10 Moody Mystery Shows That Give You A Sense Of Dread

There are few TV shows as consistently compelling as a mystery series. Though lighthearted crime drama TV shows are a fun way to pass the time, there’s something uniquely enrapturing about a series that creates a foreboding atmosphere and imparts a sense of dread to the viewer. These series typically incorporate horror and thriller elements into the story and have a cohesive visual style that creates a moody feel as much as the plot. For audiences looking to be immersed in a narrative unafraid to get serious and almost surreal, these shows are perfect.

It’s impossible to guess the killer right away in these murder mysteries, as the stories are full of twists and turns that leave the audience guessing until the end. While the crime aspects are vital to the plot, these series are character-driven, focusing on the detectives who take on the investigation and unravel them. The detectives are often just as flawed as their criminal counterparts and are looking to heal a piece of themselves by delivering justice to the victims. Of course, this rarely goes as planned, and the protagonists get sucked into larger conspiracies than they could imagine.

10 The Sinner (2017-2021)

Bill Pullman leads this unconventional crime drama

Bill Pullman is one of the only consistent parts of The Sinner, other than the fact that every crime he investigates is even more unsettling than the last. This anthology series sees Pullman’s character, Harry Ambrose, look into unexpected crimes that aren’t what they seem on the surface. Typically, Pullman will have an inkling about who committed the crime or even a confession. However, his job is to find out what drove them to these acts and if there’s a larger conspiracy afoot.

Though Pullman anchors the series, the performances of each season’s new cast can’t be overlooked for how much they change the series with every installment.

This means that Ambrose enters every investigation from the perspective that he can’t trust anyone, establishing a sense of uncertainty from the outset. Though Pullman anchors the series, the performances of each season’s new cast can’t be overlooked for how much they change the series with every installment. While Ambrose might be investigating a crime no matter what, each location and the communities he enters are unique and force Ambrose to crack them open.

9 Sharp Objects (2018)

The Southern Gothic genre is pushed to the extreme in Sharp Objects

Based on the book by Gillian Flynn, Amy Adams gives a career-making performance in Sharp Objects, the Southern Gothic mystery that pulls no punches. Adams plays Camille, a journalist who returns to her hometown in Missouri in the wake of a rash of murders. While solving the murders is a large part of the story, Camille’s relationship with her mother and sister plays a huge role in the plot’s progression as the audience learns about Camille’s upbringing and what’s led to her issues.

The final twist in the last moments of Sharp Objects is so effective that it throws the entire show into question and makes the audience reconsider what they thought was true. Planning a twist this arresting is difficult, but Sharp Objects pulls it off brilliantly and ensures that the viewer is just as shocked as Camille. Adams is the essential piece of Sharp Objects that makes the show work. The positive reviews for Nightbitch, Adam’s new movie, are an exciting development and bode well for audiences and critics to remember what an amazing performer she is.

8 True Detective (2014–Present)

While each installment of True Detective is compelling, nothing beats season 1

Despite its critical acclaim and prestigious reputation, True Detective hasn’t been the most consistent series since its premiere in 2014. It’s widely agreed upon that the show peaked in season 1 when Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson teamed up to bring the terrifying story to life. However, season 3 and Night Country have successfully brought True Detective back to the forefront of the cultural conversation and encouraged viewers to revisit the seminal series.

The settings are a large part of what makes True Detective effectively thrilling, with sparsely populated corners of the U.S. serving as the backdrop for the horrible crimes. However, the detectives themselves are often as surreal and inscrutable as the criminals they’re investigating. Unsurprisingly, spending so much time entrenched in violent crimes leads the characters down dark and uncertain paths. While this is detrimental to the characters, it makes for amazing television as the audience watches the case and the people unravel.

7 Mindhunter (2017–2019)

With only two seasons under its belt, Mindhunter is unforgettably dark

It’s no surprise that David Fincher is one of the key creatives behind Mindhunter, as the iconic director has contributed to the modern conception of the thriller with movies like Zodiac and Seven. Though it’s a tragedy that there are only two seasons of the brilliantly crafted show, they pack a punch and have Fincher’s characteristic patience and attention to detail. The psychology of crimes is at the forefront of Mindhunter, as the series tracks the early stages of the behavioral analysis unit of the FBI.

Mindhunter
does a great job of drawing the audience into the killers’ traps just as deeply.

The end of Mindhunter is a Netflix TV show cancelation that hurt a lot, and there are no plans for Fincher and the cast to reunite for a third season. This means that audiences will always be wondering about the fate of the complex and troubled characters at the heart of Mindhunter, like Holden (Jonathan Groff), who was uniquely susceptible to the serial killers he interviewed. However, Mindhunter does a great job of drawing the audience into the killers’ traps just as deeply.

6 Broadchurch (2013–2017)

This British drama successfully keeps the audience off the trail

A tragic murder that disrupts the peace of a small town is not a new conceit for a murder mystery, but Broadchurch refreshes the story and makes it new. David Tennant and Olivia Colman star as the opposite detectives who pair up to solve the murder of a local boy. Of course, in such a small town, word travels fast, and Colman’s Ellie is a longtime resident of the town, creating a conflict of interest. However, Broadchurch interrogates how well we know our neighbors and the people we love.

Though there are moments of humor and breaks in the tension, the reveal of the killer at the end of Broadchurch season 1 sets the rest of the series on a grim and twisting path. Broadchurch season 1 is the tightest installment of the show, but every season has something to offer and tackles the darkness that hides just below the surface of seemingly idyllic communities. The beautiful seaside setting juxtaposes the grisly murder and the lengths people will go to keep their secrets buried.

5 Under The Bridge (2024)

Riley Keough and Lily Gladstone make an unforgettable pair in Under the Bridge

Under the Bridge joins the ranks of Hulu’s best true crime drama TV shows and successfully adapts the real-life story while being respectful of the people involved. Riley Keough plays Rebecca Godfrey, the woman who wrote the book the show is based on, with Lily Gladstone joining her as the detective Cam Bentland, who becomes romantically involved with Godfrey. These two adults attempt to unpack the death of a teenage girl and uncover the deadly perils of adolescence in their town.

It’s almost unbelievable what Under the Bridge discovers about the cruelty that young people inflict upon each other and how far bullying can go. As she investigates the case, Keough’s Rebecca and Gladstone’s Cam both grapple with their personal demons and the traumatic history of their home. Taking place in British Columbia, much of the series utilizes the gorgeous natural landscape of the town while simultaneously showing its darker parts. This sets the scene for the budding romance and tough investigation to commence.

4 The Night Of (2016)

The inherent flaws with criminal prosecution are exposed by this show

Mystery series are exceptionally good at tapping into deeper social and cultural issues through the lens of a crime. This is the case in The Night Of, which follows the prosecution of Nasir Khan, played by a critically lauded Riz Ahmed, after he wakes up to find the woman next to him dead with no memory of the night before. Throughout the story, the failures of the criminal justice system and the built-in discrimination that leads to people of color and those with limited financial resources being unfairly imprisoned and targeted.

Unlike other mysteries,
The Night Of
is just as much about the legal process and seeing Nasir set free as it is about catching the true killer.

It’s a tragic tale that presents few happy endings or silver linings, as few people step up to help Nasir, and his time in prison has detrimental effects on his health. Unlike other mysteries, The Night Of is just as much about the legal process and seeing Nasir set free as it is about catching the true killer. However, the audience becomes just as unsure as Nasir about his innocence and the part he played in the woman’s death.

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

Emma Corrin leads this updated version of a whodunit

There are plenty of well-crafted whodunit murder mysteries for audiences to watch from different eras, but A Murder at the End of the World attempts to bring technology and contemporary sensibilities to the genre. Emma Corrin stars as Darby Hart, a detective and hacker who must uncover the secrets of a reclusive billionaire. Artificial intelligence and its role in humanity’s future is discussed in A Murder at the End of the World, which uses its new age themes and stylization to great effect.

Brit Marling is one of the minds behind A Murder at the End of the World, along with Zal Batmanglij, and it makes sense that the series is so meta-textual and complex, as they also created the sci-fi thriller The OA. Though A Murder at the End of the World doesn’t hit the same heights as The OA, it’s still a propulsive mystery that leaves audiences questioning their own biases and beliefs by the end of the narrative.

2 Under The Banner Of Heaven (2022)

A detective’s faith is challenged by the horrible death of a young woman

Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones play the dual protagonists in Under the Banner of Heaven, even though they exist in parallel timelines. Garfield’s character, Jeb Pyre, is a detective who investigates the murder of Edgar-Jones’s Brenda Lafferty, who is seemingly the victim of a group of extremist men within her church. The series flashes between Brenda’s experiences leading up to her death, the detective work from the conflicted Jeb, and the founding of the Church of the Latter-day Saints.

If anything, it’s even more affecting to see the inevitable fate of Brenda draw closer and witness how much her experience changes Jeb and his faith in the church.

Though the series is based on true events, and it’s easy to see where the story is going, this doesn’t make it any less compelling to watch it unfold. If anything, it’s even more affecting to see the inevitable fate of Brenda draw closer and witness how much her experience changes Jeb and his faith in the church. This series is a great example of a show that explores higher questions of faith within a gripping mystery.

1 The Outsider (2020)

Stephen King’s novel is made even more chilling

Cynthia Erivo might be getting a lot of attention today for her upcoming role in the Wicked movie, but she’s lent her skills to a variety of genres before this. In the miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s book, Erivo plays Holly Gibney, a private detective who investigates the case, with Jason Bateman and Ben Mendelsohn starring alongside her. Bateman also served as the director of a few of the episodes and has been lauded for his ability to capture the thrills and terror of King’s work.

King’s work is notoriously difficult to bring to life onscreen since there are always surreal and supernatural elements that the series must balance with the gritty reality of the crimes. However, in terms of atmosphere, this mystery series hits all the marks and is elevated by its strong performances. Like many tragic shows, the death of a young boy is at the heart of the small town’s conspiracy, which makes the story all the more intense and upsetting.