The 10 best Netflix crime dramas of all time

There is such a thing as too much choice, and the sheer scale of Netflix’s library can lead to evenings of endless scrolling. But if you know what you’re looking for, the streaming service really delivers, especially when it comes to crime dramas.

From cartel wars to criminal masterminds, Netflix’s crime thriller catalogue is a goldmine for fans of high-stakes storytelling, morally complex characters and expertly crafted tension. Whether you like your crime television slick and stylish or slow-burning and cerebral, the following are the 10 very best thrillers available on Netflix…

The best crime dramas on Netflix

Narcos & Narcos: Mexico

Still from Narcos, starring Pedro Pascal as investigator Javier Peña. Image credit: Netflix.

Few series capture the raw, unrelenting nature of the illegal drug trade quite like Narcos. Chronicling the rise and fall of Pablo Escobar before shifting its focus to the Cali and Guadalajara Cartels, this gripping series seamlessly fuses historical accuracy with a propulsive, high-stakes narrative.

It’s as much about Boyd Holbrook, Pedro Pascal and Scoot McNairy’s DEA agents trying to bring these kingpins down as it is about the criminals themselves. Wagner Moura’s portrayal of Escobar is magnetic, bringing both menace and unexpected humanity to the role. Diego Luna also excels as Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo. If you want high-stakes drama that’s also a fascinating history lesson, you want Narcos.

Ozark
You’d be forgiven for thinking that money laundering isn’t the most gripping subject for a crime show, yet Ozark turns it into seriously anxiety-causing, heart-pounding drama. Jason Bateman and Laura Linney lead the cast as the Byrdes, an ordinary couple who get in far too deep with a dangerous cartel.

The series thrives on its moral ambiguity: nobody here is entirely good or evil. Everyone in it is on top form, but it’s Julia Garner who steals every scene as the fierce and unpredictable firebrand Ruth Langmore. It’s a tale of survival at all costs, with a sense of dread that rarely lifts. Dark, twisted and utterly addictive.

Mindhunter

Holt McCallany and Jonathan Groff star as FBI agents in Mindhunter. Image credit: Netflix.

Few crime shows delve into the mind of a murderer quite like Mindhunter. Set in the late ’70s, this David Fincher-produced (and partly-directed) thriller follows two FBI agents as they pioneer the embryonic science of criminal profiling.

Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany make for an engaging duo, but it’s Cameron Britton’s unnerving portrayal of real-life murderer Ed ‘The Co-Ed Killer’ Kemper that really stays with you after the credits have rolled.

Chilling, methodical and disturbingly fascinating, this is crime storytelling at its most stylish and cerebral. Sadly, Netflix never gave us a third season, but the two we got are near-perfect. Treasure them.

Money Heist

The team of robbers in Money Heist have become best known for their red jumpsuits and Salvador Dalí masks. Image credit: Netflix.

Money Heist (or La Casa de Papel, for the purists/Spanish among you) isn’t just a TV show – it’s a stone-cold global phenomenon. What begins as a seemingly simple bank robbery spirals into a multi-layered battle of wits between the criminals and the authorities. The Professor, the criminal mastermind behind it all, is one of TV’s great schemers, but the show’s real trick is making you root for the robbers.

With its red jumpsuits, Salvador Dalí masks and almost relentless plethora of twists and turns, it’s a thrilling ride from start to finish. Good luck (or buena suerte) not getting Money Heist‘s oft-used tune Bella Ciao stuck in your head for the rest of eternity.

Breaking Bad
The transformation of Walter White from mild-mannered chemistry teacher to ruthless killer drug lord is one of television’s greatest ever character arcs. Breaking Bad is a masterclass in tension, escalating from small-time meth cooking to full-blown empire-building.

Bryan Cranston is genuinely awe-inspiring as White, while Aaron Paul’s Jesse Pinkman provides the perfect foil. Every season raises the stakes, proving that crime doesn’t just pay, it corrupts absolutely. If, somehow, you’ve never seen this operatic masterclass, pick up that remote control and rectify things immediately.

Better Call Saul

Bob Odenkirk as lawyer Jimmy McGill in Better Call Saul. Image credit: Netflix.

If Breaking Bad is a raging dramatic fire, its smart spin-off Better Call Saul is the very definition of a slow burn. This is a prequel that should never have worked but somehow became just as good (if not better) than its predecessor. Bob Odenkirk’s Jimmy McGill is a world away from the sleazy lawyer we meet and grow to begrudgingly like in Breaking Bad, yet watching his transformation into Saul Goodman is endlessly compelling.

The show leans more into legal drama than outright crime thriller, but its patient storytelling and character depth make it just as gripping. It also features one of television’s most understated performances in Rhea Seehorn’s Kim Wexler. After a languid start, it soon gets going. Stick with it, it’s well worth the ride.

Killing Eve
Psychopathic killers aren’t supposed to be this alluring. Killing Eve rewrote the rules for crime thrillers, pairing Jodie Comer’s effortlessly cool assassin Villanelle with Sandra Oh’s determined but obsessed MI5 agent Eve Polastri. Their relentless cat-and-mouse game is laced with dark humour, stunning European locations, brilliantly choreographed action sequences and – here’s the kicker – undeniable chemistry.

Comer is mesmerising, turning Villanelle into one of the most beguiling TV villains of all time. Even as later seasons wobbled a little, it remained compulsive viewing. This is effortlessly rewatchable television, originally broadcast on BBC One but now available on Netflix.

The Gentlemen

Theo James and Kaya Scodelario in The Gentlemen. Image credit: Netflix.

There’s an undeniable – and at times slightly too machismo-driven – swagger to Guy Ritchie’s latest hyper-real but hyper-fun foray into the world of British crime. The Gentlemen is all high-end suits, quick-fire dialogue, audacious plotting and ‘oh, it’s him!’ cameos. Just as you might expect from the director of Snatch and The Man from U.N.C.L.E..

Theo James gives a star-making performance in this stylish Netflix original, navigating London’s criminal underbelly with charm and cunning. Expect double-crosses, power plays and Ritchie’s signature flair for the ridiculous. It’s not just about crime: it’s about class, control, and who gets the last laugh. If you liked the 2019 film, you’ll love this surprisingly high-end and cinematic TV spin-off.

Top Boy

Joshua Blisset and Ashley Walters in Top Boy season 3. Image credit: Ali Painter/Netflix.

Top Boy is that rare thing – crime drama that’s as socially conscious as it is dramatically thrilling. Set in East London’s Hackney estates, it follows rival drug dealers navigating both the criminal underworld and systemic struggles. Gritty, gripping, tense and deeply authentic, it’s been hailed by some as the UK’s answer to The Wire.

Ashley Walters and Kano lead a cast that delivers gritty, realistic performances, making every moment feel genuine and authentic. The show tackles poverty, power and survival with razor-sharp writing and excellent pacing.

Dexter
There are some serial killers in crime fiction that you can’t help having something of a soft spot for – Hannibal Lector, for instance, oozes class, sophistication and dry wit even though he kills and eats people. Dexter Morgan, however, is the serial killer you’re fully allowed to root for.

Michael C. Hall’s forensic analyst with a deadly side hustle won us all over by cleaning up Miami criminals who escaped justice. The show’s well-balanced blend of procedural crime and psychological thriller made Dexter something of a sensation. While later seasons were divisive amongst some of its more dedicated fans, its early years remain some of the best high-stakes action that television has to offer.

Have we missed off your favourite crime drama currently on Netflix? Don’t keep it to yourself, let us know all about it in the comments…

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