After debuting in 2006,Dexterwrapped its original series run in 2013. During its course, the show garnered a dedicated following. Its impact has only grown since. Thanks to streaming, the vigilante serial killer has attracted a whole new generation of fans over the years.Dexterhas also spawned a franchise that includes three series:New Blood,Original Sin, andResurrection, with an untitled spin-off based on the Trinity Killer on the way.
Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) has proved people’s fascination with the psychology of murder andthose who kill. Nearly 20 years later, and that still hasn’t changed, nor will it ever. If you’re aDexterfan who’s craving more dark entertainment with a cold-blooded murderer-centric show, this list has you covered with a great selection of options.
These are the 10 best shows about serial killers sinceDexter. Some immerse you in the mind of a disturbed psyche, others make youroot for an antihero, and a few also place focus on the detective trying to stop the hunter.
10’Bates Motel' (2013 - 2017)
Bates Motel
AlthoughBates Motelis presented as a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock’sPsycho, it’s set in the modern day. The series opens with a teenage Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) and his mother Norma,played by the talented Vera Farmiga, moving to the fictional White Pine Bay, Oregon, where they open the eponymous motel. Like Norman, the town hides dangers and secrets beneath its surface. Depicting Norman’s youth and his obsessive, almost oedipal relationship with his mother, the show paints a chilling portrayal of how the serial killer came to be.
An Atmospheric, Addictive Origin Story
Bates Motelis part thriller and part melodrama, making for a gripping watch. Both Highmore and Farmiga give outstanding, phenomenal performances. A pre-House of the DragonOlivia Cooke stars as Emma Decody, Norman’s only close friend, in a role that showed that she was a star in the making. Viewers who appreciate a glimpse into a disturbed psyche, as well as a story heavy on atmosphere, will be dazzled by this series.
9’The Fall' (2013 - 2017)
Before Jamie Dornan enchanted viewers inFifty Shades of Grey, he played Paul Spector, a family man with a disturbed, dark side. By day, he’s an average Joe, charming even. By night, he stalks and targets professional women, earning himself a reputation as the Belfast Strangler. Starring opposite him isThe X-Files' very own Gillian Anderson, whose character, DSI Stella Gibson, works with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to capture him and put an end to his ruthless killing.
An Addictive Cat-and-Mouse Dynamic
LikeDexter,The Fallmakes you think about how many times in your life you may have bumped into a seemingly normal person who was actually a serial killer.The cat-and-mouse dynamicbetween Paul and Gibson eventually evolves into something much more personal as the series progresses. Viewers will appreciate the look into the psychology behind the murderer’s actions. Not only does it travel inside his mind, but it also goes inside Gibson’s, with the story unfolding from two very different perspectives.
8’Hannibal' (2013 - 2015)
NBC’sHannibaldrew inspiration from Thomas Harris' novels,Red Dragon(1981),Hannibal(1999), andHannibal Rising(2006). Hugh Dancy stars as the brilliant criminal profiler Will Graham, whose incredible ability to empathize puts him into the minds of murderers. After he’s tapped by the FBI to help locate a killer, his superiors make him work with the psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter,played superbly by Mads Mikkelsen, to help manage the stress from the case. Little does he know that the well-mannered and cultured man sitting in front of him is a cannibalistic serial killer. Their evolving relationship forms the backbone of the series.
A Gorgeously Poetic Psychological Crime Thriller
The multifacetedHannibalis one of the finest and most beautiful pieces of television, both aesthetically and narratively. The show is meticulously crafted, with stunning visuals and imagery. This work transforms gore into something ethereal and gorgeous. The dynamic between Will and Lecter is utterly fascinating. As the tale progresses, Lecter’s obsession with Will pushing Will’s boundaries grows, and viewers can’t help but love to watch.
The 10 Best TV Shows About Serial Killers of All Time
From network television, to series only available on streaming, these are the 10 best serial killer shows of all time.
7’Mindhunter' (2017 - 2019)
Mindhunter
Loosely adapted from the non-fiction bookMindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit, this Netflix series comes from the mind ofthe legendary director David Fincher. Set between 1977 and 1982, it dramatizes the real-life interviews with serial killers that played a significant role in developing the psychological criminal profiling that is used to identify murderers today. Special Agent Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) teams up with the head of the FBI’s newly formed Behavioral Science Unit, Bill Tench (Holt McCallany), and psychologist Wendy Carr (Anna Torv) to study perpetrators and stop others.
An Incredible Blend of Fiction and True Crime
The show gives Dexter Morgan a run for his money, chillingly and fascinatingly portraying infamous killers like Edmund Kemper, Montie Rissell, Charles Manson, Davis Berkowitz (Son of Sam), Richard Speck, Dennis Rader (BTK), and others. Unfortunately, the series ended on a cliffhanger due to budget constraints. Despite its cancellation, it’s worth a watch. Recently, itsreturn was teasedwith news of potential movies wrapping up the story.
6’Des' (2020)
Desis based on the real-life arrest and conviction of one of Britain’s most notorious serial killers, Dennis Nilsen, who killed at least 15 boys and young men, with an additional seven attempted murders, between the late 1970s and early 1980s. When the fictional Chief Inspector Peter Jay (Daniel Mays) investigates human remains clogging the drains in North London’s Cranleigh Gardens, it leads to Des' immediate confession. Biographer Brian Masters (Jason Watkins) tries to understand his monstrous behavior. The three-episode miniseries retroactively tells the story of his murders and apprehension through interviews with him and his surviving victims.
A Compelling Crime Drama
The great David Tennantwon the International Emmy Award for Best Actor, and was widely praised for his performance as the cold-blooded murderer.Desstands out against shows like Ryan Murphy’sMonster, which sensationalize murder and profit off the trauma of victims and their families. Instead, the limited series takes a much more victim-centric focus, opting for sensitivity in its portrayal of the investigation and trial.
5’You' (2018 - 2025)
Based on Caroline Kepnes' book series,Youstars Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg, one of television’s most captivating serial killers. The series opens with him working at a bookstore in New York, where he meets Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail), becoming utterly obsessed with her. Thinking himself as some sort of hero, he infiltrates her life, murdering those he deems as holding her back and standing between them. Throughout the show’s five-season run, Joe falls in love with others, stalking and killing his way into their hearts.
One of Netflix’s Most Popular Series
LikeDexter,Youfeatures the inner monologue of a serial killerhiding in plain sight. The hit Netflix series became a cultural phenomenon, gaining millions of fans worldwide. Viewers were addicted to being immersed in the psyche of such a disturbed and obsessive individual. While watching him escape detection for his crimes is thrilling, the show’s most chilling aspect is how it shows that the worst of men are adept at hiding behind a kind and charming facade. Joe, like many “soft-boy misogynists,” is a “control-hungry goblin under a nice-guy smile.”
10 TV Shows That Are a Lot Like ‘Dexter’
For fans craving more serial-killer-centric shows with morally complex protagonists who also happen to be living dual lives.
4’Ragdoll' (2021)
This six-episode London-set thriller stars Lucy Hale (Pretty Little Liars) as Lake Edmunds, a former New Jersey cop turned DC. The American recruit works alongside newly reinstated detective sergeant Nathan Rose (Henry Lloyd-Hughes), whose error led to the infamous Cremation Killer going free, and his boss, DI Emily Baxter (Thalissa Teixeira), to investigate the murder of six people who have been dismembered and sewn together to resemble a ragdoll. When the Ragdoll sends the police a list of a new set of victims, it includes Rose’s name, and he becomes convinced his work is connected to the Cremation Killer.
A Perfect Combination of Humor and the Grotesque
Based on the novel of the same name by Daniel Cove, this AMC+ limited series is produced by the same team behindKilling Eve. Hale delivers a particularly strong performance, in a role unlike anything she’s done before. Lloyd-Hughes and Teixeira have beautiful on-screen chemistry. There’s a lot of dark humor in the dynamic between the three detectives, which helps lighten the mood. If you’re looking for somethingfast-paced and grippingto watch that doesn’t require you to invest a lot of your time, this is it.
3’The Chestnut Man' (2021)
The Chestnut Man
This critically acclaimed miniseries is based on Søren Sveistrup’s novel of the same name. The Danish crime drama starts in 1987 with the gruesome murder of an entire family on a remote farm. Jumping to present-day Copenhagen, a young woman is found under eerily similar circumstances, with a small chestnut figurine left at the crime scene. Danica Ćurčić (Secrets We Keep) stars as Naia Thuling, a detective who works alongside her partner Mark Hess (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard) on the case, uncovering long-hidden secrets.
A Grim and Haunting Scandinavian Thriller
The Nordic noir, which features gruesome violence, isn’t for the faint of heart. But if you like your shows dark and brutal, you’ll enjoy this thriller.The Chestnut Mandraws you in with its atmosphere, foreboding tone, and chilling plot twists. With recent news of a standalone sequel being on the way in 2026, now’s the perfect time to check it out.
The 20 Greatest Serial Killer Movies Ever Made
Some of these stories are fictional, while others are based on real-life figures. But they’re all essential movies re: serial killers.
2’Sweetpea' (2024 - Present)
The great Ella Purnell, known forYellowjacketsandFallout, executive produces and stars in this British series adapted from CJ Skuse’s book of the same name. The mousy Rhiannon Lewis, dubbed Sweetpea by her condescending boss, is a young woman who has never recovered from the trauma of the intense bullying she faced growing up. She lives an isolated life, working a mind-numbing job and taking care of her ailing father. When he dies, it plunges her world into disarray and sends her bully Julia Blenkinsoop (Nicôle Lecky) back into her orbit, leading Rhiannon down a murderous path.
A Prime Example of a Likable Serial Killer
The delightfully twisted dark comedy will remind viewers ofDexter. Even before Rhiannon kills, she’s constantly cataloging a running list of the people she’d like to murder. Her whimsically disturbing inner monologue grips and fascinates to no end. Although she’s got blood on her hands, as the viewer, you can’t help but root for her. For Rhiannon, murder is a way to regain control of her life and find self-empowerment. LikeGone Girl’s Amy Dunne and the iconic Carrie White, she’s a character who will have many supporting women’s rightsandwrongs.
1’The Creep Tapes' (2024 - Present)
The Creep Tapes
The Creep Tapesdiffers hugely from other entries on this list in that it’s shot infound footage styleand it’s a spinoff of a film, Patrick Bice and Mark Duplass' 2014 horror movieCreep, which was followed byCreep 2in 2017. The Shudder series brings back the eccentric serial killer known as Peachfuzz (Duplass), who lures his victims under false pretenses to film him, only to kill them and capture it on camera.
A Real Sicko
Each of the show’s six half-hour episodes features a different victim.The Creep Tapesis both deeply unsettling and insanely fun. Horror fans will especially take a liking to the series. The masked Peachfuzz is one of the most unnerving and unhinged serial killers on TV. A second season is on the way, so now’s a good time to watch the movies and catch up on the first season.
