15 Best Crime TV Shows on Netflix in 2026 Overview

So, if you are sick and tired of browsing through the internet to find crime shows that are actually good, your search ends here. Below, you’ll find a table consisting of the 15 best crime TV shows, some fictional, some based on real life, to choose from according to your taste.

Top 3 Crime Shows I Personally Recommend

Now, while the shows mentioned in this list are all good, there are three shows in this list that I would personally recommend. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at my picks from this list, and you can watch them if you feel indecisive.

Peaky Blinders

When we talk about crime shows, the one that comes to my mind instantly has to be Peaky Blinders. This show has been a favourite of mine since it was first released. I recommend this show to almost everyone simply because there are very few shows that run for more than 3 seasons and still retain their quality. Peaky Blinders, while retaining its essence, keeps you gripped to the story with each passing season until the very end, and on top of that, Cillian Murphy’s performance will instantly make you into a fan of Thomas Shelby, and you won’t even realise it.

Breaking Bad

If there’s one show that almost everyone would at least know the name of, even if they’ve not watched it, it has to be Breaking Bad. There’s something about Breaking Bad that no one has yet been able to replicate, and to understand what it is, you really have to sit down and go through it because it can’t be simply explained in words. The story, the acting, the worldbuilding, everything about this show is absolute perfection, and if you have not watched it yet, I urge you to take my word and go for it. Trust me, you’ll not be disappointed.

How To Sell Drugs Online (Fast)

When it comes to crime shows, most of them are generally of a rather serious tone, but if you are looking for a gag while also enjoying the thrill of watching a criminal mastermind, How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) is a show that will not disappoint you. However, what it would do is show you that no dream is too big to achieve, might turn out to be illegal, but if you want something, it’s achievable. This show is truly one of its kind, and if you want something truly underrated, How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) is the way to go.

15 Top Crime TV Shows on Netflix to Watch in 2026

So, now that we are through with personal recommendations, and you still wish to explore your options, here are all the details you’re going to need about our recommended crime TV shows to make a choice and add some interesting shows to your watchlist.

Breaking Bad

Release Date: January 20, 2008 Director: Multiple directors (created by Vince Gilligan) Cast: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, Bob Odenkirk IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 9.5/96% Seasons/Episodes: 5/62

When it comes to crime shows, Breaking Bad is one show that you absolutely cannot miss. This show is often regarded as one of the best TV shows in history, and it lives up to it. Breaking Bad brings us Walter White, who is diagnosed with cancer. Since he is a teacher, he does not have enough money for his treatment. However, since he is a wizard of chemistry, he decides to use it to make money by cooking Methamphetamine, popularly known as Meth. What he did not know was that this desperate haul to save his life would completely change it as well.

Peaky Blinders

Release Date: September 12, 2013 Director: Otto Bathurst, Colm McCarthy, Tim Mielants Cast: Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson, Helen McCrory, Sophie Rundle, Tom Hardy, Annabelle Wallis IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 8.7 / 93% Seasons/Episodes: 6/36

Another show that you should not miss under any circumstances is Peaky Blinders. This show takes us back to the aftermath of the First World War. We are taken to Birmingham, where a young man named Thomas Shelby is the leader of a small-time gang called the Peaky Blinders. The whole show revolves around how this small gang from the streets of Birmingham grew to become the most powerful under Thomas Shelby’s leadership. Peaky Blinders, being one of the best crime shows, is extremely captivating and might or might not affect your English accent slightly.

Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

Release Date: September 21, 2022 Director: Jennifer Lynch, Paris Barclay, Carl Franklin Cast: Evan Peters, Richard Jenkins, Niecy Nash, Molly Ringwald, Michael Learned IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 8.2 / 57% Seasons/Episodes: 1/10

If you are really up to watching something after which you will not want to watch crime movies or shows for some time, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is a show you should check out. This series brings us the story of Jeffrey Dahmer, a cannibalistic serial killer who was caught in 1991. This series shows us how many innocent lives he destroyed and how he turned out to be what the world knows him as now.

You

Release Date: December 26, 2019 Director: Marcos Siega, John Scott, Silver Tree Cast: Penn Badgley, Victoria Pedretti, Elizabeth Lail, Jenna Ortega, Tati Gabrielle IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 7.6 / 89% Seasons/Episodes: 5/50

This series is an adaptation of Caroline Kepnes’ best-selling novel ” YOU “. It revolves around a bookstore manager who meets an aspiring writer. He develops an obsession with her and uses the Internet, social media, and every other means he can get his hands on. However, this obsession grows to an extent where he is willing to remove anything or anyone who poses an obstacle between him and her.

Mindhunter

Release Date: October 13, 2017 Director: David Fincher (primary director), Asif Kapadia, Tobias Lindholm Cast: Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, Anna Torv, Cameron Britton IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 8.6 / 97% Seasons/Episodes: 2/19

Mindhunter revolves around two FBI agents, Holden Ford and Bill Tench, whose job is to help catch serial killers by understanding their psyches and what makes them tick. This series holds a captivating tone that grows with each passing episode. If you want to understand the workings of a criminal mind, this series has some valuable insights to offer. Mindhunter is often regarded as one of the best crime shows ever produced to date.

Narcos

Release Date: August 28, 2015 Director: José Padilha, Andi Baiz, Fernando Coimbra Cast: Wagner Moura, Pedro Pascal, Boyd Holbrook, Paulina Gaitán IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 8.7 / 89% Seasons/Episodes: 3/30

Narcos brings us the story of how drug cartels developed and grew all over the world. This show brings in the biggest drug lord the world has ever seen, Pablo Escobar, along with Steve Murphy. We also get to see a DEA agent named Javier Peña sent to Colombia by the United States to bring down and kill Pablo.

Wild Wild Country

Release Date: March 16, 2018 Director: Chapman Way, Maclain Way Cast: Ma Anand Sheela, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (Osho), Philip Toelkes, Jane Stork IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 8.1 / 98% Seasons/Episodes: 1/6

This docuseries brings us the story of a controversial guru who built a utopian city in the Oregon Desert. However, the local ranchers are suspicious of the guru for running a cult that can pose a threat to the people living in the region. This suspicion rose to a full-fledged conflict. This incident is largely forgotten, but it plays a pretty important role in American Cultural History.

Fool Me Once

Release Date: January 1, 2024 Director: David Moore, Nimer Rashed Cast: Michelle Keegan, Richard Armitage, Joanna Lumley, Adeel Akhtar IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 6.8 / 72% Seasons/Episodes: 1/8

Fool Me Once brings us the story of Maya Stern, who had gone through a major traumatic incident with the untimely death of her husband. Now that she and her little daughter are left alone, Maya installs a baby cam, but one day sees that her dead husband is in the house and playing with their daughter. If you think this is shocking, you have no idea what else is in the store in this series.

How To Sell Drugs Online (Fast)

Release Date: May 31, 2019 Director: Arne Feldhusen, Mia Spengler, Lars Montag Cast: Maximilian Mundt, Danilo Kamperidis, Lena Klenke, Leonie Wesselow IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 7.8 / 89% Seasons/Episodes: 4/24

Now that we have talked a lot about rather grim crime shows, why not move towards something slightly lighthearted? How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) brings us two high school boys, Moritz Zimmermann and Lenny Sander. To win back his girlfriend, Moritz, along with Lenny, starts an online drug business from their bedroom. However, none of them expected that they would become one of the biggest drug lords in the whole of Europe. This series is super fun to watch, and I can guarantee you’ll not even realize when 3 seasons will pass.

Money Heist

Release Date: July 19, 2019 Director: Álex Pina Cast: Úrsula Corberó, Álvaro Morte, Itziar Ituño, Pedro Alonso, Jaime Lorente, Miguel Herrán IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 8.2 / 94% Seasons/Episodes: 3/41

Money Heist is one such show that keeps you hooked with its back-to-back twists and turns. The television show gained immense popularity with its top-notch heist action sequences and captivating storytelling. Besides that, the actors involved in the show made it a success. The plot of Money Heist revolves around the professor and his recruits, who choose different places to conduct the heist. Each heist pushes them to deal with police forces and hostages.

Adolescence

Release Date: March 14, 2024 Director: Philip Barantini Cast: Owen Cooper, Stephen Graham, Erin Doherty, Faye Marsay IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 8.1 / 97% Seasons/Episodes: 1/4

Adolescence was released on Netflix in March 2025 and instantly garnered a huge viewership. The series involved one-shot filming spanning four episodes. The newcomer Owen Cooper portrayed the role of Jamie Miller and won hearts with his natural performance. No wonder he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Adolescence centres on Jamie Miller, who becomes the prime suspect in the killing of one of his female classmates. After Jamie is taken to the police station for questioning, we see him and his family struggle to cope with the community backlash. Through the investigations and his interview with the forensic psychologist, we get to see how the youth is influenced by social media and where the world is heading.

Monster: The Ed Gein Story

Release Date: October 3, 2025 Director: Max Winkler, Ian Brennan Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Laurie Metcalf, Tom Hollander, Vicky Krieps IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 7.8/ 21% Seasons/Episodes: 1/8

Monster: The Ed Gein story gave the lead actor, Charlie Hunnam, a career-defining opportunity. The series focused on the real-life events of Ed Gein, the American body snatcher and serial killer. Be it his abusive relationship with his mother or the undiagnosed mental illness, the limited series explored it all. It also makes us realize that there’s a thin line between a victim and a criminal, and whether we cross it depends on us.

Baby Reindeer

Release Date: April 11, 2024 Director: Weronika Tofilska, Josephine Bornebusch Cast: Richard Gadd, Jessica Gunning, Nava Mau, Tom Goodman-Hill IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 7.7 / 99% Seasons/Episodes: 1/7

Well, Baby Reindeer isn’t a traditional crime drama series, but it still has enough to earn a spot on this list. It is based on real-life events of the creator Richard Gadd, who portrays Donny Dunn in the show. Donny is an aspiring comedian who catches sight of a psycho lady named Martha Scott. She befriends Donny and then makes his life a living hell by stalking him on social media and in person. The stalking goes out of control, eventually forcing Donny to confront the buried trauma, including a memory of a sexual assault from his past.

The Sinner

Release Date: August 2, 2017 Director: Cherien Dabis, Antonio Campos, Brad Anderson Cast: Bill Pullman, Jessica Biel, Carrie Coon, Matt Bomer, Chris Messina IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 7.8 / 92% Seasons/Episodes: 4/32

The Sinner is a must-watch for everyone who is into the crime genre. It features a unique and gripping story that hooks you from the moment you start watching it. Unlike the majority of crime dramas that focus mainly on the person behind the crimes, The Sinner delves deeper to find the reason that gave courage to the criminal to commit the crime. The series follows Detective Harry Ambrose, who investigates distinct, horrifying cases in each episode. We get a picture of the human psyche through the disturbing backstories of the criminals.

Bodyguard

Release Date: August 26, 2018 Director: Thomas Vincent, John Strickland Cast: Richard Madden, Keeley Hawes, Sophie Rundle, Gina McKee IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 8/ 93% Seasons/Episodes: 1/6

Bodyguard is one of the binge-worthy crime television series of all time. The first episode was released in 2018, and since then, it has become a fan-favourite title among those who enjoy watching crime shows. With the strong acting and exciting twists and turns, the series has garnered a huge fandom that never gets tired of comparing it with other shows of this genre. It revolves around David Budd, a war veteran and police sergeant, who is tasked to protect Julia Montague, the Home Secretary. As the story progresses, several truths get revealed, and new threats emerge, making David question whether he is the protector or the danger. Name Email ID

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