The 20 Best Crime Shows On Netflix

By Jade Budowski @jadebudowski

Published Sep. 12, 2017, 8:30 a.m. ET

Drugs, murder, and mayhem all round out these critically-acclaimed series.Photos: Everett Collection ; Illustration: Dillen Phelps

***Happy Valley***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
*Happy Valley* doesn't just refer to Penn State. This drama follows Catherine, a stern police sergeant who leads a team of officers in a rural West Yorkshire valley. She soon finds herself involved in something much darker and closer to home than she ever anticipated, and must reckon with her own past as horrific events unfold around her.
[Stream Happy Valley on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

**White Collar**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 100%
*White Collar* takes the "former criminal helps the FBI catch guys doing what he used to do" premise and spices it up with sleek storytelling and a dreamy Matt Bomer at the center of it. Even if you aren't looking for a crime binge, the show is worth a watch for this classically handsome white collar criminal alone.
[Stream White Collar]Photo: Everett Collection

**River**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 100%
This police drama puts a fresh, supernatural spin on the genre - the central detective (played by Stellan Skarsgaard) is haunted by "manifests" (AKA ghosts) of his murdered partner, victims, and criminals involved in the cases he's working). Chillingly performed and truly original, *River* is one you won't want to skip.
[Stream River]Photo: Netflix

**American Crime**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 97%
Starring Felicity Huffman, Regina King, Timothy Hutton, and a slew of other wildly talented performers, this anthology series examines the impacts of the justice system and the heinous crimes that occur inside and outside of it on everyday American citizens. It's a raw, painful viewing experience at times, but it couldn't feel more necessary nowadays.
[Stream American Crime] Photo: Everett Collection

**Arrow**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 97%
This CW/DC superhero series shines a new light on Green Arrow AKA Oliver Queen, a billionaire playboy who returns home after being stranded on an island for five years and takes up a vigilante lifestyle to clean up his city. Armed with compelling characters, witty writing, and top-notch action sequences, *Arrow* will surprise you in more ways than one.
[Stream Arrow]Photo: The CW

**Making a Murderer**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 97%
Perhaps the documentary series that cemented Netflix as a true force of the genre, *Making a Murderer* chronicles the life of DNA exoneree Steven Avery who finds himself the prime suspect of a new crime while investigating corruption within local law enforcement. Filmed over 10 years, the docuseries takes viewers on an intimate journey that only confirms that things are never quite what they seem to be.
[Stream Making a Murderer]Photo: Netflix

**The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 96%
The first season of *American Horror Story* mastermind Ryan Murphy's anthology series tackles the infamous O.J. Simpson murder trial better than anyone could have ever anticipated. Starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Sarah Paulson, David Schwimmer, and more, the show brilliantly and sensitively addresses issues like racism, misogyny, and flaws in the justice system while telling Simpson's story.
[Stream The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story]Photo: Everett Collection

**Damages**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 96%
This legal thriller tackles a new case with each season and centers around a ruthless litigator named Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) and her protégée, fresh law school grad Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne). Its nonlinear storytelling and bonkers plot twists will render you helpless when it comes to resisting a binge-watch - don't say we didn't warn you.
[Stream Damages]Photo: Everett Collection

**Marvel's Luke Cage**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 96%
Mike Colter stars as the iconic Luke Cage, a man who discovers he has super strength and unbreakable skin after an experiment gone awry leaves him forever changed. This fugitive-turned-superhero is willing to give up everything to fight for the New York City he knows and loves, with some help from familiar faces along the way.
[Stream Marvel's Luke Cage]Photo: Netflix

**Rectify**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 96%
This stunning series follows a man released from prison after spending almost 20 years on death row for a rape and murder he did not commit. What follows is a gorgeous character study that sees him adjust to his life, his home, and the people around him as he seeks a sense of normalcy again.
[Stream Rectify]Photo: Everett Collection

**Battle Creek**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 95%
After the smash success of *Breaking Bad*, creator Vince Gilligan forayed into more light-hearted territory with *Battle Creek*, a criminally short-lived cop dramedy starring Josh Duhamel and Dean Winters. The duo's mismatched detectives are the heart of the series, and as they try to clean up the streets of their town, their starkly different personalities get in the way. Rife with comedy in the most unexpected of places, *Battle Creek* is truly a witty, unique show taken from us too soon.
[Stream Battle Creek]Photo: Everett Collection

***Scandal***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
Shonda Rhimes' political drama stars Kerry Washington as a White House Communications Director-turned-professional "fixer" named Olivia Pope. Each episode, Olivia races against the clock with her team to diffuse the latest scandal in their midst - and try to keep their own secrets in the process. Smart, sexy, and totally addicting, Scandal is a crowd-pleaser for all kinds of viewers (but particularly Shondaland fans).
[Stream Scandal on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

**The Keepers**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 95%
This true-crime documentary series investigates the unsolved murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik, a nun who taught English and drama at Archbishop Keough High School. As the scandal unfolds and different theories are revealed, former students express their belief that the murder was part of a coverup to protect a priest at the school that Sister Cesnik suspected of sexual abuse.
[Stream The Keepers]Photo: Netflix

**Breaking Bad**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 94%
Perhaps one of the series that cemented AMC as a home for prestige drama, *Breaking Bad* tells the story of a high school chemistry teacher (Bryan Cranston) who turns to making meth to secure his family's future after he's diagnosed with cancer. He eventually gets in a little too deep with his partner-in-crime, former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), and some serious drama follows. Perfectly paced, gorgeously shot, and full of performances that will stick with you for days, it's not hard to see why *Breaking Bad* is considered one of the greatest shows of all time.
[Stream Breaking Bad]Photo: Everett Collection

**Gomorrah**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 94%
This Italian crime thriller adapted from the film and book of the same name plunges viewers into the suburbs of Naples, Italy, where the Mafia's organized crime runs rampant and ordinary people get sucked into situations they have no business being involved in. Brilliantly written and structured like *The Wire*, this dark taste of Italy will leave you wanting more.
[Stream Gomorrah]Photo: Everett Collection

**Peaky Blinders**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 94%
Set in 1919 England, this gangster drama follows the Peaky Blinders gang of post-war Birmingham, England as they wreak havoc and deal with their own family drama while pursued by law enforcement. The number of renowned European actors on the series is astounding, but leading man Cillian Murphy truly stands out from the crowd with his riveting performance.
[Stream Peaky Blinders] Photo: Netflix

**Marvel's Jessica Jones**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 92%
Meet Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), a booze-drinking, insult-throwing private investigator/reluctant superhero who finds herself in a nightmarish situation when the villain she believed to be dead (David Tennant) returns to torment her. *Jessica Jones* has everything: top-notch performances, chilling plot twists, and kick-ass action sequences. You might have just found your new favorite hero.
[Stream Marvel's Jessica Jones] Photo: Netflix

**Person of Interest**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 92%
If the idea of government surveillance freaks you out, you may want to pass on this one. Starring Jim Caviezel, Michael Emerson, Taraji P. Henson, and more, this series sees a rich programmer and former assassin team up to save lives via an artificially intelligent surveillance system that allows them to see who's involved in what crimes. There is a catch, however - they don't know which roles these individuals play in the crimes, which evidently leads to a lot of confusion (and potentially life-threatening situations).
[Stream Person of Interest]Photo: Everett Collection

**Twin Peaks**
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 92%
If you've been feeling a little left out of all the *Twin Peaks* revival chatter this summer, allow us to introduce you to the series that started it all. Join Detective Dale Cooper on his quest to discover who killed Laura Palmer and lean into the wacky, wild weirdness that made David Lynch's show so iconic in the first place.
[Stream Twin Peaks] Photo: Everett Collection

Where to Stream:

Narcos

Crime shows could be called Netflix‘s bread and butter, and it’s not hard to see why. Whether armed with their own originals like Narcos, Ozark, and Lilyhammer or genre hits like Dexter and Breaking Bad, the platform has made it mind-bogglingly easy to binge whichever crime series your heart desires.

The shows that live on the platform encompass just about every illegal action you can think of. In the mood for murder? Good. Just about every show in the “crime shows” category includes a substantial amount of death. More interested in drugs? You’ve got your pick – Narcos‘ cocaine habit and Breaking Bad‘s blue meth await you. Looking to get a little more real? Hit docuseries like Making a Murderer and The Keepers are bound to keep you up at night trying to solve unthinkable crimes.

Not sure where to find your next broody binge? We went through Netflix‘s ridiculously extensive catalogue to find you the highest-rated shows out there. These are the top 20 crime series on the platform, ranked by their Rotten Tomatoes scores.