Summary
- True Detective season 4 will continue the trend of A-list actors in a gripping crime story with Jodie Foster as the lead.
- Shows like Hannibal, The Killing, and Top of the Lake capture the same dark and compelling vibe as True Detective.
- Fargo, The Outsider, and Mindhunter are other great options with star-studded casts and captivating mysteries.
With the long wait for the fourth season coming to an end, fans have had to find shows like True Detective to fill that void in the meantime. The crime series began with a very talented group coming together both on and off screen from writer Nic Pizzolatto and director Cary Joji Fukunaga to stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. The show delivered a gripping crime story that was as much about the characters working the case as it was about the mystery itself. It was a unique show that gripped audiences, but that doesn't mean there aren't some other shows like True Detective that capture the same vibe.
True Detective season 4 will continue the series' trend of throwing A-listers into a totally new case with Oscar-winner Jodie Foster headlining this season. While other shows might not boast the same star power, there are great options out there for people who like a little bit of darkness in their entertainment. Not only are these shows as compelling and addictive as True Detective, but they also feature stories that will keep audiences hooked until the very end.
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15 Hannibal (2013-2015)
A Dark Thriller Looking At Iconic Serial Killer Hannibal Lecter
Hannibal is a little darker than True Detective in that one of its main characters is both a serial killer and a cannibal, but the shows have some striking similarities in tone. Much of the imagery and symbolism are similar in the first season, such as the usage of deer antlers. Hannibal follows criminal profiler Will Graham, who has a disturbing ability to empathize with psychopaths. It makes him a compelling character and an excellent asset to his profession. Of course, the titular Hannibal Lecter, played brilliantly by Mads Mikkelsen, steals the show and adds new aspects to the iconic villain. It is a show with a devoted following of fans still calling for Hannibal season 4 or even a movie.
14 The Killing (2011-2014)
Grim Detectives Investigate A Dark Conspiracy
Like True Detective, The Killing follows a pair of co-detectives who have fundamentally different styles of working, although one thing that makes for a change of pace from the HBO series is that The Killing has a female lead. It is a character-driven crime procedural. The first season revolves around solving the murder of a local girl that winds up being part of a convoluted political conspiracy. The show is a grim and dour crime series that is not always an easy watch. Yet like True Detective, the misery of these characters continues to draw viewers in as they explore deeper into this dark world.
13 Top Of The Lake (2013-2017)
A Troubled Detective Searches For A Missing Girl
Elisabeth Moss stars as Detective Robin Griffin in this eerie, nail-biting, suspenseful, mystery drama. Robin is assigned to solve the mysterious disappearance of 12-year-old Tui, who was pregnant at the time of her disappearance. Strangely enough, she was also last spotted standing in the middle of a freezing lake. It is a very disturbing show given the subject matter alone. In the process of trying to solve Tui's disappearance, Robin uncovers a strange women's camp and a drug lord, and she is forced to confront the traumatizing events of her past. Moss delivers a powerful performance that elevates the gripping series from Oscar-winning filmmaker Jane Campion.
12 Fargo (2014-)
A Crime Anthology Series Based On The Coen Brothers Movie
Fargo is another anthology crime drama. It is based on the popular cult movie of the same name. It is a critically acclaimed series that has won multiple awards throughout its 5-season run with Fargo season 5 just wrapping up. The show follows the shocking brutal crimes in the seemingly quaint Midwestern world throughout various time periods. Along with being a compelling crime series, Fargo has a lot of black comedy that makes it stand out from other similar shows on television. Like True Detective, Fargo has also seen a star-studded cast throughout its various seasons with the likes of Billy Bob Thorton, Kirsten Dunst, Ewan McGregor, and Chris Rock having headlined the show.
11 The Outsider (2020)
A Stephen King Adaptation About A Potentially Supernatural Case
The Outsider is another compelling HBO series and it is based on the Stephen King book of the same name. The series stars a number of A-list actors including Cynthia Erivo, Jason Bateman, and Ben Mendelsohn. It is a crime drama revolving around the discovery of a young boy's mutilated corpse. Initially, the case seems to be very straightforward, but it quickly becomes apparent that something very strange, and potentially supernatural, is brewing beneath the surface. It is another series that pulls viewers into the mystery thanks to the complex characters.
10 I Am The Night (2019)
A Noir Tale With Links To A Hollywood Triue-Crime Case
Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins reteams with Chris Pine as I Am the Night tells the true-life tale of Fauna Hodel, a biracial girl who was given away by her mother shortly after her birth. When she decides to seek the truth about her family, Fauna finds out that her parents may be linked to the infamous Black Dahlia case that rocked the city of Los Angeles in 1947. Pine stars in the series as a disgraced journalist, working with Fauna to find out the secrets of her family history. While more of a throwback noir than True Detective, it strikes that similar moody tone.
9 Homecoming (2018-2020)
A Conspiracy Thriller About Soldiers Returning Home From War
Homecoming spins a twisty, thrilling story about a mysterious facility that is ostensibly helping soldiers returning from active duty with transitioning back into everyday life. However, there is more to the facility than meets the eye, and the mystery is built up both in the present and in the future. The show is based on a popular podcast from Gimlet Media and stars Julia Roberts, Stephan James, and Bobby Cannavale, Homecoming draws its inspiration from paranoid political thrillers of the past. It is produced by Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail. The show returned for season 2 with Janelle Monáe.
8 The Night Of (2016)
Riz Ahmed And John Turturro Star In A Grounded Crime Story
This thrilling HBO miniseries based on season 1 of the British series Criminal Justice begins with one fateful night in the life of Nasir, a Pakistani-American college student (played by Riz Ahmed), and how it leads him to be charged with the murder of a young woman. The series then explores the case through both the courts and the police investigation. The Night Of smartly doesn't overplay its hand. The first episode allows the audience to see the numerous ways in which things will go wrong for Nasir later. The show is an inside-out mystery, revealing all the clues that seem to indicate Nasir's guilt, but leaving enough doubt that there are still questions that need to be answered.
7 Mindhunter (2017-2019)
A Look At The Early Days Of FBI Profiling Of Serial Killers
Mindhunter, based on the book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, is set in 1977 and tells the story of the FBI's early days of criminal profiling and psychology. The Netflix series follows the work of two FBI agents played by Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany as they try to figure out how serial killers think in order to better track down future criminals. Filmmaker David Fincher produces the show as well as directs four out of 10 of the first season's episodes, returning to the serial killer genre Fincher explored in his movies like Se7en and Zodiac. The show dives right into exploring the mindset of serial killers and utilizes real-life cases to build upon its story.
6 The Americans (2013-2018)
Russian Spies Infiltrate Suburban America
The Americans
Cast
Keidrich Sellati
Richard Thomas-
Holly Taylor
-
Annet Mahendru
- Release Date
- January 30, 2013
- Seasons
- 6
FX's The Americans delivered five riveting seasons of a period spy story. It is a tense, slow-burning political thriller that may be set in the '80s but remains relevant today. Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys star as Russian spies living in the United States during the height of the Cold War. The series gains much of its credibility from the fact that its creator, Joe Weisberg, worked for the CIA before becoming a television writer. Russell and Rhys, who won a slew of accolades for the series, make for effective leads in the taut show that explores this era of American history with all its complexities.
