Some of the most popular television shows that have ever existed have been crime dramas. With a healthy selection of crime dramas to choose from from Netflix’s library, we’ve ranked the best by pooling user scores from IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes to compile the list of crime dramas on Netflix.
To determine which police dramas ranked higher when the same score was achieved, we decided to place the anime with the most user ratings on IMDb as a tiebreaker.
Please note: The list below has been compiled from titles in the US Netflix library.
Here are the best crime dramas on Netflix according to IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes:
10. Signal
Seasons: 1 | Episodes: sixteen
Execution time: 80 minutes | Cast: Lee Je Hoon, Kim Hye Soo, Jo Jin Woong, Kim Won Hae, Lee Yoo Joon
IMDb rating: 8.5.10 from 7.6k user ratings | AVG Tomatometer: 91% (audience)
Some of the best crime dramas available on Netflix are from South Korea. One of the best the country has to offer on Netflix is Signal.
Fifteen years ago, a girl was kidnapped on her way to school, which was witnessed by Park Hae Yeong. When the young woman is found dead, Hae Young begins to mistrust the police. 15 years later, Hae Young works for the police as a criminal profiler and finds a walkie-talkie that allows her to talk to detective Lee Jae Han, who is in the past.
9. Strange
Seasons: 2 | Episodes: 32
Execution time: 60 minutes | Cast: Cho Seung Woo, Bae Doo Na, Lee Joon Hyuk, Yoo Jae Myung, Shin Hye Sun
IMDb rating: 8.5/10 from 8.8k user ratings | AVG Tomatometer: N/A
Actress Bae Doona is one of the most recognizable faces on Netflix, having starred in a multitude of different projects. One of the best k-dramas available to stream, and at 32 episodes, if you’ve never seen a k-drama before, then Binging Stranger would be a great place to start.
Hwang Shi Mok is an exemplary prosecutor who suffered from hypersensitivity to certain sounds. After undergoing brain surgery in his youth, he nearly lost his sense of empathy. While investigating a bizarre murder case, he meets police lieutenant Han Yeo Jin, and she helps him solve it. As they begin to unravel the mystery behind the murders, they also discover that someone is leading and someone is hindering their efforts to reveal the secrets about a larger corruption scheme between the government’s Public Prosecutor’s Office and a private conglomerate.
8.Wentworth
Seasons: 9 | Episodes: 100
Execution time: 45 Minutes | Cast: Kate Atkinson, Katrina Milosevic, Robbie Magasiva, Jacquie Brennan, Celia Ireland
IMDb rating: 8.6/10 from 23k user ratings | AVG Tomatometer: N/A
There have been some excellent Australian dramas, but none as popular as Wentworth. Fans of Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black shouldn’t pass up the chance to catch all 100 great episodes of the beloved Aussie series.
After the assassination attempt on her husband, Bea Smith is imprisoned while awaiting her trial. Bea must accept her new way of life as she learns the rules of prison life.
7. Mindhunter north
Seasons: 2 | Episodes: 19
Execution time: 60 minutes | Cast: Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, Anna Torv, Hannah Gross, Sonny Valicenti
IMDb rating: 8.6/10 from 296k user ratings | AVG Tomatometer: 97%
Thanks to Fincher pausing the series for the foreseeable future, Mindhunter remains one of the most in-demand originals that subscribers want to bring back.
FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench, along with psychologist Wendy Carr, create the agency’s Behavioral Sciences Unit within the training division of the FBI Academy. Conducting interviews with known mass murderers allows them to begin to profile criminals, understand how they think, and how to apply this new knowledge to solve cases new and old.
6. dark north
Seasons: 3 | Episodes: 26
Execution time: 60 minutes | Cast: Louis Hoffman, Karoline Eichorn, Lisa Vicari, Maja Schöne, Jördis Triebel
IMDb rating: 8.7/10 from 399k user ratings | AVG Tomatometer: 95%
Germany’s first and arguably most successful Netflix Original, Dark had audiences in twists and turns thanks to its mind-bending narrative that took place across multiple timelines,
A family saga with a supernatural twist, set in a German town where the disappearance of two young children exposes the relationships between four families.
5. narcos north
Seasons: 3 | Episodes: 30
Execution time: 49 Minutes | Cast: Pedro Pascal, Wagner Moura, Boy Holbrook, Alberto Ammann, Paulina Gaitán
IMDb rating: 8.8/10 from 429k user ratings | AVG Tomatometer: 89%
Narcos, one of the earliest and most popular Netflix Originals, helped pave the way for more multilingual shows. After his starring role in Game of Thrones, Pedro Pascal showcased his acting chops as DEA agent Javier Peña, meanwhile, the world was introduced to Wagner Moura and his iconic performance as Pablo Escobar.
Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar rises to the top of the criminal underworld and becomes one of the richest and most powerful men on the planet. With Escobar’s influence impacting the US drug war, top DEA agents are sent into the country to bring him down.
4. Peaky Blinders north
Seasons: 6 | Episodes: 36
Execution time: 60 minutes | Cast: Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson, Sophie Rundle, Helen McCrory, Ned Dennehy
IMDb rating: 8.8/10 from 563k user ratings | AVG Tomatometer: 93%
Over the last decade, there have been few shows that have enamored audiences as much as Peaky Blinders. Taking both sides of the Atlantic by storm, Cillian Murphy and her co-stars have done a phenomenal job entertaining audiences for a decade, always leaving us wanting more.
In the aftermath of the Great War, Tommy Shelby taps into the despair and hedonism of 1919 Britain and uses his family and gang, the Peaky Blinders, to seize control of the streets of Birmingham. With bigger ambitions than running the streets, Tommy Shelby wants to go legit.
3. Better call Saul
Seasons: 6 | Episodes: 63
Execution time: 46 Minutes | Cast: Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Jonathan Banks, Patrick Fabian, Michael Mando
IMDb rating: 8.9/10 from 548k user ratings | AVG Tomatometer: 98%
In an era where prequels and spin-offs cost pennies, it takes something special to stand out from the crowd, especially when you’re the prequel to one of the most beloved TV shows of all time.
Before there was Saul Goodman, there was Jimmy McGill. Years before he met Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, Saul was a small-time lawyer.
2. My lord
Seasons: 1 | Episodes: sixteen
Execution time: 67 Minutes | Cast: Lee Sun Kyun, IU, Park Ho San, Song Sae Byul, Lee Ji Ah
IMDb rating: 9.1/10 from 7.2k user ratings | AVG Tomatometer: N/A
Despite its fantastic ratings and critical reception, the k-drama failed to make a significant impact on the ratings in South Korea.
A 40-year-old man bears the weight of life. A 20-year-old woman goes through different experiences, but she also bears the weight of her life. The man and the woman come together to help each other.
1. Breaking Bad
Seasons: 5 | Episodes: 62
Execution time: 49 Minutes | Cast: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte
IMDb rating: 9.5/10 from 1.9 million user ratings | AVG Tomatometer: 96%
A series that needs little to no introduction, the show has had a near constant presence on Netflix for over a decade. If you haven’t seen Breaking Bad yet, we’re completely jealous of you, but for those who have already seen Vince Gilligan’s masterpiece, isn’t it time to rewatch it?
Diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, high school chemistry teacher Walter White has a short time to live. Determined to secure a financial future for his family, Walter, with the help of former student Jesse Pinkman, uses his chemical genius to create extremely pure crystal meth. Walt’s signature blue meth makes him and Jesse rich quick, but its quality catches the eye of the DEA and the Mexican cartel. With time running out, Walt must earn as much meth and money as possible without getting caught or killed.
What is your favorite crime drama on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!