Summary

• Mystery TV shows in the 2020s push genre boundaries with sci-fi, true crime, and comedy elements to captivate audiences.
• A strong cast and tight script are key to making any TV series successful, regardless of the genre or storyline.
• Characters drive the uniqueness of a mystery series, drawing viewers in with their development and connection to the story.

Mystery TV shows can take many forms, and the 2020s has been defined as a decade that bends genre and pushes boundaries on television. Whether these series are comedies, true crime, or incorporate aspects of sci-fi and fantasy, they're universal in that they draw audiences in with their thrilling plot twists and red herrings. While a mystery doesn't necessarily have to revolve around crime or murder, most do, which brings in familiar elements like police officers, rogue detectives, and suspicious witnesses who know more than they're letting on. The beats of a mystery show are common knowledge for most audiences.

Often, it's the characters who make the series unique and convince the viewer to care about the story.

However, awareness of the formula of a crime series doesn't detract from the audience's enjoyment. This shorthand allows the writers and showrunners to subvert their expectations. Often, it's the characters who make the series unique and convince the viewer to care about the story. Most great crime TV shows feature A-list actors, as a defining factor of an effective mystery is how well the performance can make the audience believe them. A strong cast and a tight script are the two most important parts of any TV series, regardless of the genre.

10 Dead Boy Detectives (2024–Present)

The Sandman spinoff proved to be even more engaging than its predecessor.

Even though both Edwin and Charles are long dead, this doesn't stop them from doing the most with their afterlife, as they're dedicated to solving fantastical mysteries.

The protagonists of Dead Boy Detectives, Edwin and Charles, exist in the same universe as Netflix's other series, The Sandman, and both are based on the popular graphic novel series. However, in Dead Boy Detectives, mystery and solving crimes take center stage, with supernatural elements serving as a backdrop and exciting addition to every crime. Even though both Edwin and Charles are long dead, this doesn't stop them from doing the most with their afterlife, as they're dedicated to solving fantastical mysteries.

The Sandman characters who appear in Dead Boy Detectives root the series in the larger universe of the story and make the breadth of the show feel larger and more all-encoming. This is helpful, as Dead Boy Detectives has episodic aspects in addition to its overarching arc. With characters of all ages and two central characters stuck in adolescence, Dead Boy Detectives is perfect for YA audiences looking to get into the mystery genre with a new series.

9 Only Murders In The Building (2021–Present)

This comedic take on true crime enthusiasts has only gotten better with each season.

The true crime genre is one of the most popular in film and television, and Only Murders in the Building turns this cultural interest on its head. A group of characters interested in crime-solving starts their own podcast to uncover the truth about a murder that happened in their building but soon find themselves wrapped up in a much larger scandal. As the series has progressed, it only becomes more meta as the in-world characters gain fame and fortune for their investigations, mirroring the trajectory of the series itself.

Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez have an unexpected but excellent chemistry that drives the action forward and makes the viewer relentlessly invested in the story. Their chemistry is a large part of what makes Only Murders in the Building work, as Short and Martin are comedic veterans, and Gomez is relatable to younger audience . Though comedy and humor are the core tenets of the series, the narrative isn't afraid to get as dark and grisly as any good podcast worth its salt in the true crime sphere.

8 Presumed Innocent (2024)

Jake Gyllenhaal's latest miniseries makes the viewer question their beliefs.

He plays Rusty Sabich, a high-powered Chicago prosecutor whose involvement with a woman who turns up dead soon complicates his career, marriage, and entire life.

The original novel of the same name by Scott Turow was first made into a movie in 1990 that starred Harrison Ford in the role Jake Gyllenhaal recently took on in the newest iteration of Presumed Innocent. He plays Rusty Sabich, a high-powered Chicago prosecutor whose involvement with a woman who turns up dead soon complicates his career, marriage, and entire life. When it comes out that he was having an affair with her, few people can ignore how much evidence is stacked against him despite his previous clean reputation.

Though it's not Gyllenhaal's best performance, Presumed Innocent shines as a courtroom drama and keeps the audience invested by providing insight into the inner workings of Sabich's personal life. Much of the series focuses on the trial and the legal process of finding someone guilty of a crime as the viewer goes back and forth about whether or not Sabich killed his lover. While the mystery element isn't as important as the character study of Sabich, it still keeps the audience guessing.

7 Under The Banner Of Heaven (2022)

A stellar cast leads this TV series loosely based on real events.

The book, Under the Banner of Heaven​​​​, is more focused on the history of Mormonism and the real events of the crime described than the TV series. Starring Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones, the show follows several parallel narratives about the events that lead up to Brend Lafferty's death, the aftermath as the police investigate, and the early formation of the Mormon church. Although the series received some backlash from religious communities, it was considered brilliantly acted and an amazing slow-burn mystery.

Twisters' box office global success is a great reason to revisit Edgar-Jones's amazing performance in Under the Banner of Heaven. Though she and Garfield never interact on screen, as they exist at different points in the story, they're both the heart and soul of the series and present the essential questions and themes about faith and morality. The investigation of Brenda's death starts out like a standard procedural, but the intercutting with historical background and the turmoil of Garfield's character, Jeb, make the series unlike anything else.

6 Slow Horses (2022–Present)

Apple TV+'s underrated thriller series deserves a bigger audience.

The spy genre is often more defined by its action rather than its mystery, but Slow Horses gives its characters plenty to investigate in every season.

Slow Horses is in good company, as the other films and television shows in the British espionage genre are some of the most iconic and well-received. The spy genre is often more defined by its action rather than its mystery, but Slow Horses gives its characters plenty to investigate in every season. It follows a group of MI5 agents who have one of the most undesirable and boring assignments in the agency. However, the characters discover there are bigger plots at work in the midst of their routine surveillance and paperwork.

Gary Oldman leads the series as Jackson Lamb, the head of the department, a man who refuses to it how much he cares about his team, masking his feelings with snark. Each character in Slow Horses has made a mistake or is bogged down by their past, giving them a reason to throw everything into their work, even if they aren't the most skilled agents. High stakes and hidden agendas populate Slow Horses, giving the series an exciting edge that's juxtaposed with the rag-tag group who must save the world.

5 A Murder At The End Of The World (2023)

An updated whodunit with technological twists sets A Murder at the End of the World apart.

Emma Corrin plays Darby Hart, the perfect Gen-Z detective who uses her skills as a hacker and keen sensibilities to solve a murder at an isolated retreat. A Murder at the End of the World begins with a frame story similar to a classic Agatha Christie novel, as the central characters are invited to a remote location by a reclusive billionaire, and it doesn't take long for one of the guests to turn up dead. Darby's experience and quest to solve the murder at the retreat are intercut with her early experiences as an amateur detective.

The show itself is a puzzle to be solved by the audience alongside Darby as she attempts to piece together what happened to the victims and how they're connected. A Murder at the End of the World comes at a poignant time as the themes and plot of the series are in conversation with the growing prevalence of technology and AI. Throughout the show, the story questions how complicit people are in actions committed via the internet and how humanity is the influencing factor behind the development of AI.

4 Poker Face (2023–Present)

Rian Jonhson's TV series features Natasha Lyonne at her best.

Lyonne plays Charlie, a self-proclaimed human lie detector who gets involved with the wrong people and has to head out on the open road to escape their wrath.

It's no wonder that the hype for Poker Face season 2 has been steadily growing since the show was renewed, as Natasha Lyonne and Rian Johnson make the perfect creative team in this twist on the mystery genre. Lyonne plays Charlie, a self-proclaimed human lie detector who gets involved with the wrong people and has to head out on the open road to escape their wrath. Every episode features Charlie attempting not to get involved in the murder-of-the-week, but she can't help but be pulled in by the mysterious circumstances of the crimes and the lies the characters are telling.

Part of the fun of Poker Face is that every episode features a new cast of guest stars in a unique location in the U.S., making Poker Face as much a detective story as it is a road series. Charlie's character and her cases are all inspired by the great mystery TV shows and movies of the past, making it a nostalgic series while simultaneously upending how audiences think of an episodic crime show. The finale of season 1 has set up Charlie for another epic adventure and positions her to encounter many new suspicious faces.

3 Under The Bridge (2024)

Lily Gladstone and Riley Keough have incredible chemistry in this dark series.

Under the Bridge unpacks a true crime case of a murdered teenager in Canada and stars Lily Gladstone and Riley Keough as a detective looking into the case, Cam, and a woman interested in writing about the issues of troubled youth, Rebecca. They form a sudden connection as they investigate the disappearance of Reena, a young woman who got involved with a local gang, and the external factors that push young people to resort to violence. Deep explorations of the girls' home lives are a consistent aspect of the show.

The series tells a politically relevant and engaging narrative as issues of xenophobia, class, and race are all intimately connected to what happened to Reena. Additionally, the budding relationship between Rebecca and Cam is an emotional and sweet break in the tough discussions of the systemic failures of the government to the country's youth. Discussions of Indigenous identity and Canadian history are on display and touched on with sensitivity throughout the narrative.

2 Severance (2022–Present)

Both the characters and the audience are left in the dark in the mind-bending world of Severance.

The premise of Severance revolves around a group of office workers who undergo an operation to have their work-life completely cut off from their personal lives.

Apple TV+'s sci-fi mystery, Severance, is one of the streamers' most popular series to date, starring Adam Scott in the central role of Mark. The premise of Severance revolves around a group of office workers who undergo an operation to have their work-life completely cut off from their personal lives. This means the characters have no memory of who they really are while at work, and when they leave the office, they can't what their job is. Only the most classified projects are worked on by the severed employees.

As the group of workers begins to realize that their jobs and company are not what they think, the series also touches upon relevant and emotional topics like grief and the ethics of corporations. Critically and in of audience reception, Severance was a hit, and viewers have been patiently waiting for season 2 for a long time. After season 1 left off with an incredible reveal and cliffhanger, there's plenty more mystery to explore in the brilliant series.

1 Mare Of Easttown (2021)

Kate Winslet gives a career-best performance in this incredible miniseries.

Mare of Easttown is on par with the greatest mystery series of all time, seeing Kate Winslet transform into the tough but intuitive Mare, a detective in Pennsylvania. Despite her high-profile past roles, Winslet disappears into the role and fully embodies the life and culture of this small town as it's wrecked with tragedy. A young Cailee Spaeny is featured as a young woman who becomes the victim of murder and the subject of a publicized case that pushes Mare to her limits as she struggles with her personal issues and a long-cold abduction case.

What Mare of Easttown does best is immerse the viewer completely into the town and the narrative, easily building the world and establishing the relationships with little unnecessary exposition. The critical and audience response to Mare of Easttown was immediate and overwhelming, and it's no wonder, considering how tight the story is. Just when the audience believes the investigation is over and the crime is solved, the series throws in one last twist that shocks the viewer.