The thriller genre is vast, meaning a handful of great thriller series have gone unnoticed over the years.Such shows are up to par with some ofthe best thriller TV showsof all timebut haven’t earned as much attention. Many of the more underratedshowsarethriller miniseries, operate at a slower pace, and are released in other parts of the world.
These are just a handful of variables to explain why underrated shows likeTop of the LakeandThe Kettering Incidentare likely to be missed by general audiences. Despite being underrated and often overlooked, thriller series likeThe KillingandThe Night Ofboasta compelling balance of mystery and drama, ensuring audiences aren’t bored or able to see various plot twists coming. Lacking the legacy and popularity of other shows in the genre, several underrated thriller series are still waiting to be discovered.
The Twelve
Cast
The Twelve is a Belgian drama series that follows twelve jurors who are selected to deliberate on a complex and controversial murder case, impacting their lives as they confront their personal biases and moral dilemmas.
A Belgian series picked up by Netflix in 2020,The Twelvecenters around a group of people called in for jury duty. The twelve jurors sit in for a murder case where a headmistress is accused of killing two different people years apart. On paper,The Twelveappears to be another nail-biting crime thriller that’s little to no different from others in the genre.
However, what sets the series apart from others andwhat makes it worth watching isitsexploration of the jurors' emotions and reactionsto the crimes and evidence presented. The reactions and thought processes vary across the board, keeping the results of the final verdict up in the air for the majority of the series. Though there are only 10 episodes inThe Twelve, its premise offers the chance for a new case to be presented to a new set of jurors with every season, as seen in the Australian version of the series.
The Killing
Set in Seattle, this crime drama follows homicide detectives Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder as they navigate complex murder investigations. The series delves into the procedural intricacies of detective work while unraveling the personal and professional challenges faced by its central characters.
Based on the Danish seriesForbrydelsen,The Killingbegins by following two homicide detectives (Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman) hoping to solve the unexpected murder of a teenage girl. Set in Seattle, Washington,the series benefits from the wet and gloomy surroundings, which adds to its effectively chilling atmosphere.The Killingexplores the dark truths about both the various murder cases themselves and the people involved in solving them.
Like many detectives, Enos' Sarah Linden must find a way to navigate the pressure and emotional toll the job has on her, and the actor portrays these emotions effortlessly.
The Killingis a greatmystery TV show led by a woman, andEnos delivers a particularly celebrated performance. Like many detectives, Enos' Sarah Linden must find a way to navigate the pressure and emotional toll the job has on her, and the actor portrays these emotions effortlessly. Critical acclaim for the series' later seasons died down, butThe Killing’s tension and slow burn that made it a hit in the first place remain staples of the show until its final episode.
The Third Day
The Third Day is a miniseries starring Jude Law and Naomie Harris. It follows three interconnected stories centering on an isolated island off the British coast, exploring themes of faith, trauma, and community. The series is divided into two parts: “Summer,” focusing on a grieving man’s experiences, and “Winter,” which centers on a mother’s search for answers.
Inspired by classic folk horror films likeThe Wicker Man, HBO’sThe Third Dayavoids being a direct copyby implementing a unique and chilling premise that differentiates the show from other thriller series. Split into three parts,The Third Dayfollows a man’s journey to a mysterious island, exploring his connection to its history and traditions.
The structure of the series is unlike others in the genre, turning some audiences away as easily as it drew others in. The first part of the series is split into three episodes that focus on Jude Law’s Sam and his initial arrival on the island.
The second part is an immersive 12-hour livestream that saw Sam further involved with the island’s rituals and celebrations. The last three episodes make up the third part, where Sam’s wife, played by Naomie Harris, comes to the island to find him.The Third Daycontains an absorbing mystery and keeps audiences hooked until the very end.
The Kettering Incident
The Kettering Incident is a mystery drama series released in 2016, centering around Anna Macy, who returns to her hometown 15 years after her friend Gillian Baxter’s unsolved disappearance. As the town faces environmental turmoil, Anna confronts the haunting events that transpired in the forests of Kettering.
Over eight episodes, the truth about a coastal town in Australia is uncovered inThe Kettering Incident. Starring Elizabeth Debicki as the series' protagonist, Anna Macy,The Kettering IncidentseesAnna return home fifteen years after her best friend, Gillian, mysteriously vanishes.
When she arrives back home, another local girl has gone missing in a similar way as Gillian, leaving Anna determined to get to the bottom of the town’s mysteries. Like many ofthe best Australian thrillers,The Kettering Incidentuses its environment to its advantage. The struggling forests in the area are another point of conflict in the series, this time between loggers and environmentalists.
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Kettering’s environmental struggle and the sudden disappearances of residents provide the foundation for the series' thrills and unpredictable mysteries. Premiering in Australia and earning an average response from critics, it’s easy to see howThe Kettering Incidenthas gone under the radar, but it’s still a thriller worthy of attention.
Shining Girls
Shining Girls is a suspense thriller series starring Elisabeth Moss as Kirby Mazrachi, a newspaper archivist traumatized by a brutal assault. Set in 1990s Chicago, the show follows Kirby as she partners with seasoned crime reporter Dan Velazquez, played by Wagner Moura, to uncover a series of cold case murders that mirror her own attack, revealing disturbing and supernatural connections. The series is based on the novel by Lauren Beukes.
Based on author Lauren Beukes' novel of the same name, the Apple TV+ seriesShining Girlsis an ambitious thriller that’s full of twists. The series isled by Elisabeth Moss, who plays Kirby Mazrachi, a woman in Chicago determined to track down her attacker years later after she notices a pattern of similar attacks taking place.The series' use of time travelprocedures and deeper meanings behind Kirby’s journey can be confusing at times.
It’s easy to see how audiences ignored or quitShining Girlsonce the plot became too involved, but it’s a series worth another try. The narrative differences between the original book and the show help to create a show audiences have an easier time investing in, such as making Kirby the series' central protagonist and further fleshing out the perpetrator character.
Counterpart
Counterpart is a science fiction thriller series that stars J.K. Simmons as Howard Silk, a low-level bureaucrat who discovers his organization is hiding a parallel universe. As Howard navigates this revelation, he confronts his doppelgänger from the other side, uncovering intense espionage and political intrigue.
Created by one ofShōgun’s co-creators, Justin Marks,Counterpartis a fascinating sci-fi thriller thattakes audiences on a journey between two vastly different worlds. In the series, Howard Silk (J. K. Simmons) works at the Office of Interchange, unsure of the purpose his daily tasks at work serve.
It’s soon unveiled that his world, Alpha, is one of two parallel Earths that were created following a science experiment in the late ’80s. Conspiracies and the belief that those in the Alpha world are behind the deadly flu impacting the Prime world cause tension between the two.
Many of the series' characters are seen in both worlds, with their actors taking on the responsibility of playing two widely opposing figures at the same time. As the series' lead,Simmons is especially impressive in his role. While some critics and audiences may have felt the second season became too complicated with its storytelling, Simmons' strong performance and the thrills established by season 1 remained positively intact.
Utopia
The Utopia Experiments is a legendary graphic novel shrouded in mystery. When a group of strangers find themselves in possession of an original manuscript, their lives suddenly and brutally implode.
Audiences outside the UK are likely to have first come acrossUtopia’s American version, released in 2020. Created by Gillian Flynn,Utopiawas considered unwatchable, having stripped away the best qualities of the original series released in 2013. With a passionate cult following,Utopiafollowed a group ofcomic book fans who believed a popular series had predicted several devastating epidemics.
Utopiahas a 100% rating onRotten Tomatoes.
When the group of fans gets their hands on a sequel predicting future events, they are sought out by a secret organization known as “The Network.” The unsuccessful 2020 version might have caused audiences to overlook the original, which is unfortunate consideringUtopia’s clever blend of thrills, conspiracies, and dark comedy.
Utopiais uniquely stylish and takes inspiration from real-life events. Though the series has been criticized for its use of real-life events and its depicted violence, it was still largely well-received and earned several award nominations for its writing and performances.
Top of the Lake
Top of the Lake is a mystery drama series directed by Jane Campion and Garth Davis. It stars Elisabeth Moss as Detective Robin Griffin, who investigates the disappearance of a pregnant 12-year-old girl in the remote town of Laketop, New Zealand. The series delves into complex themes such as crime, motherhood, and societal dysfunction, set against a haunting and isolated backdrop.
Created and written by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee,Top of the Lakeis a chilling drama series that follows Detective Robin Griffin (Elisabeth Moss) in various investigations. The first installment of the seriestakes place in New Zealand, where a 12-year-old girl has gone missing.
The second installment,Top of the Lake: China Girl, is set in Sydney and follows the investigation of a deceased girl found on Bondi Beach.Top of the Laketackles difficult subject matters in each series, with the writing and Moss' performance being considerate channels for such topics.
Actors like David Wenham, Holly Hunter, Gwendoline Christie, and Nicole Kidman appear in each of the series' installments and deliver strong performances.Top of the Lakehasearned consistent praisefrom critics and audiences for its tight writing and handling of its disturbing content, balancing its social commentary with an effective mystery.
Escape At Dannemora
Escape at Dannemora is a crime drama based on a real-life prison break in upstate New York. The series explores the complex relationships and manipulations among two convicted murderers and the facility’s staff member who becomes entangled in their escape plan, revealing underlying themes of desperation and vulnerability.
Several crime shows are based on real life, as the details of the crimes require little dramatization for a gripping TV show.Escape at Dannemorais one of them, with the thriller series pullinginspiration from the 2015 Clinton Correctional Facility escape, in whichconvicted murderers Richard Matt and David Sweatsuccessfully escaped from prison with the help ofprison employee Joyce Mitchell(Patricia Arquette). Matt and Sweat are played by Benicio del Toro and Paul Dano, respectively.
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Escape at Dannemoratakes its time to lay out the prisoners' plan. While the slower pace may not be for everyone, patient audiences are awarded a captivating look at Matt, Sweat, and Mitchell’s motives and the interpersonal relationships between them. Ben Stiller’s direction is admirable, and the cast’s performances are some of the best in their respective careers, earningseveral notable nominations at the Emmysand Golden Globes.
The Night Of
The Night of is a TV mini-series revolving around Nasir ‘Naz’ Khan, a young college student who, after partying with a woman, finds her stabbed to death in his room the following morning. Riz Ahmed stars as Naz alongside John Turturro as his lawyer and Michael K. Williams as Freddy Knight, an influential inmate at Rikers Island.
It doesn’t take long for audiences to get drawn into the mystery ofThe Night Of. The crime thriller miniseries earned acclaim following its 2016 release, receiving several Emmy nominations and wins, including one forRiz Ahmed’s leading performance. As expected with a miniseries, conversations surrounding the show have died down in recent years, andThe Night Ofhas become a thriller series overlooked by many.
ThoughThe Night Ofdoesn’t completely reinvent the genre, the thrills and plot twists are meticulously placed, ensuring audiences remain invested throughout the series' eight episodes.
The show is based on the 2008 British seriesCriminal Justiceand follows Ahmed’s character and his lawyer, played by John Turturro. Ahmed’s Nasir Khan isa Pakistani-American college student who is accused of murdering a woman. Mixed in with the typical procedural format is a complex narrative that highlights the difficulties Nasir faces within the justice system. ThoughThe Night Ofdoesn’t completely reinvent the genre, the thrills and plot twists are meticulously placed, ensuring audiences remain invested throughout the series' eight episodes.
