7 Crime Shows That Are Perfect From Start To Finish

7 Crime Shows That Are Perfect From Start To Finish

April 8, 2026 / ben Margen /


Crime and criminals have been popular topics on television for decades, and there’s no sign of that changing anytime soon. So, it’s no surprise that so many of the greatest TV shows ever made have been firmly rooted in the crime genre. With its layered characterizations and scope for gritty, stylized storytelling, the genre has produced some true television landmarks that have transformed the way we tell stories on the small screen.

Of course, there have been a lot of crime shows released over the years, and not all of them fit that description; most don’t even come close. So it’s all the more satisfying when you come across a crime series that’s also a bona fide masterpiece, excelling in every department and transcending the limits of its genre to create something truly spectacular. With that in mind, here’s our handpicked selection of some of the greatest crime shows that are simply perfect from start to finish.

1

‘Breaking Bad’ (2008–2013)

Walter White with glasses and a moustache walks away from a burning car at a gas station in Breaking Bad.
Image via AMC

A crime drama that defined 21st-century television, Breaking Bad was created by Vince Gilligan and stars Bryan Cranston as Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher struggling with a recent terminal diagnosis. Desperate to secure his family’s future, Walter partners with his former student, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), to manufacture and distribute crystal meth in New Mexico, which pulls him into the world of ruthless mobsters and dangerous drug cartels. The show also features Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, Giancarlo Esposito, Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, and more in key supporting roles.

Breaking Bad effectively redefined what a TV crime drama could be with its complex themes, heavily layered characters, and emotionally intelligent narrative, quickly becoming an icon of the genre. The production values, unique storytelling style, career-defining performances by Cranston and Paul, and their chemistry became benchmarks for crime dramas both on the small screen and the big one. Breaking Bad is now regarded as a television landmark and a major pop culture phenomenon, becoming a record-breaking crime series that landed a Guinness World Record for most critically acclaimed TV show of all time.

2

‘Peaky Blinders’ (2013–2022)

Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby looking at the camera in Peaky Blinders.
Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders.
Image via BBC

A historical crime drama created by Steven Knight, Peaky Blinders is loosely inspired by the real-life youth gang from late 19th-century Birmingham, England. Set in the years immediately after World War I, the series stars Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby, the ruthless new boss of the gang, and follows his efforts to expand and legitimize the family business while dealing with post-war trauma, political corruption, and the violent attacks of his rivals. The show also features Sam Neill, Helen McCrory, Paul Anderson, Sophie Rundle, Joe Cole, Tom Hardy, and more in key roles.

Peaky Blinders developed an instant cult following when it first premiered in 2013, and it had a major cultural impact throughout its run, especially within the UK. The series has been critically acclaimed and awarded for its direction, acting, visual style, tone, and depth of characters, which make this a perfectly made crime drama. Cillian Murphy delivers a career-best performance as Tommy Shelby, closely followed by McCrory and Anderson’s emotionally raw and in-depth portrayals, delivering some of the best television characters of the last decade.

3

‘Ozark’ (2017–2022)

Jason Bateman looking to the side, about to get into a car in Ozark.
Jason Bateman looking to the side, about to get into a car in Ozark.
Image via Netflix

Created by Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams, Ozark stars Jason Bateman as Marty, a finance executive from Chicago whose scheme to launder money for a Mexican drug cartel goes bust, forcing him to make reparations by moving to the titular region in central Missouri. Once there, Marty goes about setting up a bigger operation for his client, but he and his family soon catch the attention of local crime families and the Kansas City mafia. Besides Bateman, the show also stars Laura Linney as Marty’s wife, Wendy, with Julia Garner, Sofia Hublitz, Skylar Gaertner, Lisa Emery, and Charlie Tahan in other lead roles.

While Ozark has a fairly similar premise to Breaking Bad, where an ordinary family man is forced to take the dark path, the Netflix crime drama is arguably even edgier, grittier, and more psychologically driven in its narrative. The series features intelligent writing, suspenseful storytelling, and compelling performances, especially by Bateman and Linney. Since its premiere, Ozark has remained one of the most critically acclaimed Netflix original series, and it’s easily one of the best modern TV crime dramas.





















































Collider Exclusive · Star Wars Quiz
Which Force User
Are You?
Light Side · Dark Side · Or Somewhere Between

The Force is not a binary. It is a spectrum — from the serene halls of the Jedi Temple to the shadowed corridors of Sith space. Ten questions will reveal where you truly fall. The Force has always known. Now you will too.

🔵Jedi Master

🟡Padawan

🔴Sith Lord

⚫Inquisitor

⚪Grey Jedi

01

What is the Force to you?
Your relationship with the Force defines everything else.




02

When you feel strong emotions — anger, grief, love — what do you do?
The Jedi suppress. The Sith feed. Others choose differently.




03

The Jedi Council gives you an order you disagree with. You:
How you handle authority reveals your alignment.




04

You are offered forbidden knowledge that could give you enormous power. The cost is crossing a moral line. You:
The dark side’s pull is never more than a choice away.




05

Your approach to training and learning is:
A student’s habits become a master’s character.




06

In a duel, your lightsaber fighting style reflects:
Combat is the purest expression of a Force user’s philosophy.




07

A defeated enemy lies at your feet, powerless. You:
Mercy — or its absence — is the truest test of alignment.




08

The Jedi Code forbids attachment. Your honest view on love and bonds:
The source of the greatest falls in the galaxy.




09

Why do you use the Force at all? What’s the point?
Purpose is the difference between a knight and a weapon.




10

At the final moment — light side or dark side pulling at you — what wins?
In the end, every Force user faces this moment. What does yours look like?




Your Alignment Has Been Determined
Your Place in the Force

The scores below reveal how the Force sees you. Your highest number is your true alignment. Read on to understand what that means — and what it will cost you.

🔵
Jedi Master

🟡
Padawan

🔴
Sith Lord

⚫
Inquisitor

⚪
Grey Jedi

Disciplined, compassionate, and deeply attuned to the living Force, you have walked the path long enough to understand its demands — and accept them. You lead not through authority alone, but through example. You have felt the pull of the dark side and chosen otherwise, every time. That is not certainty. That is courage.

You are earnest, powerful, and brimming with potential — and you know it, which is both your greatest asset and your most dangerous flaw. You act before you think, trust your gut over your training, and sometimes confuse impatience for bravery. The Masters see something in you, though. The question isn’t whether you have what it takes — it’s whether you’ll be patient enough to find out.

You are not simply dangerous — you are certain, and that is worse. You have decided what the galaxy needs, and you have decided you are the one to deliver it. Your power is genuine and formidable, earned through sacrifice that would have broken lesser beings. But examine your victories carefully. Every Sith believed their cause was righteous. The dark side’s cruelest trick is that it agrees with you.

You were forged in fire and reshaped by those who found you at your lowest. You serve, because service gave you structure when you had none. Your allegiance is not to an ideology — it is to survival and to the master who gave you purpose. But there is something buried beneath the conditioning. The Jedi you hunt? You recognize them. Because you remember what it felt like before the choice was taken from you.

You have looked at the Jedi Code and the Sith Code and found both of them incomplete. You walk the line not out of indecision but out of conviction — you genuinely believe both extremes miss something essential. The Jedi don’t fully trust you. The Sith think you’re wasting your potential. They’re both partially right. But so are you.

4

‘Money Heist’ (2017–2021)

money-heist-social-feature
Masked thieves in Netflix’s Money Heist
Image via Netflix

Created by Álex Pina, Money Heist is a Spanish-language heist drama that follows a criminal mastermind called The Professor, who plans a major heist at the Royal Mint of Spain and recruits eight small-time criminals for the job, which then leads to a second, even bigger heist at the Bank of Spain. Narrated by one of the robbers, codenamed Tokyo, the series chronicles the events that take place during their multi-day siege as the robbers negotiate with the hostages and the police, as well as face internal conflicts. The show stars Úrsula Corberó, Álvaro Morte, Itziar Ituño, Pedro Alonso, Paco Tous, Alba Flores, Miguel Herrán, and more as leading characters.

With an unpredictable and tightly-knit narrative following intriguing characters and their hidden motivations, Money Heist is a fantastically made heist drama thriller that engages and entertains at every point. The series was an instant hit at the time of its international release and evolved into a cultural phenomenon that went beyond television, with the show’s costumes and music becoming symbols of social and political rebellion across Europe. One of Netflix’s most celebrated shows ever, Money Heist has since remained the platform’s most successful Spanish-language series, and it was also the first Spanish-language show to win an International Emmy Award for Best Drama.

5

‘Better Call Saul’ (2015–2022)

Saul (Bob Odenkirk) sitting on a bench in Better Call Saul, Plan and Execution
Saul (Bob Odenkirk) sitting on a bench in Better Call Saul, Plan and Execution
Image via AMC

Following the massive success of Breaking Bad, Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould created Better Call Saul, a spin-off focusing on the character of Saul Goodman from the parent series, which begins six years before the events of Breaking Bad. Set in the same universe, the neo-noir legal crime drama follows the rise and fall of Jimmy McGill, a con-man turned small-time lawyer, and chronicles the transformation of his identity, morality, and fate. Bob Odenkirk reprises his role from Breaking Bad as Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman, with Rhea Seehorn, Jonathan Banks, Patrick Fabian, Michael Mando, Michael McKean, Giancarlo Esposito, Tony Dalton, and more in notable supporting roles.

Not only is Better Call Saul a worthy successor to Breaking Bad, but the spin-off garnered even more acclaim and popularity than the parent show. Witty, quirky, and painfully dark, the series features near-perfect storytelling and a career-defining performance by Bob Odenkirk as the ethically ambiguous protagonist, seconded by an equally strong turn by Rhea Seehorn. Renowned for its acting, characters, writing, direction, and cinematography, and a record-setting 53 Primetime Emmy nominations, Better Call Saul is a true television masterpiece that’s sure to someday be deemed a classic.

6

‘Fargo’ (2014–Present)

Martin Freeman as Lester Nygaard in Season 1 of 'Fargo'
Martin Freeman as Lester Nygaard in Season 1 of ‘Fargo’
Image via FX

A black comedy crime anthology series created by Noah Hawley, Fargo follows a diverse set of characters in and around Minnesota who are involved in various crimes ranging from kidnapping to murder and political corruption. Set across different time periods between 1950 and the present day, the show’s core theme is how seemingly ordinary people get entangled in the most extraordinary crimes and bizarre circumstances. The series features a new ensemble cast in each season, with notable stars including Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton, Kirsten Dunst, Carrie Coon, Jessie Buckley, Jon Hamm, Chris Rock, and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Though Fargo began as a TV remake of the 1996 Coen Brothers film, the series has since evolved into a rich tapestry of crime noir stories in its own right. Every season of Fargo is entertaining and engaging, with a stellar cast, a well-crafted crime story, and delightful cinematography, all of which work together to create a show that’s greater than the sum of its parts. Since it first premiered in 2014, Fargo has garnered increasingly high acclaim and popularity, winning praise for Hawley’s unique cinematic language, which captures the heart of the Coen Brothers’ narrative style while taking it in a fresh new direction.

7

‘The Sopranos’ (1999–2007)

James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano in The Sopranos episode Isabella
James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano in The Sopranos episode Isabella
Image via HBO

A true television landmark, The Sopranos was created by David Chase and follows the story of the titular Italian American crime family from New Jersey, primarily focusing on the patriarch, mob boss Tony Soprano. Struggling to balance life, family, and his criminal business, Tony begins to get panic attacks and reluctantly starts consulting a therapist, who encourages him to recognize his troubles as he navigates his marriage and life-threatening profession. James Gandolfini stars as Tony Soprano, with Edie Falco, Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, Dominic Chianese, Steven Van Zandt, Tony Sirico, Robert Iler, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and more in notable roles.

Unarguably one of the most popular, successful, and widely acclaimed crime series of all time, The Sopranos was a groundbreaking TV drama of its time, balancing crime and violence with emotional, character-driven storylines. Boasting a great cast and terrific performances, tense mafia drama, and absurd dark humor, the show is a delightful watch in every season. The Sopranos has remained an iconic favorite for nearly three decades and counting, a truly stellar crime saga that wraps up with a unique and memorable ending that breaks all conventions, cementing the show’s status as a television masterpiece.


03129354_poster_w780.jpg


Release Date

1999 – 2007

Network

HBO

Showrunner

David Chase

Directors

Tim Van Patten, John Patterson, Alan Taylor, Jack Bender, Steve Buscemi, Daniel Attias, David Chase, Andy Wolk, Danny Leiner, David Nutter, James Hayman, Lee Tamahori, Lorraine Senna, Matthew Penn, Mike Figgis, Nick Gomez, Peter Bogdanovich, Phil Abraham, Rodrigo García

Writers

Michael Imperioli, Jason Cahill, Lawrence Konner, David Flebotte, James Manos, Jr., Salvatore Stabile, Toni Kalem, Mark Saraceni, Nick Santora




Source link

Posted in

ben Margen

I am an editor for Vogue US , focusing on business and entrepreneurship. I love uncovering emerging trends and crafting stories that inspire and inform readers about innovative ventures and industry insights.

Leave a Comment