15 Best Shows Like True Detective Season 1 Update 04/2024

Shows Like True Detective Season 1

Those who enjoyed HBO’s True Detective will adore these gritty shows that are currently available to watch or stream.

Third season of “True Detective” arrives the same dark tone and film noir storytelling approach that made season one so well-received. For now, fans of the HBO show may want to look for a new mystery series to watch while they wait for the next season to air.

People who want their entertainment with a touch of the macabre are in luck, as there are many excellent choices available. Furthermore, these series contain stories that will keep you riveted till the very end like True Detective.

The following was most recently updated on April 7, 2020, by Madison Lennon: While True Detective is no longer on television, the first season still ranks as one of the greatest crime dramas of all time. The series’ latter two seasons have been the focus of great controversy, but crime fans should not miss them.

If you’re a fan of True Detective, we’ve added a few more shows to the following list. Whatever your mood, you should be able to find something in the extensive selection provided here.

1. Hannibal

Hannibal

As a cannibal serial murderer, Hannibal is darker than True Detective, but the two shows share some remarkable similarities in their tones. Even the use of deer antlers in the first season is reminiscent of the second season’s imagery and meaning.

On the other hand, Hannibal follows criminal profiler Will Graham, a man with the unnerving capacity to connect with psychopaths. Having this quality makes him a compelling character and a valuable addition to his profession.

2. The Killing

Unlike True Detective, which follows a duo of investigators with radically different approaches to solving crimes, The Killing features a female protagonist.

As the title suggests, this is a character-driven detective story. After a local girl is found murdered, her death is linked to a political intrigue that the first season explores. The series aired for four seasons on Netflix and can presently be watched there.

3. Top Of The Lake

Top Of The Lake

Detective Robin Griffin, played by Elisabeth Moss, is haunting, suspenseful, and a delight to see. The strange disappearance of 12-year-old Tui, who was pregnant at the time, is given to Robin, who is tasked with solving it. She was also last seen standing in the midst of a frozen lake, which is strange.

You could expect it to be a disturbing show based on the subject matter. The search for Tui’s whereabouts leads Robin to a weird women’s camp, a drug cartel, and memories of her own childhood tragedy.

4. Fargo

Anthology crime drama Fargo is another another option. It’s based on the infamous cult classic of the same name from the 1970s. It has garnered numerous honors during its three-season run as a critically praised series. A fourth season of the show has been ordered, but no date has been set for its premiere.

As a gripping crime drama, Fargo also features plenty of black humor, which sets it apart from other similarly themed shows on television. An insurance salesman is being investigated for a string of killings in the show’s debut season.

5. The Outsider

The Outsider

The Outsider, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, is another gripping HBO series. A-list performers like Cynthia Erivo, Jason Bateman, and Ben Mendelsohn star in the show. A young boy’s disfigured body is discovered in this crime drama.

Initially, the case appears simple, but it soon becomes evident that something unusual and possibly otherworldly is bubbling beneath the surface of the case. HBO has just made the complete first season available to watch online.

6. I AM THE NIGHT

Wonder Woman filmmaker Patty Jenkins’ new TNT crime series explores the true story of Fauna Hodel, a multiracial girl who was given up by her mother soon after her birth in an attempt to keep her out of harm’s path. A search for the truth about Fauna’s family reveals that the famed Black Dahlia case that rocked Los Angeles in 1947 may be connected to her parents’ pasts.

Chris Pine plays a discredited journalist who teams up with Fauna to uncover the truth about her ancestry. “I can entrust Patty with what should be one of the fundamental components of directing, which is understanding another human’s mentality,” Pine said Variety of working with Jenkins once more.

7. HOMECOMING

Homecoming tells a suspenseful tale of a secret facility that purports to assist troops returning from active duty in reintegrating back into civilian life after their service in the military. A sense of intrigue and a sense of foreboding pervade the complex, both now and in the future.

Inspiring paranoid political thrillers of the past, Homecoming is an adaptation of the Gimlet Media podcast with Julia Roberts, Stephan James and Bobby Cannavale in the lead roles. Producer Sam Esmail is well known for his work on Mr. Robot. However, Julia Roberts won’t be returning for the second season.

8. THE NIGHT OF

THE NIGHT OF

It all starts with one disastrous 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 in this gripping HBO miniseries based on the first season of British series Criminal Justice. Finally, the matter is examined in court and in police custody, as shown in the series.

Smartly, The Night Of doesn’t go over the top. The first episode reveals several ways in which Nasir will go wrong in the future. Despite the fact that the show reveals every piece of evidence that points to Nasir’s guilt, it also leaves open enough possibilities for further investigation.

9. MINDHUNTER

According to the book “Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit,” the year of 1977 is shown in the film “Mindhunter.” As two FBI agents played by Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany strive to find out how serial killers think, the Netflix series follows their efforts.

The series is produced by David Fincher and Charlize Theron, with Fincher helming four of the ten episodes in the first season. Using real-life examples, the show explores the minds of serial killers and builds its tale.

10. THE AMERICANS

FX’s

Even though the show’s run ended in May of this year, the Americans is still relevant entertainment. Even though it is set in the 1980s, this political thriller is still relevant today. During the height of the Cold War, Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys portray Russian spies residing in the United States.

The show’s authenticity is bolstered by the fact that its author, Joe Weisberg, worked for the CIA before becoming a TV writer. I wanted a career where I could be a cold warrior, Weisman told the New York Times in 2013, “where you can be a brainy, dark oddball and do all sorts of wonderful strange stuff.”

11. SHARP OBJECTS

SHARP OBJECTS

Gillian Flynn, the author of Gone Girl, is the inspiration for the HBO series Sharp Objects, which is based on her novel of the same name. Amy Adams plays a crime reporter summoned back to her hometown to investigate the killings of two teenage girls. While she is there, she will have to confront some of her own demons and come to terms with her own history.

Jean-Marc Vallée, the director of HBO’s critically acclaimed Big Little Lies, is behind the critically acclaimed Sharp Objects, which tackles a small town mystery as well as a dysfunctional family dynamic. Just like in Gone Girl, this series’ climax is utterly unexpected.

12. BROADCHURCH

A small seaside town’s murder is the focus of two detectives on Broadchurch, a British TV series that was turned into an American miniseries called Gracepoint. It featured David Tenant and Olivia Colman, with Tenant returning his role for Gracepointas well.

In Broadchurch, the horrible murders are juxtaposed with the lovely town’s peaceful surroundings. It also explores the reactions of the locals to the increasing media attention their village is receiving. In their roles as detectives who are dealing with the case on a personal level, Tenant and Colman excel.

13. THE SINNER

THE SINNER

USA Network’s The Sinner is based on a book by authorPetra Hammesfahr and is a mystery series. During the first season, Jessica Biel plays a young mother who stabs a man to death in the middle of a packed beach, and Bill Pullman plays the investigator who must discover why she did it.

Rather than focusing on the “how” of what happened, The Sinner’s mystery is centered on the “why.” Biel’s character is the murderer, but it’s in attempting to figure out why she did it in the first place that the audience is gripped by the drama. Carrie Coon joined the cast for the second season, which began in August of this year.

14. TWIN PEAKS

Twin Peaks may be the most famous mystery series in the history of television. It debuted in 1990 on the ABC network, created by Mark Frost and eccentric film director David Lynch. One of the oddest and most intriguing television shows at the time, it was immediately regarded as such.

The initial run of Twin Peaks was two seasons. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, a feature film, was also made about the show’s characters. After two seasons on Showtime, the show was renewed for a third season in 2017. Several cast members, including Kyle MacLachlan, returned to their old roles.

15. THE WIRE

THE WIRE

You should certainly consider watching all five seasons of HBO’s The Wire if you’ve finished watchingTrue Detective and are searching for a crime series that is more grounded and less cerebral. Baltimore’s numerous criminals and the cops who try to bring down their organization were followed by The Wire throughout the entire episode.

Acclaimed by critics for its realistic portrayal of police work, the series is also known for its sharp social criticism and wide-ranging examination of municipal institutions. As a former reporter for theBaltimore Sun, creator David Simon is well-versed in the city’s numerous issues.