What is it that fascinates us so much about serial killers? One theory is that our obsession stems from an evolutionary impulse to help us identify potential threats, leading many to believe that our interest is a way to heighten our senses, so that when danger presents itself, we’ll be ready.
Regardless, our willingness to be captivated by tales of the macabre has helped skyrocket thesubgenre of true crime, and serial killers, to new heights. Especially when it comes to small-screen portrayals of sadistic killers. While shows about serial killers have been around for as long as we can remember, these 10 offerings are the best of the best, and are not to be missed.
Debuting in 2021 on AMC+,Ragdollfollows the exploits of police detectives as they try and track down a serial killer who has dismembered six people, and sewn pieces of them back together to resemble a ragdoll.
It sounds gruesome, and it is, but unlike other police dramas that might come at this plot from a purely dramatic point of view,Ragdollsubverts expectations by adding in dry, sarcastic humor throughout that adds levity to the situation. Set in London, it could also be considereda fish out of water story, as one of the detectives is a former LAPD cop who makes her way across the pond to become a Detective Constable. With excellent chemistry between the ensemble cast,Ragdollis top-notch storytelling based on the novel by Daniel Cole.
9Mr. Mercedes
Starring the amazing Brendan Gleeson,Mr. Mercedescomes to us from the trilogy of novels by the master of the macabre, Stephen King. It’s about a retired detective who is still shaken by an unsolved case in which a man drove a car into a crowd of people waiting outside a job fair, killing 16 of them.
Now streaming on Peacock, the series originally debuted in 2017 on the pay channel, Audience, to critical acclaim. The three-season show starts off as any police drama might, but by the time it’s all said and done, viewers will be taken on a wild ride as only Stephen King can deliver, trading the ordinary for the extraordinary. Featuring an ensemble cast that just clicks, it’s a suspense-fueled nail-biter that features snappy dialogue, and memorable characters.
8True Detective
It may not have been the most consistent show that Max ever distributed, but there’s no denying how goodTrue Detectivewas when it came to weaving disturbing tales of crime. Its first season was unlike any other, and while the second season may have been lacking, it finished with a bang during season three, making for a truly memorable series.
Featuring the likes of Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Rachel McAdams, and Colin Farrell, each season told a different story, with different characters, makingTrue Detectiveakin to anthological shows likeAmerican Horror Story, though the actors and characters never overlapped. Still, it delivered the grit and atmosphere that Max has become known for, making it feel like you were right there with these characters, helping them solve the case.
Related:Why True Detective is More Than a One-Season Wonder
7Bates Motel
Premiering in 2013,Bates Moteltold the story of a young Norman Bates, and his controlling mother, Norma, as they navigated life while running the infamous hotel made iconic by Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 masterpiece,Psycho.
Serving as a modern-day prequel to the Hitchcock classic,Bates Motelwas the longest-running scripted drama in the history of A&E, airing for five seasons, and 50 episodes. Featuring Freddie Highmore as Norman, and Vera Farmiga as Norma, the pair had tremendous chemistry that made their performances stand out over the course of the show. While most spin-offs on the small screenthat are based on big-screen counterpartsdon’t fair too well,Bates Motelsucceeds by delivering high stakes, and excellent drama with enough gore peppered throughout to satisfy fans of the original.
No one does drama quite like the British, andLutheris no exception when it comes to delivering commanding performances from the likes of Idris Elba, and Ruth Wilson, as they play a cat-and-mouse game of intrigue that will make you yell at your TV screen every time the pair are together.
Debuting in 2010, there are five seasons ofLuther, and one feature-length film. While it may not have been consistent in terms of release dates for each season, that actually worked well for the show, as the long breaks in between only built up audience anticipation. With deeply flawed characters, tremendous chemistry between Elba and Wilson, and plots that are as exciting as they are tragic,Lutherdelivered the goods without missing a beat during its 20-episode run.
Based on the novels by Caroline Kepnes,Youtracks Joe Goldberg, a bookstore manager who becomes obsessed with various women throughout the course of the series. It’s these obsessions that lead Joe to commit unspeakable acts of murder, stopping at nothing to get what he wants.
This Netflix offering has it all. Intrigue, romance, and, of course… murder. Beginning as a cautionary tale about the dangers of social media, the series evolves into so much more as Joe (played expertly by Penn Badgley) looks for love in all the wrong places, and we watch as he struggles from plot point, to plot point, feeling sympathy for the obsessed psychopath. While it’s been criticized for romanticizing obsession and social media stalking,Youhas gone on to become one of the most culturally significant shows of our time, and though season four ended earlier in 2023, viewers can look forward to a fifth and final seasonwhenever the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike comes to an end.
4Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Co-created by Ryan Murphy ofAmerican Horror Storyfame,Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Storywas the first installment in an anthological series brought to us from Netflix. Featuring Evan Peters portraying the infamous serial killer, the show comprised 10 episodes that told the story of Dahmer from his deranged beginnings, to his brutal end.
Receivingharsh criticism from the families of Dahmer’s victims, accusing the streaming giant of profiting from their tragedies, the series became Netflix’s second-most-watched English-language series ever within 28 days of its release. For his role in the serial killer drama, Evan Peters took home the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Television Motion Picture. While season two of the series will focus on the Menéndez brothers, it’s hard to imagine anything topping the original first season.
3Mindhunter
Based on the true-crime book by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker,Mindhunterwas a superb series from Netflix about the beginnings of the FBI Behavioral Science Unit in the 1970s. Starring Anna Torv, Holt McCallany, and Jonathan Groff, the series only lasted for two seasons, but certainly left a mark on audiences who are still clamoring for more,despite David Fincher confirmingMindhunterwas officially done.
Forgoing the fast-paced style police procedurals have been known for,Mindhunterinstead paid close attention to detail, both with its character development, and its aesthetic. It made you feel like you were right there in the late ’70s, going through the ups and downs as we watched Torv, McCallany, and Groff try and get inside the minds of various serial killers. As fascinating as it was disturbing, we were definitely sad to seeMindhuntercome to an end.
Created by Bryan Fuller,Hannibalaired on NBC for three seasons before it was given the ax, but it still ranks up there as one of the greatest serial killer shows ever presented on network television. Based on characters created by Thomas Harris, the show took a look at the relationship between Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen), wrapped in a visually stunning piece of art that left little to the imagination.
Though it did receive some backlash for the amount of gore shown,Hannibalremained in the top 10 lists of critics everywhere for the duration of its run, which was reportedly cut short due to low ratings; something producer Dino de Laurentiis blamed on piracy. A campaign was started online by fans hoping that a streaming service such as Amazon or Netflix would pick it up for a fourth season, but alas, those plans just never came to fruition.
Related:Mads Mikkelsen Still Open to Hannibal Revival, But Gives Warning
Say what you will about the ending ofDexter, and the revival,Dexter: New Blood, but there’s no denying that when it comes to shows about serial killers, no one did it better than Showtime, which based the series on the novels by author Jeff Lindsay.
Featuring Michael C. Hall in the titular role,Dexterwas peppered with memorable characters, and storylines, that made it the talk of social media everywhere during its heyday. Despite the black mark on the show for inspiring real-life crimes around the world, it remains culturally significant for bringing us a serial killer anti-hero that we could all root for. As for future installments of the series, there are several in development, including a show centered around Dexter’s son, Harrison, and a prequel series, that will follow Dexter Morgan during his early years after he graduated from college.
