Crime dramas make for great binge-worthy TV. Whether you’re in the mood for classic comforts that you can just put on in the background like NCIS or Law and Order or prefer gripping shows that keep you on the edge of your seat like Mindhunter or Hannibal, it’s always a treat to watch even the most intricate of mysterious unravel.
Netflix’s Dear Child is the latest crime thriller to have audiences glued to their screens. It stars Kim Riedle as Jasmin, a woman held captive in a remote cabin alongside her two children as she navigates her imprisonment and plots to escape.
But with the miniseries only having six episodes (and no word on a second season yet), you may already be on the hunt for a new mystery to solve. Thankfully, Netflix has you covered there. As one of the best streaming services out there, it has plenty of quality crime dramas to binge.
So if you’re looking for what to watch next, we’ve put together a list of the top five crime dramas on Netflix.
The Law According to Lidia Poët
Let’s kick things off with a step back in time to late 1880s Italy. Loosely inspired by the life of Lidia Poët, generally acknowledged as Italy’s first female lawyer, this story charts Poët’s (Matilda de Angelis) adventures as she forges ahead, determined to succeed in a profession that is trying to keep her down.
To even start tackling cases she must first challenge a court’s decision forbidding her from practicing law. While preparing her appeal, she lands a position at her brother Enrico’s (Pier Luigi Pasino) law firm. In the process, she becomes more deeply involved in his work than either anticipated, with each episode following the two as they crack a new case.
Flashbacks sprinkled throughout the series show Poët’s parents would much rather she find a husband and settle down, so the audience can easily come to see why she is so motivated to succeed despite the odds stacked against her.
Seasons: One (Six episodes in total)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Streaming now on Netflix
Narcos
Netflix’s award-winning drug cartel drama Narcos is inspired by the criminal exploits of real-life drug kingpin Pablo Escobar (played by Wagner Moura). Set in Columbia during the 1980s, it charts Escobar’s rise and battle for dominance of the international cocaine trade.
Naturally, a team of DEA agents is working tirelessly behind the scenes to put an end to the billionaire’s reign, forcing Escobar to fight a war on two fronts. Before starring in The Mandalorian and The Last of Us, Pedro Pascal as Javier Peña led the DEA’s efforts to take down Escobar alongside Boyd Holbrook’s Steve Murphy.
The Scorsese-influenced true crime drama is one of Netflix’s most acclaimed hits, even popular enough to spawn a spinoff, Narcos: Mexico.
Seasons: Three (30 episodes in total)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%
Streaming now on Netflix
The Snow Girl
The critically acclaimed La Chica De Nieve (in English: The Snow Girl) quickly climbed the ranks of Netflix’s most-talked-about shows when it debuted earlier this year. Adapted from Javier Castillo’s novel of the same name, the story follows Miren Rojo (Milena Smit), a journalist-in-training at a local newspaper who stumbles upon the mysterious case of a young girl’s disappearance that’s gone unsolved for years.
Determined to make a name for herself (and eager to ditch the monotonous day-to-day duties of her internship), she sets out to unravel the mystery. What answers she finds only open up more questions and awaken aspects of her past that she would have liked to forget.
While definitely a slow burn, The Snow Girl is a powerful and bittersweet series that dives into themes of loss, obsession and the strength of the human spirit. Critics praised its skillful handling of time jumps and pacing, with each episode punctuated by enough suspense to keep viewers guessing.
Seasons: One (Six episodes in total)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Streaming now on Netflix
The Lincoln Lawyer
The Lincoln Lawyer, based on Michael Connelly’s book series of the same name, recently got renewed for a third season after it cracked Netflix’s Top 10 in 81 countries. The show follows Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), a top L.A. defense attorney and recovering opioid addict who does his best work from the backseat of his chauffeur-driven Lincoln Town Car.
At the start of season 1, a down-on-his-luck Mickey inherits a slain colleague’s client list, which thrusts him front-and-center into a high-profile case involving a billionaire video game mogul (Christopher Gorham) accused of killing his wife and her lover. It’s the kind of case that can put the beleaguered attorney’s name back on the map, but he quickly finds himself overloaded with work. Season 2 sees him representing his new flame (Lana Parrilla), a chef and community advocate accused of murdering a real estate developer.
With Garcia-Rulfo’s innate good-guy charm and grit, you can’t help but root for him. His chemistry with the supporting cast adds to the winning formula as well: Neve Campbell co-stars as Mickey’s first ex-wife, prosecutor Maggie, and Becki Newton steals scenes as his second ex-wife, Lorna, who’s also his assistant.
Seasons: Two (20 episodes total)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 85%
Streaming now on Netflix
Fauda
Of the shows on this list, Fauda is among the more grounded in reality. Set in Israel, it follows the story of Doron (Lior Raz), a former commander in an undercover counter-terrorism unit within the Israel Defense Force. The title translates to “chaos” in English, and it’s reportedly used as a codeword by Israeli special forces when a mission suddenly goes sideway, in the same vein as SNAFU.
At the start of the first season, a recently retired Doron is persuaded to return for one more job to track down a terrorist he had thought was long dead. But as is often the case in these shows, it’s not a one-and-done kind of deal. Through a series of high-stakes missions, Doron finds himself inexorably drawn back into the life he thought he’d finally left behind.
Critics have praised Fauda for its lean structure and high-octane set pieces, even while acknowledging that this particular brand of machismo-fuelled, heart-pumping action is well-trodden ground.
Seasons: Four (48 episodes total)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Streaming now on Netflix
