The psychological thriller is an exceptional subgenre that dissolves any sense of reality and, instead of relying on physical action, it builds up the suspense through a character’s misconstrued perspective and complex mental state. Movies such as Rear Window, Cape Fear, and The Silence of the Lambs popularized the subgenre, paving the way for producing the best psychological thriller series, including Bates Motel, True Detective, and David Fincher‘s Mindhunter.
Through the years, there have been dozens of popular psychological thriller shows that earned praise from both critics and audiences, but only a few, such as The Following and Mare of Easttown, can leave viewers on edge. These spine-chilling psychological thrillers are expertly crafted, with well-written plots to complement stunning performances against gritty realities. Which are the most disturbing psychological thriller series worth watching as soon as possible?
30
‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’ (2020)
Created by Mike Flanagan
Victoria Pedretti stars as Danielle Clayton in the gothic horror thriller The Haunting of Bly Manor. Danielle is hired as a live-in nanny by a family living in the English countryside, but as she settles into her new home and job caring for two young children, she begins to experience strange occurrences throughout the house. She slowly uncovers a series of dark secrets surrounding the manor as well as its residents.
Mike Flanagan‘s hit Netflix series, The Haunting of Bly Manor, is based on the 1898 novella The Turn of the Screw written by Henry James and follows a nonlinear plot that is full of thrilling twists and turns. The series has a ghostly, suspenseful tone, slightly toeing the line of horror, but is more of a reflection of an Edgar Allan Poe tale, which relies more on psychological intensity and mystery than visuals of gore and violence.
29
‘Fool Me Once’ (2024)
Created by Danny Brocklehurst
Fool Me Once is one of Netflix’s latest psychological thriller series that centers around a young mother, Maya Stern (Michelle Keegan), who is struggling to cope with the brutal murder of her husband, Joe (Richard Armitage). While Stern tries to pick up the pieces of her life, she hires a nanny to help out with her daughter and, for peace of mind, she decides to install a nanny cam. When Stern goes to check the footage one day, she is stricken with fear when she sees Joe, alive and well, playing with their daughter.
Based on the 2016 mystery thriller written by Harlan Coben, Fool Me Once puts a spin on the traditional whodunit with a shocking revelation, sending Stern into a thrilling downward spiral searching for answers while also trying to protect herself and her child. While it might not be one of those series you watch more than once, Fool Me Once is still a worthy series for any die-hard fans of psychological thrillers who enjoy piecing a complex web of a mystery together.
Fool Me Once
- Release Date
-
2024 – 2024-00-00
- Showrunner
-
Danny Brocklehurst
- Directors
-
David Moore, Nimer Rashed
- Writers
-
Danny Brocklehurst
28
‘The Watcher’ (2022)
Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan
Inspired by true events, The Watcher stars Bobby Cannavale and Naomi Watts as Dean and Nora Brannock, a married couple who recently move into a new home with their son and daughter in Westfield, New Jersey. Initially, they’re happy in their new home and picturesque neighborhood, but when they start receiving harassing letters from an anonymous writer known as The Watcher, the family starts to become paranoid, believing everyone is a potential suspect.
Ryan Murphy‘s mystery thriller The Watcher is loosely based on real-life events of a family receiving a series of anonymous letters from an unknown sender who expressed an unhealthy infatuation with their home, but even today, the author has never been identified. While the series is mainly fiction, it also leaves audiences with a series of unanswered questions, and even though it was intended to just be a miniseries, Netflix renewed the series for a second season. Despite some loose ends, The Watcher is still an exhilarating thriller with an intriguing mystery that presents several theories, making it one of the most recent top-notch psychological thrillers.
The Watcher
- Release Date
-
October 13, 2022
- Network
-
Netflix
Cast
-
Bobby Cannavale
Dean Brannock
-
-
-
Naomi Watts
Nora Brannock
27
‘Sugar’ (2024)
Created by Mark Protosevich
Colin Farrell stars in the psychological neo-noir series Sugar as private investigator John Sugar, who is hired by a famed Hollywood producer (James Cromwell) to find his granddaughter who has been missing for several weeks. Sugar takes on the high-profile case, but as he begins his investigation, he uncovers family-kept secrets and past incidents that make him start to realize that this is more than just a missing persons case.
Sugar is a unique drama mystery series that meticulously intertwines certain scenes with classic noir films, giving it an edgy, gritty appeal similar to the setting of a traditional noir. With Farrell providing an off-camera hardboiled, narrative and his character carrying secrets of his own, Sugar is a fitting homage to the noir genre tailored to a modern mystery that will have viewers guessing at every turn. There is an unexpected element to the series that tips the overall plot sideways, but once viewers get past it, Sugar is indeed a psychological rollercoaster and one of the best series in recent years.
Sugar
- Release Date
-
April 5, 2024
- Showrunner
-
Mark Protosevich
- Directors
-
Fernando Meirelles
- Writers
-
Mark Protosevich
26
‘Castle Rock’ (2018–2019)
Created by Sam Shaw
A supernatural horror series inspired by the eponymous fictional town in Stephen King’s stories, Castle Rock draws from characters, motifs, themes, and settings of King’s universe. The Hulu anthology series follows the lives and events revolving around various characters linked to the titular town, intertwined through unprecedented and mysterious circumstances. The first season focuses on death row attorney Henry Deaver (Andre Holland), who gets a mysterious call to return to his hometown of Castle Rock, which he left in a dire situation. The second season, featuring Lizzy Caplan as Anne Wilkes, alludes to 1990’s Misery, a film adaptation of the eponymous novel by King.
Castle Rock is a beautifully crafted, dark tale combining supernatural horror, crime thriller, and psychological drama with intimate storytelling that makes for a must-watch for Stephen King and/or genre fans. The characters are meticulously created and brought to life with remarkably chilling performances by Bill Skarsgård in Season 1 and Lizzy Caplan in Season 2. —Maddie P
25
‘The Outsider’ (2020)
Created by Richard Price
Jason Bateman and Ben Mendelsohn lead the cast of this psychological crime thriller adapted from Stephen King’s novel of the same name. The Outsider centers on the gruesome murder of a young boy in the suburbs of Cherokee City, Georgia, where a local baseball coach, Terry Maitland (Bateman), is accused of the crime. Ralph Anderson (Mendelsohn), a local police detective and a recovering alcoholic grieving his son’s death, begins investigating and lands on conflicting and bizarre clues.
Like most of King’s story adaptations, The Outsider is an unrelentingly dark and atmospheric thriller that blends and defies genres. Its narrative successfully blends horror tropes like inexplicable phenomena and malevolent spirits with crime mystery elements, even though the pace can feel too extended at times, with focus often shifting to supernatural motifs. Critics have widely praised the show’s direction and Mendelsohn’s performance, alongside Cynthia Erivo’s portrayal of Holly Gibney, a savant-like consulting detective on the case. —Maddie P
24
‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ (2023)
Created by Mike Flanagan
Brother and sister, Roderick (name) and Madeline (name) Usher have built a pharmaceutical empire and are one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the country. While they have lived an extensive life basking in the riches and privileges of elite high society, the siblings’ demons and sins from their past eventually catch up to them as someone begins mysteriously killing off members of the Usher family one by one.
The Fall of the House of Usher is the latest series created by Mike Flanagan and is loosely based on the various works of famed gothic horror author, Edgar Allan Poe, who is best known for his short stories such as The Raven and The Tell-Tale Heart. Each episode follows a different formula from one of Poe’s creepy tales, with a modern touch specifically molded to fit each family member. The Fall of the House of Usher has the perfect dosage of mystery, suspense, and mind games that all lead up to the unveiling of the siblings making a sinister deal with the devil.
23
‘The Following’ (2013–2015)
Created by Kevin Williamson
When a sadistic serial killer, Joe Caroll (James Purefoy), escapes the death penalty, he enlists the help of his large following of fans to continue his work and commit a series of brutal murders. The FBI calls in the former agent who originally apprehended Caroll, Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon), and asks for his help to track down the madman’s extensive list of followers and stop them before they can claim more victims.
The Following is a twisted tale about a murderer who is determined to continue his reign of terror and manages to do so even behind bars, making each movement incredibly unpredictable and full of intensity. Caroll is also inspired by the iconic Edgar Allen Poe, and his crimes reflect the stories of the Gothic horror author, adding another layer to the complex mystery. Bacon delivers an emotional but defiant performance as Hardy, who, despite his best efforts, is deep down a broken man struggling to heal mentally and physically from his work as a federal agent. The Following earned positive reviews from audiences and critics, making it a must-see in the genre.
22
‘The Sinner’ (2017–2021)
Created by Derek Simonds
Bill Pullman stars in Netflix’s series, The Sinner, as a homicide detective, Detective Harry Ambrose, who, unlike most detectives, has a sense of empathy and an unusual set of skills that sometimes leads him into dangerous territory. His checkered past drives his determination to solve each homicide and as he gets to know every major player in each case, he sometimes develops powerful bonds with them that force him to toe the line between professionalism and his personal feelings.
Each season of The Sinner features Ambrose investigating a different murder case, which allows the series to feel fresh while also maintaining a familiar formula for viewers. Pullman has never been more captivating and emotionally engaging as the enigmatic Ambrose, who is faced with the challenge of keeping an unbiased eye on the clues and never allowing his personal feelings towards a suspect or situation to prevent him from solving the case. The Sinner is a perfect balance of the classic thrills of murder investigations paired with in-depth character drama, making it an essential psychological thriller series for any diehard fan of the subgenre.
21
‘Behind Her Eyes’ (2021)
Louise Barnsley (Simona Brown) is a single mother who, shortly after meeting her new boss, Dr. David Ferguson (Tom Bateman); the two begin having a secret affair. As Barnsley tries to keep her scandalous affair separate from her everyday life, her world is thrown completely off when she develops a friendship with Ferguson’s wife, Adele (Eve Hewson). Initially, Barnsley takes the scenario as an unexpected love triangle, but she soon discovers that she’s caught in a web of secrets, lies, and unforgivable deception.
The British noir series, Behind Her Eyes, gives a whole new meaning to an office romance and features a rabbit hole of thrills and unexpected turns. While the series isn’t praised for its character development, it does follow an enticing series of events that are guaranteed to entertain audiences to a certain degree of shock and awe. Behind Her Eyes stands out for continuing to keep viewers guessing, and as soon as they believe they have figured it all out, they’re thrown into another turn of events and information that leaves them utterly puzzled.
