Featuring the latest seasons of 'Fargo' and 'True Detective'.
Looking for an Edge-Of-Your-Seat Series? Here Are 10 of the Best New Thrillers to Binge
Featuring the latest seasons of 'Fargo' and 'True Detective'.
When the stress of everyday life gets a bit much, some of us turn on the TV to get whisked away by a rom-com or escape into a fantastical world of sci-fi. But then there are others, like you, who are cut from a different cloth entirely. Thrill seekers with a taste for tension, you unwind by clinging to the edge of your seat, riding the twists and turns like a kid on a rollercoaster. This list is for you.
Featuring the latest seasons of Fargo and True Detective as well as newcomers A Shop for Killers and The Clearing, here are 10 of the best thrillers released in the past year to captivate you.
1. Fargo, Season 5
Where can I watch it? SBS On Demand
For the fifth season of the dark comedy crime anthology, Fargo, we find ourselves shivering in the snowy Midwestern town of Scandia, Minnesota. From the opening scene through to the final curtain call, prepare for plenty of suspense, violence, and Halloween spook. Laced with enough booby traps to make Kevin McCallister proud, Juno Temple and Jon Hamm shine in their roles as doting mom Dorothy "Dot" Lyon and shady Sheriff, Roy Tillman, as the past comes back to haunt them both.
2. True Detective: Night Country
Where can I watch it? Binge
Anyone who’s ever witnessed the speed and accuracy of a woman sleuthing on social media knows there is no truer detective than a female looking for answers. For season 4 of the anthology crime thriller True Detective, Chief Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Trooper Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) prove the ultimate pair as they investigate the disappearance of eight men who go missing without a trace from the Alaskan town of Ennis, where small town suspense meets classic crime drama.
3. Yellowjackets, Season 2
Where can I watch it? Paramount+
Though we’re still awaiting an official release date, the third season of the survivalist thriller series Yellowjackets is well underway. But we’re still recovering from Season 2, where the surviving New Jersey soccer team are desperately trying to stay alive through a brutal winter in the wilderness. Not for the faint of heart, season 2 is at times hard to stomach (quite literally), but if you’re a fan of psychological thrillers and have ever wondered what an all-female Lord of the Flies might’ve looked like, this is the show for you.
4. Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Where can I watch it? Amazon Prime Video
Some thrillers like to genre-bend, and Donald Glover’s newest release does just that. Merging drama, comedy, and romance, this Amazon series adaptation of 2005’s blockbuster film of the same name is as bingeworthy as they come. As spies masquerading as a married couple, John and Jane Smith push their new identities to the limit over eight espionage-filled episodes that will leave you with no nails left to bite.
5. The Diplomat
Where can I watch it? Netflix
We’ve only just had time to catch our breath from the captivating debut season of political thriller The Diplomat, and Netflix has already promised Season 2 will drop this year. If you loved Keri Russell in The Americans (or Felicity, for the OGs), she will captivate you as Ambassador Kate Wyler, a US diplomat on assignment in London, tasked with stopping a war before it even begins. Full of handshaking and dealmaking high-stakes drama, this eight-episode series is a masterclass in crisis management.
6. Death & Other Details
Where can I watch it? Disney+
A fun whodunit that plays like a mashup of Only Murders in the Building, Knives Out, and White Lotus, this cinematically spectacular Agatha Christie-style murder mystery set on a luxury cruise liner creeps up on you over ten episodes. Starring Violett Beane and Mandy Patinkin, Death & Other Details will have you second-guessing just about everyone, including yourself.
7. Special Ops: Lioness
Where can I watch it? Paramount+
Starring Zoe Saldana, Morgan Freeman and Nicole Kidman, this eight-episode action thriller captivates with its gripping storyline as it follows a team of female CIA operatives tasked with infiltrating terrorist networks. Created by Taylor Sheridan, known and loved for his work on Yellowstone and 1883, Special Ops: Lioness has been heralded for its emotionally nuanced and realistic portrayal of military combat and its lasting effect on soldiers.
8. A Shop for Killers
Where can I watch it? Disney+
This South Korean character-driven thriller is enjoying a surge of success after its release last month. A screen adaptation of Kim Ji-young’s novel, The Killer's Shopping Mall, this action-packed series follows Jeong Ji-An (played by Kim Hye-jun) and her uncle, mysterious shopping mall owner Jeong Jin-Man (Lee Dong-wook), who raises her. After his sudden death, Ji-An uncovers some hard truths over eight episodes of plot twists and hair-raising action sequences, with a gasp-worthy ending that will leave you desperately Googling, “A Shop for Killers Season 2 WHEN!”
9. The Clearing
Where can I watch it? Disney+
Dark brooding psychological thrillers don’t get much better than this. Based on the best-selling crime novel, In the Clearing, by J.P. Pomare and inspired by real-life cults, The Clearing is a sinister series that seriously threatens a good night’s sleep. Starring an all-star Australian cast including Teresa Palmer, Miranda Otto, and Guy Pearce, a woman’s cult-infused childhood memories are triggered when a local girl goes missing. Past and future blur as reality and nightmare collide over eight episodes in this unsettling series, directed by Gracie Otto and Jeffrey Walker.
10. From, Season 2
Where can I watch it? Stan
Horror meets thriller in this creepy series that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Seemingly sampling inspiration from Lost and Stephen King's Desperation, this sci-fi series centres on the residents of a nightmarish middle-American town who become trapped upon entry by an unknown force. Starring Harold Perrineau as self-appointed sheriff, Boyd Stevens, Season 2 of From leaves you hanging from a substantial cliff – but don’t worry, Season 3 is already due to drop by the end of this year.
