20 Best Thriller TV Shows on Paramount Plus 2026
Find gripping Paramount Plus thrillers, crime dramas, and mystery picks including Lioness, Dexter, Yellowjackets, Criminal Minds, and more today.
If you’re hunting for the best thriller TV shows on Paramount Plus, this list brings together tense spy missions, dark crime cases, and eerie cult favorites that still hold up. You’ll find modern standouts like Lioness, The Agency: Central Intelligence, Yellowjackets, and Dexter, alongside long-running staples such as Criminal Minds and NCIS. There’s also room for moodier picks like Twin Peaks and The Twilight Zone, which add mystery and suspense in very different ways. With action, drama, thriller, crime, and mystery all represented, this lineup makes it easy to jump from one gripping watch to the next.
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01
Lioness
action · drama · thriller
Cruz Manuelos, a rough-around-the-edges but passionate young Marine, is recruited to join the CIA's Lioness Engagement Team to help bring down a terrorist organization from within. Joe, the station chief of the Lioness program, is tasked with training, managing and leading her female undercover operatives.
Directed by Michael Friedman, John Hillcoat, Stephen Kay, Anthony Byrne, Paul CameronCast Zoe Saldaña, Laysla De Oliveira, Dave Annable, Jill Wagner, LaMonica GarrettParamount Plus -
02
The Curse
comedy · drama · thriller
An alleged curse disturbs the relationship of a newly married couple as they try to conceive a child while co-starring on their problematic new HGTV show.
Directed by Nathan Fielder, David Zellner, Nathan ZellnerCast Emma Stone, Nathan Fielder, Benny Safdie, Hikmah Warsame, Christopher D. CalderonParamount Plus -
03
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 -
04
The Agency: Central Intelligence
drama · thriller
Covert CIA agent Martian is ordered to abandon his undercover life and return to London Station. When the love he left behind unexpectedly reappears, their romance reignites, pitting his career, his real identity and his mission against his heart while hurling them both into a deadly game of international intrigue and espionage.
Directed by Neil Burger, Grant Heslov, Zetna Fuentes, Philip Martin, Joe WrightCast Michael Fassbender, Jeffrey Wright, Jodie Turner-Smith, Katherine Waterston, Harriet Sansom HarrisParamount Plus -
05
Criminal Minds
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
An elite team of FBI profilers analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. The Behavioral Analysis Unit's most experienced agent is David Rossi, a founding member of the BAU who returns to help the team solve new cases.
Directed by Glenn Kershaw, Félix Enríquez Alcalá, Rob Bailey, Edward Allen Bernero, Matthew Gray GublerCast Kirsten Vangsness, A.J. Cook, Matthew Gray Gubler, Joe Mantegna, Thomas GibsonAmazon Prime VideoHuluParamount Plus -
06
Twin Peaks
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
The body of Laura Palmer is washed up on a beach near the small Washington state town of Twin Peaks. FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper is called in to investigate her strange demise only to uncover a web of mystery that ultimately leads him deep into the heart of the surrounding woodland and his very own soul.
Directed by David Lynch, Lesli Linka Glatter, Caleb Deschanel, Duwayne Dunham, Tim HunterCast Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Mädchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook, Richard BeymerParamount Plus -
07
Dexter: Resurrection
crime · drama · thriller
Dexter Morgan awakens from a coma to find Harrison gone without a trace. Realizing the weight of what he put his son through, Dexter sets out for New York City, determined to find him and make things right. But closure won't come easy. When Miami Metro's Angel Batista arrives with questions, Dexter realizes his past is catching up to him fast. As father and son navigate their own darkness in the city that never sleeps, they soon find themselves deeper than they ever imagined - and that the only way out is together.
Directed by Marcos Siega, Monica Raymund, Erica DuntonCast Michael C. Hall, Uma Thurman, James Remar, Jack Alcott, Kadia SarafParamount Plus -
08
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 -
09
Dexter
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police also leads a secret life as a serial killer, hunting down criminals who have slipped through the cracks of justice.
Directed by John Dahl, Steve Shill, Keith Gordon, Marcos Siega, Ernest DickersonCast Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas, James Remar, C.S. LeeParamount Plus -
10
The Twilight Zone
drama · fantasy · horror · mystery · sci-fi · thriller
An anthology series containing drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, and/or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist.
Directed by John Brahm, Douglas Heyes, Buzz Kulik, Lamont Johnson, Richard L. BareCast Rod Serling, Robert McCord, Jay Overholts, James Turley, Vaughn TaylorParamount Plus -
11
Star Trek: Voyager
action · adventure · drama · sci-fi · thriller
Pulled to the far side of the galaxy, where the Federation is 75 years away at maximum warp speed, a Starfleet ship must cooperate with Maquis rebels to find a way home.
Directed by David Livingston, Winrich Kolbe, Allan Kroeker, Michael Vejar, Cliff BoleCast Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Roxann Dawson, Robert Duncan McNeill, Ethan PhillipsParamount Plus -
12
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
action · adventure · drama · sci-fi · thriller
At Deep Space Nine, a space station located next to a wormhole in the vicinity of the liberated planet of Bajor, Commander Sisko and crew welcome alien visitors, root out evildoers and solve all types of unexpected problems that come their way.
Directed by David Livingston, Les Landau, Winrich Kolbe, Allan Kroeker, LeVar BurtonCast Avery Brooks, Rene Auberjonois, Cirroc Lofton, Alexander Siddig, Colm MeaneyParamount Plus -
13
Evil
crime · drama · horror · mystery · thriller
Skeptical forensic psychologist Kristen Bouchard joins priest-in-training David Acosta and technology expert Ben Shakir as they investigate supposed miracles, demonic possessions, and other extraordinary occurrences to assess for a scientific explanation or if something truly supernatural is at work.
Directed by John Dahl, Robert King, Peter Sollett, Nelson McCormick, Fong-Yee YapCast Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Aasif Mandvi, Michael Emerson, Maddy CroccoParamount Plus -
14
Killing Eve
action · adventure · drama · thriller
A security consultant hunts for a ruthless assassin. Equally obsessed with each other, they go head to head in an epic game of cat-and-mouse.
Directed by Damon Thomas, Stella Corradi, Jon East, Harry Bradbeer, Lisa BrühlmannCast Jodie Comer, Sandra Oh, Fiona Shaw, Kim Bodnia, Owen McDonnellNetflixAmazon Prime VideoParamount Plus -
15
Escape at Dannemora
biography · crime · drama · thriller
The stranger-than-fiction account of a prison break in upstate New York in the summer of 2015, which spawned a massive manhunt for two convicted murderers who were aided in their escape by a married female prison employee with whom they both became sexually entangled.
Directed by Ben StillerCast Benicio Del Toro, Patricia Arquette, Paul Dano, Bonnie Hunt, Eric LangeParamount Plus -
16
The Bureau
drama · thriller
Within the DGSE (General Directorate for External Security), a department called the Office Of Legends (BDL) forms and remote pilot the most important agents of the French intelligence services: Clandestine. Immersion in hostile country, their mission is to identify individuals who may be recruited as sources of information. Operating "under caption", that is to say in a fabricated identity from scratch, they live for many years in a permanent duplicity. Our hero just returned from a clandestine mission six years in Damascus. But contrary to what is required by safety rules, he does not abandon his legend and the identity under which he lived in Syria, thus putting in danger the whole system.
Directed by Eric Rochant, Samuel Collardey, Antoine Chevrollier, Anna Novion, Hélier CisterneCast Mathieu Kassovitz, Florence Loiret Caille, Jonathan Zaccaï, Sara Giraudeau, Jules SagotParamount Plus -
17
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
A Las Vegas team of forensic investigators are trained to solve criminal cases by scouring the crime scene, collecting irrefutable evidence and finding the missing pieces that solve the mystery.
Directed by Kenneth Fink, Richard J. Lewis, Alec Smight, Danny Cannon, Brad TanenbaumCast George Eads, Eric Szmanda, Robert David Hall, Paul Guilfoyle, Jorja FoxHuluParamount Plus -
18
Mayor of Kingstown
crime · drama · thriller
In a small Michigan town where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry, the McClusky family are the power brokers between the police, criminals, inmates, prison guards and politicians in a city completely dependent on prisons and the prisoners they contain.
Directed by Christoph Schrewe, Guy Ferland, Stephen Kay, Clark Johnson, Ben RichardsonCast Jeremy Renner, Tobi Bamtefa, Taylor Handley, Hugh Dillon, Derek WebsterParamount Plus -
19
FBI
action · crime · drama · mystery · thriller
The New York office of the FBI brings to bear all their talents, intellect and technical expertise on major cases in order to keep their city and the country safe.
Directed by Alex Chapple, Jean de Segonzac, Carlos Bernard, Milena Govich, Jon CassarCast Missy Peregrym, Zeeko Zaki, Jeremy Sisto, Alana De La Garza, John BoydParamount Plus -
20
Blue Bloods
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
A drama about a multi-generational family of cops dedicated to New York City law enforcement. Frank Reagan is the New York Police Commissioner and heads both the police force and the Reagan brood. He runs his department as diplomatically as he runs his family, even when dealing with the politics that plagued his unapologetically bold father, Henry, during his stint as Chief.
Directed by David Barrett, Ralph Hemecker, Alex Zakrzewski, Robert Harmon, John BehringCast Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes, Len Cariou, Tom SelleckAmazon Prime VideoParamount Plus
Wrapping Up
Whether you want undercover operations, serial-killer tension, strange small-town secrets, or procedural crime stories, this collection covers a lot of ground. Lioness, Criminal Minds, The Agency: Central Intelligence, Twin Peaks, The Twilight Zone, Dexter, Yellowjackets, and NCIS each bring a different kind of suspense, so there’s something here for every kind of thriller fan. Bookmark this page and come back whenever you need a new show to start. It’s updated regularly so the recommendations stay current and useful.
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 Paramount Plus subscription to watch these?
Yes — every title on this list is currently available on Paramount Plus. 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