From murder mysteries to police procedurals to in-depth character examinations, TV series about serial killers have been rising in popularity over the past few decades. New shows come out every year that feature the lives and terrors created by serial killers. But only the best shows about murderers hook the viewer from beginning to end.
1- The Fall (2013-2016)
When a senior detective from the London Police gets assigned to a murder case in Northern Ireland, she and the local officers conclude that a serial killer is on the prowl in Belfast. As more and more people die under the killer's hands, the detective must think on her toes to hunt the murderer down.
2- The Following (2013-2015)
After a terrifying serial killer escapes from death row, the FBI agent who initially brought him to justice is called out of retirement to help recapture the criminal. As he digs deep into the killer's life in prison, the agent learns he accumulated a band of loyal cult followers, all with the mission to enact revenge on the man who imprisoned their messiah.
3- Hannibal (2013-2015)
This harrowing psychological horror series follows an FBI profiler who collaborates with psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter to solve the case by delving deep into the killer's psyche. But the FBI agent doesn't know that Lecter himself is a sadistic murderer with a devious plan to turn the agent into a killer too.
4- Absentia (2017-2020)
Six years after an FBI agent is abducted by a serial killer and presumed dead by her loved ones, she reappears, emaciated and beaten up in an isolated cabin without memory of what happened to her. When she returns home, she learns her beloved husband remarried and that the police found her DNA at the scene of a murder, making her the prime suspect.
5- Bates Motel (2013-2017)
Based on the famous horror film Psycho (1960), Bates Motel is a thrilling series that tells the backstory of Norman Bates before he grew up to become a serial killer. When his dear mother buys a motel in a small town, a terrifying break-in leaves Norman and his mother with a terrible choice that leads them down a path of secrets and lies.
6- Black Bird (2022)
When a charismatic criminal is finally arrested and imprisoned for ten years, the police approach him with the deal of a lifetime. If he can manage to squeeze the truth out of a suspected serial killer, the police will release him from prison immediately with a clean record.
7- Criminal Minds (2005-)
This police procedural is as much about the lives of the FBI investigators as it is about the serial killers they investigate. The series follows the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI as they travel across the U.S. to help local police departments discover the killers' identities before more innocent people die.
8- Crossing Lines (2013-2015)
When a former New York City cop travels to the Hague to lead an international investigation around a sadistic serial killer, he must work hard to unite a team of detectives from across Europe. As they travel from country to country, they use their expert skills to uncover the truth about different high-profile crimes throughout the globe.
9- Those Who Kill (2019-)
This Danish crime thriller follows the lead investigator on the missing person case of a teenage girl who refuses to stop investigating, despite the other detectives claiming the girl must be dead. When he uncovers a similar disappearance from a decade earlier, he and his team wonder if the crimes are connected.
10- Deadloch (2023-)
Deadloch is an Australian black comedy series about a trio of investigators with prominent, often conflicting personalities who are assigned to a murder case in a small town in Tasmania. As the village prepares to host its annual Winter Festival, the detectives put their heads together to solve the crime.
11- Dexter (2006-2013)
Dexter is a popular crime thriller about a sociopathic blood-spatter analyst with a secret life. He's a vigilante killer because he wants to rid the world of evil and also enjoys murdering people. But he must evade the police's watchful eye, including that of his sister, who is an officer.
12- Frequency (2016-2017)
This thrilling sci-fi crime series follows a young detective who lost her police officer father while he was on the job many years ago. But when she hears his voice on her radio one day, she learns he's talking to her from the past, and she warns him about the event that takes his life. But once the timeline shifts, the two must face the strange consequences of the father's survival.
13- Killing Eve (2018-2022)
When a spy working in England takes an assignment to track down a high-profile assassin, she becomes obsessed with the unhinged killer and risks her job to track her down in increasingly dangerous ways. But once the assassin knows the spy is on her tail, the sinister infatuation becomes a two-way street.
14- Luther (2010-2019)
Luther is a psychological thriller about a career-driven detective who isn't afraid of getting his hands dirty while he tracks down the worst criminals in Britain. But when his job and his personal life begin to intertwine, the detective has trouble understanding the line between good and evil.
15- Manhunt (2019-)
Based on the true story of the British investigation of the serial killer known as the Night Stalker, Manhunt follows detective Colin Sutton and his team as they attempt to reveal the truth behind a series of grisly murders. As the leader of a high-profile investigation, Sutton begins to crack under pressure as he tries to find justice for the victim's families.
16- Mindhunter (2017-2019)
Two FBI agents from the Behavioral Science Unit begin a series of interviews with convicted serial killers to understand their psychology in this compelling crime drama series. Based on a true story, Mindhunter chronicles the invention of criminal profiling to catch killers.
17- The Mentalist (2008-2015)
When a con man posing as a psychic takes a dig at an active serial killer on TV, the killer takes his revenge by murdering the con man's wife and daughter. Traumatized and searching for justice, the con man quits his fraudulent career and uses his skills to help the police track down murderers.
18- The Chestnut Man (2021-)
This highly-rated Danish crime series occurs in Copenhagen after a young woman's mangled body is found in a playground. When the police investigate the murder, they discover a strange figurine made from chestnuts lying beside the woman's body. But the case becomes even more confusing when the police find the fingerprint of a politician's missing daughter on the chestnut figure.
19- The Bletchley Circle (2012-2014)
The Bletchley Circle is a period crime drama set in the early 1950s. It's about a group of women who worked as code breakers during World War II but have since returned to their everyday lives. But when one of the women discovers a pattern between the murders of two women and the police refuse to listen to her, she brings her codebreaker friends together once more to solve the case.
20- You (2018-)
When a psychopathic young man becomes infatuated with a beautiful and intelligent woman, he meets her in the bookstore where he works, he becomes determined to get her to fall in love with him. He's willing to lie, manipulate, steal, and even kill to get what he wants.
21- Death Note (2006-2007)
This enthralling mystery anime series follows a brilliant and arrogant high school student who stumbles upon a strange notebook on the ground by his school. When he opens it, he learns the notebook contains a strange and terrible power: whoever's name is written in the book will die soon after. Soon, the student grows hungry for power as he unleashes his vigilante-style plans on the world.
22- The Thing About Pam (2022)
Based on the true story of the murder of Betsy Faria, The Thing About Pam follows Betsy's so-called friend, Pam Hupp, who played a role in Betsy's murder. But it takes time for the cops to reveal the truth after talking to Pam during her initial interview.
23- Prodigal Son (2019-2021)
After discovering his father is a serial killer, the murderer's son changes his name and becomes a genius FBI profiler. The investigator does whatever he can to distance himself from his father's crimes until a copycat killer emerges in New York City, forcing the son to dive deep into his father's twisted psyche.
24- Modus (2015-2017)
This Swedish psychological thriller series is about the investigation of a hitman who works for a terrifying American cult. After an investigator's autistic daughter witnesses a murder, she helps her mother uncover the killer's identity.
25- Harper's Island (2009)
Harper's Island is a horror mystery that takes place in a woman's small hometown years after she left the town her mother and five other women were murdered in. She returns to Harper's Island for a friend's wedding, hoping to put her tragic past behind her. But a string of new murders makes her wonder if the recent crimes are connected to her mother's untimely demise.
