20 best TV series about cruel maniacs

20. Rillington Place

UK, 2016.
Biographical crime drama.
Duration: 1 season.
IMDb: 7, 1.

Series about maniacs: "Rillington Place"

The series tells about a real person - John Christie, an accountant from Yorkshire and a war veteran, who went down in history under the nickname "Gas Maniac". While his wife was away, the man lured victims into his house, strangled and buried corpses in the backyard.

The not-too-long story of three episodes is easy to watch in one evening. The creators decided not to savor the most nightmarish details, but they guaranteed a complete immersion in the psychology of one of the most brutal serial killers in Britain.

19. Method

Russia, 2015 - present.
Drama, thriller, detective.
Duration: 1 season.
IMDb: 7, 4.

Law school graduate Yesenia Steklova hopes that the dark detective Rodion Meglin will help find her mother's killer. Therefore, she goes on an internship to an unsociable investigator.

The author's project of Yuri Bykov stands out against the background of Russian television series. An interesting non-linear scenario based on real stories from domestic practice, the talented Konstantin Khabensky in the title role - all this makes Method worthy of attention even for those who have already seen The True Detective and The Mind Hunter.

18. Followers

USA, 2013-2015.
Drama, thriller.
Duration: 3 seasons.
IMDb: 7, 4.

FBI agent Ryan Hardy tries to catch and neutralize the psychopath Joe Carroll, a former literature teacher. It turns out that the maniac managed to organize a whole social network for serial killers who are ready to implement his wildest plans.

The series is filled with allusions to the work of Edgar Allan Poe, and the main role was played by Kevin Bacon, who is not often seen in the image of a goodie.

17. Alienist

USA, 2018.
Crime drama, detective.
Duration: 1 season.
IMDb: 7, 7.

New York, late 19th century. To investigate a series of brutal murders, the authorities recruit psychiatrist Laszlo Kreizler, whose profession was formerly called "Alienist". Helping the doctor in his search for the maniac will be a newspaper illustrator and the first woman in US history who was allowed to work in the police.

There are many TV series in which experts are trying to create a psychological portrait of a criminal. Only now the action of the "Alienist" takes place in those years when the very concept of psychiatry aroused skepticism, therefore the methods of analysis used by the heroes turn out to be very innovative for that time.

16. You

USA, 2018 - present.
Drama, psychological thriller.
Duration: 2 seasons.
IMDb: 7, 8.

The humble but charming bookseller Joe Goldberg is fascinated by the beautiful customer. The young man decides that they are intended for each other, and begins to hunt down his beloved everywhere, using her social networks and other open data for this. Gradually, his feelings develop into a dangerous obsession.

The show was a flop on Lifetime at first, but was suddenly a hit when it was released by the streaming service Netflix. The charming maniac Joe, played by the star of "Gossip Girl" Penn Badgley, is very much loved by fans. As a result, this provoked a whole discussion about whether the creators of the show are not romanticizing stalkers. But in fact, they were just trying to convey to the audience that a seemingly pleasant person can easily turn out to be a dangerous criminal.

15. Mister Mercedes

USA, 2017 - present.
Crime drama, detective, thriller.
Duration: 3 seasons.
IMDb: 7, 9.

Psychopath Brady Hartsfield crashes into a crowd of people in a stolen car, leaving behind several dead and wounded. The police fail to solve the case, only an elderly detective Bill Hodges does not lose hope of finding the criminal, especially since Hartsfield has conceived a new plan, this time capable of taking the lives of thousands of people.

The screenplay of Stephen King's novel was written by David Kelly (who also adapted the feature drama Big Little Lies for HBO). The confrontation between the two leading characters was played out superbly, and King admitted that when writing the book he kept in his head the image of Brandon Gleason, who played the role of investigator Hodges.

14. Criminal Mind

USA, 2005–2020.
Procedural drama.
Duration: 15 seasons.
IMDb: 8, 1.

The iconic show follows the FBI's Behavior Analysis team trying to understand the mindset of killers in order to prevent further crimes. By the way, this special unit exists in reality, and the history of its formation can be found in the series "Mindhunter" by David Fincher.

13. The mentalist

USA, 2008-2015.
Crime drama, detective, thriller.
Duration: 7 seasons.
IMDb: 8, 1.

Patrick Jane, a skilled psychologist and manipulator, helps the California Bureau of Investigation find dangerous criminals. But the main goal of the hero is to get on the trail of a cruel maniac nicknamed Bloody John.

Despite the fact that, according to the plot, the character of Simon Baker is often mistaken for a psychic, he wins every time solely thanks to the power of reason. In this, the hero reminds of Sherlock Holmes, who also knew how to notice seemingly insignificant details and interpret them correctly.

12. American Horror Story

USA, 2011 - present.
Horror, mysticism, drama.
Duration: 9 seasons.
IMDb: 8, 1.

Each season of this series tells its own story. At the same time, it resembles a kind of encyclopedia of the genre and is entirely built on a variety of horror cliches: an attentive viewer unmistakably recognizes the collective images of maniacs Jeffrey Dammer, John Wayne Gacy and other real killers.

11. Ripper Street

UK, 2012-2016.
Crime drama, detective, thriller.
Duration: 5 seasons.
IMDb: 8, 1.

Police Inspector Reed will investigate the murder of a young woman. Everyone around is convinced that the crime was committed by the famous Jack the Ripper, but Reed believes that this time the imitator is to blame. To complicate matters, a local journalist falsifies evidence to cash in on this chilling story.

British crime drama set in a Victorian era, is well played by actors from Pride and Prejudice and Game of Thrones. In addition, the creators managed to achieve the perfect combination of a historical detective story and a dark, cruel atmosphere.

10. Bates Motel

USA, 2013-2017.
Thriller, drama.
Duration: 5 seasons.
IMDb: 8, 2.

After the death of her husband, Norma Bates buys a small motel in a quiet city. But as they become acquainted with the local order, she and her young son understand that life there is not at all as calm and simple as it seemed to them.

The show provides an opportunity to get to know the maniac Norman Bates from the movie "Psycho" by Alfred Hitchcock. Everyone knows how the killer's life ended, but nevertheless there are quite a few unexpected script moves in the series.

9. Collapse

USA, 2013-2016.
Crime drama, detective.
Duration: 3 seasons.
IMDb: 8, 2.

Detective Stella Gibson takes on the deaths of successful middle-aged women. Soon she goes on the trail of the killer. It turns out to be psychologist Paul Spector, who leads a double life.

The confrontation between a charming sadist and a charismatic detective will not leave anyone indifferent. Moreover, the heroes are played by the star of "50 shades of gray" Jamie Dornan and audience favorite Gillian Anderson.

8. Murder

USA, Canada, 2011-2014.
Detective drama, thriller.
Duration: 4 seasons.
IMDb: 8, 2.

The same murder of a seventeen-year-old girl is shown from three different points of view: detectives, relatives of the victim, and suspects. Gradually new circumstances of the case are revealed, where everything is not as simple as it seems at first glance.

A measured crime drama based on the book by David Hewson "Who Killed Nanna Birk-Larsen?" a bit like Twin Peaks with a storyline connected with the murder of a high school girl. Everything is mixed here: political intrigue, police investigations and the experiences of ordinary people.

7. Life on Mars

UK, 2006-2007.
Crime drama, fantasy.
Duration: 2 seasons.
IMDb: 8, 3.

Chief Inspector Sam Tyler pursues a female murderer but is run over by a car. When he wakes up, he realizes that he was in 1973. It is not yet possible to return to his time, so the hero again goes to work for the police.

The British channel BBC is extremely interesting to combine drama, detective and fantasy in one bottle. Sound design (first of all, David Bowie's song Life on Mars, which gave the name to the series) will make you really feel the nostalgic atmosphere. And the very charming protagonist was played by John Simm, familiar to the audience in the image of the Master in Doctor Who.

6. Luther

USA, 2010 - present.
Crime drama, detective, thriller.
Duration: 5 seasons.
IMDb: 8, 5.

The brutal and shrewd investigator John Luther of the London police is able to unravel any complex case. True, it is difficult to call him a model of morality, which often creates very controversial situations.

In Luther, the identity of the killer is usually revealed to the viewer from the very first shots, and the contradictory image of the protagonist played by Idris Elba makes the psychological confrontation between the detective and the villain doubly interesting.

5. Hannibal

USA, 2013-2015.
Crime drama, detective, thriller.
Duration: 3 seasons.
IMDb: 8, 5.

Will Graham, a talented young FBI officer, has a gift for investigating the most atrocious crimes. To work on the next case against a maniac who kills high school girls, the psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter is appointed as Graham's assistant. However, investigators do not even suspect that their colleague is a cold-blooded and calculating cannibal.

In the prehistory of the famous "Silence of the Lambs" Mads Mikkelsen brilliantly played the role of the refined and frightening Hannibal Lecter. Moreover, the investigation of the crimes in "Hannibal" is gradually changing to an analysis of the relationship between the killer and Will who saw through him.

4. Bridge

Sweden, Denmark, Germany, 2011-2018.
Crime drama, detective, thriller.
Duration: 4 seasons.
IMDb: 8, 6.

In the middle of the Øresund Bridge, right on the border between Sweden and Denmark, they find a corpse cut in half (more precisely, two halves of different bodies). Detectives from both countries are beginning to investigate this case. Gradually, they realize that this is not an ordinary crime, but a real conspiracy leading to high-ranking politicians.

The atmospheric series captivates with a specific Scandinavian humor and at the same time does not hesitate to speak frankly about ulcers and vices of society. Over time, "The Bridge" was re-filmed in other countries. So the show turned into an amazing global franchise.

3. Dexter

USA, 2006-2013.
Crime drama, thriller.
Duration: 8 seasons.
IMDb: 8, 6.

As a child, Dexter Morgan witnessed the murder of his parents, after which a desire to kill forever settled inside the boy. But his adoptive father was able to turn the sinister passion in unexpected ways and turned Dexter from a mad maniac into an avenger, punishing only offenders who could not be arrested by the police.

Stylish and captivating thriller almost immediately after the premiere turned into one of the brightest phenomena on American television. The show poses a difficult question for the audience: is it possible, in principle, to sympathize with the killer, even such as the charismatic protagonist?

2. Mind hunter

USA, 2017 - present.
Crime drama, detective, thriller.
Duration: 2 seasons.
IMDb: 8, 6.

FBI special agents begin to develop a completely new direction of forensics: they interrogate dangerous serial killers and try to understand their way of thinking in order to successfully track down maniacs.

Much of the Mindhunter storyline, produced and directed in part by David Fincher, consists of dialogue in an enclosed space. But at the same time, the series remains incredibly exciting, which is explained by the correctly built drama and a high degree of reliability: if someone wants to open Wikipedia after watching to study the biographies of real criminals in more detail, they will probably be surprised at the similarity.

1. True detective

USA, 2014 - present.
Crime drama, detective.
Duration: 3 seasons.
IMDb: 9, 0.

Each season of the anthology is dedicated to a new investigation. First, two detectives try to unravel the case of a brutal sectarian killer against the backdrop of the Louisiana landscape. An interdepartmental group then investigates the death of a senior official. And in the third season, the police are looking for children who disappeared under very strange circumstances.

The series is built on the principle of a criminal puzzle: the action of most episodes takes place at once in several time layers. In addition, the project stands out for its memorable characters and striking acting work.