20 Best Thriller TV Shows on Netflix 2026
Find tense crime, mystery, and action picks with breakout hits, returning favorites, and fresh Netflix thrillers worth streaming right now.
If you want sharp twists, tense pacing, and stories that keep you guessing, this roundup has you covered. We’ve gathered a mix of crime sagas, mystery-driven dramas, and action-heavy picks, from Breaking Bad and Hannibal to Outer Banks and Orphan Black. You’ll also find newer buzzworthy titles like Revival and I Will Find You, plus classics such as Heroes and Law & Order that still deliver strong suspense. With romance, drama, and high-stakes investigations in the mix, this list makes it easy to find your next binge without wasting time scrolling.
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01
Fauda
action · crime · drama · thriller · war
A top Israeli agent comes out of retirement to hunt for a Palestinian militant he thought he'd killed, setting a chaotic chain of events into motion.
Directed by Rotem Shamir, Omri Givon, Assaf BernsteinCast Netta Garti, Lior Raz, Itzik Cohen, Yaakov Zada-Daniel, Doron Ben-DavidNetflix -
02
Breaking Bad
crime · drama · thriller
Walter White, a New Mexico chemistry teacher, is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of only two years left to live. He becomes filled with a sense of fearlessness and an unrelenting desire to secure his family's financial future at any cost as he enters the dangerous world of drugs and crime.
Directed by Michelle MacLaren, Adam Bernstein, Vince Gilligan, Colin Bucksey, Michael SlovisCast Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, Betsy BrandtNetflix -
03
Outer Banks
action · crime · drama · mystery · romance · thriller
A tight-knit group of teens unearths a long-buried secret, setting off a chain of illicit events that takes them on an adventure they'll never forget.
Directed by Jonas Pate, Valerie Weiss, Darnell Martin, Gonzalo Amat, Cherie NowlanCast Chase Stokes, Madelyn Cline, Madison Bailey, J.D., Drew StarkeyNetflix -
04
The Walking Dead: Dead City
action · adventure · drama · horror · thriller
Maggie and Negan travel to post-apocalyptic Manhattan - long ago cut off from the mainland. The crumbling city is filled with the dead and denizens who have made it a world full of anarchy, danger, beauty, and terror.
Directed by Michael E. Satrazemis, Edward Ornelas, Kevin Dowling, Gandja Monteiro, Loren YaconelliCast Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan, Logan Kim, Gaius Charles, Zeljko IvanekNetflixAmazon Prime VideoAMC+ -
05
Yellowjackets
drama · mystery · thriller
This equal parts survival epic, psychological horror story and coming-of-age drama tells the saga of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to savage clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later.
Directed by Ben Semanoff, Eva Sørhaug, Daisy von Scherler Mayer, Jeffrey W. Byrd, Bart NickersonCast Melanie Lynskey, Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sophie Thatcher, Samantha HanrattyNetflixAmazon Prime VideoParamount Plus -
06
The Lincoln Lawyer
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
Sidelined after an accident, hotshot Los Angeles lawyer Mickey Haller restarts his career - and his trademark Lincoln - when he takes on a murder case.
Directed by Antonio Negret, Alonso Alvarez, Ted Humphrey, David Grossman, Ben Hernandez BrayCast Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Angus Sampson, Becki Newton, Jazz Raycole, Neve CampbellNetflixAmazon Prime Video -
07
The Blacklist
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
Raymond "Red" Reddington, one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives, surrenders in person at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He claims that he and the FBI have the same interests: bringing down dangerous criminals and terrorists. In the last two decades, he's made a list of criminals and terrorists that matter the most but the FBI cannot find because it does not know they exist. Reddington calls this "The Blacklist". Reddington will co-operate, but insists that he will speak only to Elizabeth Keen, a rookie FBI profiler.
Directed by Andrew McCarthy, Michael W. Watkins, Bill Roe, Michael Caracciolo, John TerleskyCast James Spader, Diego Klattenhoff, Harry Lennix, Hisham Tawfiq, Amir ArisonNetflix -
08
Stranger Things
drama · fantasy · horror · mystery · sci-fi · thriller
When a young boy vanishes, a small town uncovers a mystery involving secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces, and one strange little girl.
Directed by Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Shawn Levy, Andrew Stanton, Uta BriesewitzCast Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Natalia Dyer, Charlie HeatonNetflix -
09
NCIS
action · crime · drama · mystery · thriller
From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, a team of special agents investigates any crime that has any connection to Navy and Marine Corps personnel, regardless of rank or position.
Directed by Dennis Smith, Terrence O'Hara, Tony Wharmby, James Whitmore Jr., Thomas J. WrightCast Sean Murray, David McCallum, Mark Harmon, Brian Dietzen, Rocky CarrollNetflixHuluParamount Plus -
10
Revival
action & adventure · crime · drama · horror · mystery & thriller · science-fiction
On one miraculous day in rural Wisconsin, the recently deceased suddenly rise from their graves. But this is no zombie story, as the 'revived' appear and act just like they once were. When local officer and single mother Dana Cypress is unexpectedly thrown into the center of a brutal murder mystery of her own, she's left to make sense of the chaos amidst a town gripped by fear and confusion where everyone, alive or undead, is a suspect.
Directed by Samir Rehem, Amanda RowCast Melanie Scrofano, Romy Weltman, David James Elliott, Andy McQueen, Katharine King SoNetflix -
11
Dark Winds
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
This psychological thriller follows two Navajo police officers, Leaphorn and Chee, in the 1970s Southwest as their search for clues in a grisly double murder case forces them to challenge their own spiritual beliefs and come to terms with the trauma of their pasts.
Directed by Chris Eyre, Michael Nankin, Sanford Bookstaver, Billy Luther, Steven Paul JuddCast Zahn McClarnon, Kiowa Gordon, Jessica Matten, Deanna Allison, A MartinezNetflixAmazon Prime VideoAMC+ -
12
I Will Find You
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
An innocent father serving life for the murder of his own son receives evidence that his child may still be alive—and must break out of prison to find out the truth.
Directed by Brad Anderson, Adam Davidson, Maggie Kiley, Maja VrviloCast Sam Worthington, Britt Lower, Chi McBride, Logan Browning, Erin RichardsNetflix -
13
Hannibal
crime · drama · horror · mystery · thriller
Both a gift and a curse, Graham has the extraordinary ability to think like his prey—he sees what they see, feels what they feel. But while Graham is pursuing an especially troubling, cannibalistic murderer, Special Agent Jack Crawford teams him with a highly respected psychiatrist – a man with a taste for the criminal minded – Dr. Hannibal Lecter.
Directed by Michael Rymer, Guillermo Navarro, Vincenzo Natali, David Slade, Tim HunterCast Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen, Caroline Dhavernas, Laurence Fishburne, Scott ThompsonNetflixAmazon Prime Video -
14
The Diplomat
drama · thriller
Amid an international crisis, a US diplomat contends with her high-profile job as ambassador to the UK and her strained marriage to a political star.
Directed by Alex Graves, Liza Johnson, Tucker Gates, Andrew Bernstein, Simon Cellan JonesCast Keri Russell, Rufus Sewell, David Gyasi, Ali Ahn, Rory KinnearNetflix -
15
The Last Ship
action · drama · sci-fi · thriller · war
Their mission is simple: Find a cure. Stop the virus. Save the world. When a global pandemic wipes out eighty percent of the planet's population, the crew of a lone naval destroyer must find a way to pull humanity from the brink of extinction.
Directed by Paul Holahan, Jack Bender, Peter Weller, Michael Katleman, Steven KaneCast Eric Dane, Adam Baldwin, Charles Parnell, Travis Van Winkle, Marissa NeitlingNetflix -
16
Dark
crime · drama · mystery · sci-fi · thriller
A missing child causes four families to help each other for answers. What they could not imagine is that this mystery would be connected to innumerable other secrets of the small town.
Directed by Baran bo OdarCast Louis Hofmann, Karoline Eichhorn, Lisa Vicari, Maja Schöne, Jördis TriebelNetflix -
17
Dept. Q
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
A brash but brilliant cop becomes head of a new police department, where he leads an unlikely team of misfits in solving Edinburgh's cold cases.
Directed by Scott Frank, Elisa AmorusoCast Matthew Goode, Alexej Manvelov, Jamie Sives, Leah Byrne, Chloe PirrieNetflix -
18
Law & Order
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
In cases ripped from the headlines, police investigate serious and often deadly crimes, weighing the evidence and questioning the suspects until someone is taken into custody. The district attorney's office then builds a case to convict the perpetrator by proving the person guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Working together, these expert teams navigate all sides of the complex criminal justice system to make New York a safer place.
Directed by Constantine Makris, Edwin Sherin, Jace Alexander, David Platt, Richard DobbsCast Sam Waterston, S. Epatha Merkerson, Jerry Orbach, Steven Hill, Jesse L. MartinNetflixHuluPeacock Premium -
19
Talamasca: The Secret Order
drama · fantasy · sci-fi · thriller
Follows a secretive society which tracks supernatural beings like witches, vampires, and werewolves.
Directed by John Lee Hancock, Louise Hooper, Eva SørhaugCast Nicholas Denton, Celine Buckens, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, William Fichtner, Elizabeth McGovernNetflixAMC+ -
20
The Walking Dead
drama · horror · thriller
Sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes awakens from a coma to find a post-apocalyptic world dominated by flesh-eating zombies. He sets out to find his family and encounters many other survivors along the way.
Directed by Greg Nicotero, Michael E. Satrazemis, David Boyd, Ernest Dickerson, Guy FerlandCast Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Lauren Cohan, Christian Serratos, Josh McDermittNetflix
Wrapping Up
These picks bring together different kinds of suspense, whether you want a clever mystery, a gritty crime story, or a fast-moving action series with emotional stakes. From long-running favorites to newer additions, the lineup is built to help you find something worth pressing play on fast. Bookmark this page and check back whenever you need another strong option, because it’s updated regularly as Netflix changes its library. That way, you’ll always have a fresh place to start when you’re in the mood for a tense, addictive series.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often is this list updated?
We refresh this list regularly as titles are added or removed from streaming catalogs, so rankings and availability stay current.
Do I need a Netflix subscription to watch these?
Yes — every title on this list is currently available on Netflix. Availability can change, so we recommend checking the streaming link on each title before you start watching.
How are these thriller shows ranked?
We rank by a combination of audience rating and current popularity, so you're seeing the thriller titles people are actually watching right now, not just an old fixed list.
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Last updated: September 11, 2026