25 Crime Shows on Netflix That Will Have You Playing Detective

Mindhunter was a huge breakout hit when it stepped on the Netflix scene in 2017. The series is about two FBI agents in the late '70s tracking down killers and diving deep into the psychology of some of the most terrifying monsters in the world.

Watch it now.

With four seasons of Rake available, you'll have hours of entertainment ahead of you. Cleaver Green is a highly regarded attorney who happens to be an ex-drug addict with a current gambling addiction.

Watch it now.

In White Collar, Matt Bomer stars as Neal Caffrey, a con man who just escaped a maximum-security prison. After he escapes, he teams up with the FBI agent who put him behind bars in order to solve white-collar crimes. But are Caffrey's motivations honest?

Watch it now.

Happy Valley is a British crime drama set in the Calder Valley in Northern England. Police Sergeant Catherine Cawood is still reeling from her daughter's suicide, but when she hears that Tommy Lee Royce, the man who raped and impregnated her daughter, is out of prison, she becomes obsessed with bringing him to justice.

Watch it now.

Longmire is a crime drama with a Western spin, and the good news is there are six seasons. The show focuses on Walt Longmire, a sheriff in Wyoming, who has to investigate crimes following the mysterious death of his wife.

Watch it now.

A British-Irish crime drama and Netflix Original television series, The Fall centers on a detective superintendent (Gillian Anderson) that battles her own internal struggles while trying to put a stop to a serial killer's (Jamie Dornan) murdering sprees.

Watch it now.

If you've finished Orange Is the New Black, and you're looking for another prison crime drama, look no further than Wentworth. The Australian series focuses on first-time offender Bea Smith, who is incarcerated for the attempted murder of her abusive husband. Then, a prison warden is murdered, and nobody knows who did it.

Watch it now.

Rectify is an American television drama about Daniel Holden, a man convicted of rape and murder at the age of 18. He spends 20 years in prison until DNA evidence might be the key to his freedom. It was created by the Oscar-winning director of Sons of Anarchy, so you know it's good.

Watch it now.

We're obsessed with The Staircase, the true crime Netflix Original series that focuses on the mysterious death of the wife of author Michael Peterson and whether or not he was involved. It will make you question everything you know.

Watch it now.

When it comes to crime television, Criminal Minds is one of the classics. It focuses on a group of FBI agents who obsessively work to get into the heads of some of the worst criminals. Plus, there's no one better than Mandy Patinkin.

Watch it now.

Another crime series classic, Law & Order: SVU stars Christopher Meloni, Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, and Richard Belzer as members of the Special Victims Unit, who are investigating sexual offense cases.

Watch it now.

After AMC canceled The Killing in 2013, Netflix stepped in and ordered a fourth season. The show is about Seattle homicide detectives Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder as they grapple with the emotional implications of the murders in their town.

Watch it now.

No crime series roundup is complete without Sherlock. Based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's beloved characters, the series follows Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson, as they work together to solve crimes.

Watch it now.

We can't get enough of Dexter, so we're really glad it's available on Netflix to stream. By day, Dexter works as a forensic expert for the Miami police. But come nightfall, he murders other murderers.

Watch it now.

There's five seasons of Person of Interest available for your viewing pleasure, and you're going to want to start binging them ASAP. The series focuses on an ex-CIA agent and billionaire software genius who is able to use algorithms to predict and stop crimes before they happen.

Watch it now.

Luther is worth a watch for Idris Elba alone. The UK crime drama stars the actor as a gritty detective working through the psychological impact of the horrible crimes he solves. Trust us, watch this.

Watch it now.

Kevin Bacon stars as FBI agent Ryan Hardy who comes out of retirement after a serial killer escapes prison. Just make sure you watch The Following with the lights on, because it can get pretty intense.

Watch it now.

American documentary television series Making a Murderer put true crime documentaries on the map. The series traces the case of Steven Avery, who was wrongfully convicted as a young man. As a newly freed man, Avery finds himself on trial again for the murder of a young woman, but did he do it?

Watch it now.

If you're not already deep into the Narcos game, there is no time like the present. The three-season series tells the true story of Colombia's most violent and powerful drug cartels.

Watch it now.

We can't get enough of British detective series, and thanks to Marcella, we have another one to add to our growing list. After her marriage falls apart, a former detective returns to work to track down the Grove Park Killer.

Watch it now.

We're so glad we live in a world where Kenneth Branagh exists. He stars in Wallander as detective Kurt Wallander. His once peaceful town in Sweden becomes the target of a murder spree, and it's on Wallander to save the town.

Watch it now.

Netflix Original River stars Stellan Skarsgard as brilliant detective John River. What makes River so special is that he can see dead people.

Watch it now.

Another Netflix Original, Retribution opens with the murder of a newlywed couple. Detectives attempt to solve the crime by questioning their feuding families, but are they overlooking the true killer?

Watch it now.

You've probably heard the hype surrounding Riverdale, and we here to tell you it's true. It's like Gossip Girl meets Pretty Little Liars, and it is a crime show we can get behind. When a Riverdale High student dies, it's on Archie and the gang to navigate high school life while untangling the mystery.

Watch it now.