taken his place as boss of the family and crafty gang leader. Viewers are masterfully transported to the gritty, cutthroat 1920s streets where Tommy struggles to manage his family’s business, crimes, and enemies — all while dealing with severe PTSD. 

The show is ripe with seduction, love, loss, mismanaged emotions, booze, guns, violence, and wits. It delivers twists and turns that are sure to shock even the most attentive viewers, and it features a stacked cast (including Helen McCrory, Paul Anderson, and Tom Hardy). The costume design is fiercely impressive, and in case you’re not hooked yet, it also has a killer soundtrack full of PJ Harvey, The White Stripes, Radiohead, and Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. — Nicole Gallucci, Culture Reporter

Where to watch: Netflix

12. The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

This dramatic reimagining of the criminal trial of O.J. Simpson focuses on how the case unfolded in and out of the courtroom after the murders of Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman. Starring Sarah Paulson and Sterling K. Brown on the prosecution side, David Schwimmer, John Travolta, and Courtney B. Vance on the defense, and Cuba Gooding Jr. as Simpson, FX’s The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story is packed with great performances that sell the drama around the trial that gripped the country’s attention in perfect fashion. And if you like that one, the other American Crime Story season, The Assassination of Gianni Versace is on Netflix too, and is also dripping with drama. – K.B.

Where to watch: Netflix

13. Riverdale

Is it weird that a TV series based on the generally saccharine Archie comics is actually about murder, sex, and drugs? Yes. Is any of that weirdness remotely bad in Riverdale? No. Not at all. Riverdale kicks off with the mysterious death of Jason Blossom and blooms further into a smart, unabashedly bonkers CW classic that isn’t afraid to get messy. From the occasional musical number to the Gargoyle King enthralling legions of children with hallucinogenic Pixy Stix, Riverdale makes good on its most iconic line: No one’s innocent in crime town. — Alexis Nedd, Senior Entertainment Reporter

Where to watch: Netflix

14. Sacred Games

Adapted from Vikram Chandra’s 2006 novel, Sacred Games centers on the underworld of Mumbai and one notorious gangster: Ganesh Gaitonde (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). Gaitonde sends a missive to police officer Sartaj Singh (Said Ali Khan) with a 25-day ultimatum for saving his city from catastrophe. It is a show that could have buckled completely with subpar casting, but Siddiqui’s performance is indelible from start to finish. Gaitonde’s every look, movement, and spitting curse word create a dynamic anchor for this sinister tale as it unravels…even if Season 1 is way better than Season 2. — Proma Khosla, Entertainment Reporter

Where to watch:

15. Unbelievable

Image: Beth Dubber / Netflix

Unbelievable is absolutely one of the best shows of 2019, because it’s a thoughtful crime miniseries that focuses on the victims, not the perpetrators. Thanks to Kaitlyn Dever’s memorable, heartbreaking performance, viewers never forget the very real people behind the horrific headlines. In this based-on-a-true-story adaptation, a man breaks into a teen’s home and rapes her, but doesn’t leave any evidence, and the police doubt her story….until similar crimes start happening all over, and two tenacious detectives (Toni Collette and Marritt Weaver) join forces to finally bring these women justice. — Erin Strecker, Entertainment Editor

Where to watch: