If you’re in the mood to unravel a mystery, Netflix is loaded with some of the best movies and television series to lose yourself in. It’s one of our favorite genres, and we have to hand it to the streaming giant for giving us so many great ones to choose from. To make things easier, we narrowed down our favorites of the best mystery TV series streaming on Netflix this January.
What are the best mystery TV series on Netflix?
These are just a few picks, and we did our best to include a range across the genre. There are more than a few murder mysteries and detective investigations here.
Dark
One of the highest-rated shows on our list, this show intersects multiple genres in a way we haven’t seen in a while. Think Stranger Things meets Twin Peaks meets time travel meets procedural detective investigation. A sci-fi mystery thriller, Dark begins in a small German town when two children go missing. The town’s past is soon exposed, along with the tangled lives of the families searching for their kids. Nearly every element is perfectly done, from the masterfully written script and brilliant direction to its cinematography and casting.
Midnight Mass
Like The Haunting of Hill House and Bly Manor (which does make an appearance on this list as well), Midnight Mass rides the same line between horror and mystery. The Mike Flanagan-led series begins when a mysterious priest arrives in a small town, bringing with him a series of seemingly miraculous events. Of course, he also carries his own secrets, and the slow unraveling of who this man really is keeps us glued to every episode.
The Following
Alright, if you like stories about serial killers, this one is a great pick, and Netflix just added it to its collection. While the show isn’t perfect in its execution, it remains one of our favorites. The Following centers on FBI agent Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) as he hunts down serial killer Joe Carroll (James Purefoy), who escapes from death row. While imprisoned, Carroll amassed a cult-like following willing to carry out his twisted murders for him. Soon, Hardy finds himself a target.
Mindhunter
We are practically screaming at you to watch this one. Best show on Netflix, period? Maybe. It’s truly fantastic, and we still feel robbed — robbed, do you hear us — that it never got more than two seasons. Led by David Fincher (the pro when it comes to mysteries and killers), the series dives into the early days of tracking down the BTK Killer. We’re still holding out hope for a follow-up film someday.
The OA
It’s tough to describe exactly what this show is about, but it’s a twisty, mind-bending sci-fi mystery through and through. The premise begins when a blind young woman goes missing, then suddenly returns — and she can see. What happened during her disappearance is nearly unbelievable, involving captivity, repeated death, and experiments meant to explore other dimensions. It’s too much to explain in a short blurb, but what you should know is that the series is absolutely beautiful. Another series we’re still hoping will return one day. And if not, we’re still awaiting what might come next from the show’s creator, Brit Marling (Murder at the End of the World).
The Staircase
This HBO miniseries stars Colin Firth as novelist Michael Peterson, who was accused of killing his wife in 2004. Without giving too much away, the series closely examines the case, the investigation, and the conflicting theories surrounding what happened. Alongside Colin Firth, the show’s cast is stacked, including Toni Collette, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sophie Turner, and Parker Posey, making it a solid pick for true-crime fans who want something more grounded and analytical.
Haunting of Bly Manor
The Haunting of Bly Manor, though maybe not outright what you’d define as a mystery, has more than enough to qualify it for this list. It’s also a story of romance wrapped in Gothic horror. Like any good ghost story, a young American au pair arrives at a manor in the English countryside to care for two orphaned children — already a creepy setup, so it’s no surprise that Dani begins seeing strange apparitions. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. The way the series slowly reveals its secrets and guides us to the finale is what earns Bly Manor a spot on this mystery best-of list. While the content may not scream “mystery” at first glance, the structure does. We’ll bend the rules a little for this one. The series also features much of the same cast as The Haunting of Hill House, including Victoria Pedretti and Oliver Jackson-Cohen.
The Sinner
This crime anthology series has been somewhat overlooked in recent years, and we’re more than happy to give it a shout-out on our list. Each season follows Detective Harry Ambrose (Bill Pullman) as he investigates crimes committed by the most unlikely suspects. Rather than focusing solely on what happened, the real hook of the series is why it happened. The first season opens with a woman named Cora who suddenly stabs a man to death in public, while the second centers on a young boy who poisons a couple. While all of the seasons are solid, the first remains the standout.
The Night Agent
For a bit of a mix-up, The Night Agent pushes into action-thriller territory. The series follows low-level FBI agent Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso), who mans an emergency phone line in the White House basement. Most nights are quiet — or as quiet as they can be when the line is meant for covert agents in trouble. That changes when a call finally comes through, pulling Peter into a conspiracy far bigger than he ever expected. We’ve got a mole, a terrorist plot, and a bit of murder.
How we picked the best mystery TV series on Netflix
We narrowed down our choices for the best mystery TV series on Netflix based on audience and fan response. We also opted to broaden what mystery might mean, including more than just procedural series. If you are a fan looking for more sleuthing, check out our guide on the best crime movies on Netflix.
