Everyone loves to stream a good murder mystery TV show right? You know the ones that make us really think and then yell at the TV once we’ve figured out who the killer is? Yeah, those are the best kind of TV shows.
I for one, am obsessed with murder mysteries and spend a majority of my streaming time watching copious amounts of them. That’s why it shocks me that I haven’t talked about them here yet.
For this week’s Gizmodo Movie Night, we’re giving you a list of the best murder mystery TV shows you can sink your detective teeth into.
Only Murders In The Building (2021-)
If you’re a fan of comical murder mystery TV shows, then Only Murders In The Building is perfect for you.
Starring Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short, Only Murders In The Building follows three strangers who share an obsession with true crime podcasts until they suddenly find themselves stuck in one themselves.
After a gruesome death occurs in their wealthy Upper West Side apartment building, the trio take it upon themselves to uncover the truth behind the death. They quickly realise the threat of a potential killer living among them so they scramble to piece the clues together.
This show has found the perfect balance between murder mysteries and our current technological age. By using the current popularity of podcasts, Only Murders In The Building feels both fresh and exciting.
It also currently has a 100 per cent Rotten Tomatoes score, so that should be enough to convince you to watch it.
Season 1 and 2 of Only Murders In The Building is are currently streaming on Disney+.
The Twelve (2022)
The Twelve is the only thing people are talking about at the moment.
Basically, The Twelve is about twelve everyday Aussies (go figure) who have been selected for jury duty in a murder trial. As expected, the trial is deeply traumatising and controversial as a woman is accused of killing a child.
The jurors all have struggles of their own that play out within the show, which influences how they perceive the trial.
What I like most about The Twelve is that it approaches the murder mystery genre in a different way (besides Twelve Angry Men) from what we’re used to seeing.
It’s also fun to watch a murder mystery TV show that’s set in Sydney which means that I know the places and suburbs they talk about. It makes me feel more involved in the show.
It’s also helped teach us a lot more about what a juror does in Australia as most of the murder mystery/crime shows are set in the UK or the U.S..
The Twelve is currently streaming on Binge.
Search Party (2016-2022)
Search Party is one of the best TV shows I’ve seen recently.
Like all good murder mystery TV shows, Search Party will grab you by the throat and force you to get involved in the story, even if you may not want to be anymore.
After the disappearance of a former college acquaintance, Chantal, several 20-year-olds are thrown into the mystery of how she went missing. Some, like Dory, a rich housewife’s assistant, take it a lot more seriously than others.
I love the group dynamic in Search Party and that each character gets a chance to shine and lead the investigation in different directions.
Search Party is currently streaming on Stan.
Dexter (2006-2013)
Concepts like Dexter are my all-time favourite murder mystery TV shows.
Dexter Morgan has homicidal tendencies and lives a double life, as most serial killers do. During the day, he works as a forensic technician for the police and then kills the perpetrators in his free time.
Maybe he should get a different hobby other than murdering people, just a thought.
Anyways, Dexter is such a brilliant concept for a TV show and is gripping from start to finish. It’s one of those shows where you don’t want to like or root for the bad guy but you kind of end up doing exactly that.
It’s definitely a cooked Robin-Hood-doing-bad-for-the-greater-good plot.
Dexter: New Blood just recently came out so once you’ve binged your way through the first series, you get an extra treat at the end of it.
Dexter is currently streaming on Paramount+.
Fargo (2014-)
Fargo is different from the other murder mystery TV shows on this list because it’s mixed in with history and different time periods, which as a history nut, I appreciate.
Essentially, drastically different characters have to deal with a plethora of crimes in alternate time periods where the only thing that connects them is their attachment to the Midwest U.S..
Inspired by the 1996 film, the anthology series follows a new cast each season along different Midwestern towns. It’s basically like American Horror Story but with a bit more of an obvious connection in terms of plot.
Fargo is packed with a bunch of stars from Kristen Dunst and Martin Freeman to Chris Rock and Ewan McGregor.
It’s also a dark comedy, which I love more than anything (if you couldn’t already tell by this list).
Fargo is currently streaming on Netflix.
Gizmodo Movie Night is our fortnightly roundup of movie and TV recommendations for the weekend. If you’re ever stuck and looking for inspiration, check out our list and see what’s in store.
Stay tuned for the next edition of the column and check out our last one which was dedicated to Indigenous TV shows and movies.