There are countless different best crime dramas of all time show the violence of the genre blatantly, offering a truthful and terrifying insight into these stories.

Although the crime drama genre may initially seem like a small one, countless different stories are told under this umbrella. The most famous of these are true crime shows based on true stories, a subsection of the genre that adds another layer to the horror of crime drama through its depiction of real-life events.

10 Oz (1997-2003)

This Show Was The Precursor To Series Like Orange Is The New Black

Oz, named for the fictional Oswald State Correctional Facility, is a series that takes place almost entirely within the walls of a prison. The series follows the prison's efforts to rehabilitate prisoners, carefully calculating who to put into the "Emerald City" section of the facility in the hopes of easing tensions and creating harmony. This almost immediately fails, however, as the prisoners engage in a constant fight for power within the prison's walls.

Oz was notably influential as a television series, being the first drama series with hour-long episodes created by HBO.

Though on the outside the series might seem like a hopeful experiment geared towards helping people, the reality is starkly different. Oz is full of shocking moments, ones that often end up in a terrible, even gory mess for the characters to navigate. The series covers everything from drugs to murder, refusing to shy away from the harsh reality of prison life.

9 The Following (2013-2015)

Kevin Bacon Gives An Incredible Performance In This Serial Killer Drama

Starring the iconic actor Kevin Bacon in the role of an FBI agent named Ryan Hardy, The Following is a harrowing television series that documents Hardy's attempts to recapture an escaped serial killer named Joe Carroll. A genuine race against the clock, Hardy hopes to catch Carroll before he can hurt anyone else. This is immediately complicated, as Carroll is not alone, teaming up with different criminals he has met throughout his time in prison.

Terrifying to its core, The Following dives deep to portray a serial killer who truly has no regrets about the horrible things he does. The show has its shocking moments, leaving one to wonder how some of these scenes ever made it to general commercial television. There is plenty of suspense, something that Kevin Bacon's convincing and masterful performance only amplifies as the series goes on.

8 Peaky Blinders (2013-2022)

This Drama Follows A Real-Life Crime Family

Based on a real gang and crime family that haunted the streets in the early 1900s, Peaky Blinders is a thought-provoking look into what life was like in England after World War I. The series focuses on the character Tommy Shelby and his rise to power within the family, showing the difficult choices he must make to keep his family safe and keep the police away. Tommy is not a kind man, even as a protagonist, and this is something that makes the show even more intriguing to watch.

Peaky Blinders is a stunning example of the horrifying reality of crime in the 1900s, and both blood and betrayal are on the table throughout the series. Aside from the gore that is heavily present throughout, the series also covers the tough topics that can come with shows that cover crime in all its forms. Though the series has since ended, the story will soon continue as a movie finale to Peaky Blinders titled The Immortal Man is currently in development.

7 Narcos (2015-2017)

The Drug Trade Is Analyzed In Terrifying Detail

Another series based on real-life events, Netflix's Narcos dramatizes the exploits of Pablo Escobar, an infamous Colombian drug lord. It does so through the perspectives of DEA agents Steve Murphy and Javier Peña, played by Boyd Holbrook and Pedro Pascal respectively. The series only improves as time goes on, taking its shocking content to the next level.

The last season of Narcos was the best received, holding a rating of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Narcos is a detailed exploration of a fascinating, yet tragic part of history. Pablo Escobar's crimes are not glossed over in this series, as he and his crimes are fully characterized throughout this crime drama. He is not the only character who is characterized to this extent, offering rich lives to many characters that only make the bloody drama that later unfolds that much more painful.

6 Breaking Bad (2008-2013)

It Is Considered One Of The Best Series Of All Time

Often considered to be one of the best television shows ever made, Breaking Bad follows the descent of a chemistry teacher named Walter White, who turns to developing drugs after being diagnosed with cancer. Starting out as a kind, if not a bit of an awkward man, as the series progresses so does his character. He becomes a hardened criminal by the series' end, having experienced all the dangers and hardships that come with this lifestyle.

Aside from the impressive character work and writing, Breaking Bad is also known for its jaw-dropping moments of pure viscera.

Aside from the impressive character work and writing, Breaking Bad is also known for its jaw-dropping moments of pure viscera. Early on in the series, before Walter's full descent into darkness, there is a particularly famous scene that involves Jesse Pinkman attempting to dissolve a body in a bathtub. This, of course, goes awry, leading to what is both a disgusting and gratuitous scene perfectly framed within the story of the show.

5 You (2018-2024)

This Series Takes The Perspective Of The Murderer

Originally an adaptation of the novel series by Caroline Kepnes, You is a chilling deconstruction of one man, Joe Goldberg, and his ever-growing obsession. Starting out as an ordinary bookstore employee in the first season, the series follows Joe closely, telling the story from his perspective as he stalks the subject of his infatuation. As the series progresses, things only manage to become darker, showing that there is truly nothing that Joe won't do to get his way.

Joe's crimes are tame in the beginning of the series compared to what he will later do, filling the series with tension that never truly breaks. The idea that the protagonist will go to any terrible lengths is a compelling hook for a story, one that lingers in the gory and depraved. Joe is not the only character to watch out for, either, adding a wrench into the story that only manages to be more investing as the series continues.

4 Mindhunter (2017-2019)

Netflix's Crime Series Is Based On True Stories

An incredible Netflix series that was canceled far too soon, Mindhunter covers a variety of historical serial killers and the creation of the serial killer moniker. The series dives deep into serial killer psychology, taking the perspective of a group of teachers at the FBI Academy. This is done in the hopes of understanding these killers so that more can be caught in the future, saving more lives in the process.

Both cinematic and amazingly detailed, Mindhunter takes as much time fleshing out its characters as it does, lingering on the horror of the crimes committed by these killers. This writing is only punctuated by the horrific scenes of gore that come into play, emphasizing just how terrible these killers are in what may be some of the most important moments of the show. By the end, the viewer is thoroughly invested in the story, drawn into the world of chaos and terrifying order that takes place in the minds of serial killers.

3 Dexter (2006-2013)

A Serial Killer Hunts Serial Killers In This Legendary Series

Taking a unique approach to the traditional detective genre, Dexter follows the titular Dexter Morgan as he works as a bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department. This is mostly a cover, however, as Dexter is a serial killer masquerading among the public. To stay true to his father's morals, Dexter channels his sociopathic urges into killing other serial killers as a sort of bloody vigilante.

Dexter has spawned a variety of different sequels and prequels, with Dexter: Resurrection set to release later this year.

Dexter takes its time in staging not only the crimes of the killers Dexter faces off against, but Dexter himself. There are several bloody scenes that revolve around Dexter as he straps down his victims, taking a drop of their blood as a sort of sick trophy. The organized nature of it almost makes it even more frightening, with the show unafraid of detailing the horrors that its protagonist often commits.

2 Hannibal (2013-2015)

This Adaptation Brings Beauty To The Most Horrifying Situations

Operating in part as a prequel and in part as a reimagining of the infamous novels by Thomas Harris, Hannibal follows the legendary figure Hannibal Lecter in a time before he was known as a terrifying cannibal. Told through the eyes of FBI profiler Will Graham, a task force is put together to track down murderers across the country. This is only complicated once Hannibal is involved, both a serial killer and a cannibal himself, who is tasked with consulting and watching over Will as his psychiatrist.

Hannibal's manipulations are one of the many highlights of the series, with the series written in such a way that it shows how talented Hannibal is at convincing others to bend to his will. Because of this, it is no surprise that he hid in plain sight for so long, maintaining his killings while working with the FBI. His killings, as well as the murders of the other killers featured in the show, are beautifully grotesque, shown in a way that somehow encapsulates beauty, horror, and hunger all at once.

1 True Detective (2014-Present)

The First Season Is One Of The Best In Detective Media

True Detective is an anthology series that features a completely different cast and story with each of its unique seasons. Perhaps the best of these is its very first season, following Matthew McConaughey's Rust Cohle and Woody Harrelson's Martin Hart as they chase a serial killer that lingers in the occult. The story of this season is brutal, both in its writing and in its visuals, making for one of the best seasons of detective television ever made.

The first and fourth seasons of True Detective are their highest rated, with the first holding a rating of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and the fourth season holding a rating of 92%.

The first season of the crime series has plenty of triggering content, showing horrifying scenes that even include child death on screen. There are scenes that are truly gruesome, offering a sense of grief to the viewer that permeates the show as a whole. As the seasons progress, this sense of gore and horror rooted in reality remains, though none manage it better than the very first season of the show.