Best crime series of all time filmaffinity
In the following page, you will see a ranking of the best crime series of all time. We have gathered the ratings of Imdb, Metacritic, Filmaffinity and crafted our own algorithm and generated the following ratings.
Order by:
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1. Breaking Bad (2008)
Breaking Bad: Walter White, a terminal chemistry teacher, makes meth with ex‑student Jesse. He transforms into a ruthless drug kingpin as DEA pressure and moral collapse bring violent consequences. read more
Genres: Crime, Drama, Thriller
8.8
/10
9.5
/10
9.2
/10
2. The Wire (2002)
The Wire (2002) — gritty Baltimore ensemble crime drama following a prolonged police wiretap against the Barksdale drug crew. It examines institutions, moral ambiguity, systemic failure, and slow-burning realism. read more
Genres: Crime, Drama, Thriller
8.8
/10
9.3
/10
9.1
/10
3. The Sopranos (1999)
The Sopranos follows NJ mob boss Tony Soprano balancing violent crime and family, using therapy sessions to explore his psyche. Darkly comic, violent, emotionally complex, morally ambiguous drama. read more
Genres: Crime, Drama
8.5
/10
9.2
/10
8.8
/10
4. True Detective (2014)
True Detective is a dark, slow‑burn crime anthology—self‑contained seasons with a brooding, cinematic tone. It explores how violence, secrets and corruption shape flawed investigators (S1: ritual murder; S2: conspiracy). read more
Genres: Crime, Drama, Mystery
8.5
/10
8.9
/10
8.7
/10
5. Fargo (2014)
Fargo S2 (1979): a tense, darkly comic crime drama where Trooper Lou and Sheriff Hank uncover ties between the Gerhardts and a Kansas City syndicate — violence, betrayal and bleak humor ensue. read more
Genres: Crime, Drama, Thriller
8.2
/10
8.9
/10
8.6
/10
6. Death Note (2006)
Death Note is a cerebral anime where Light Yagami, after finding a deadly notebook, seeks to purge criminals and create a 'perfect' world, sparking a tense intellectual duel with detective L and ethical, psychological conflict. read more
Genres: Animation, Crime, Drama
8.2
/10
8.9
/10
8.6
/10
7. Peaky Blinders (2013)
Peaky Blinders follows Tommy Shelby's ruthless gang in post‑WWI Birmingham as they build a criminal empire. Dark, stylish, atmospheric and violent — family, power, betrayal and moral ambiguity drive it. read more
Genres: Crime, Drama
8.1
/10
8.8
/10
8.4
/10
8. Better Call Saul (2015)
Better Call Saul is a slow-burn character study of lawyer Jimmy McGill's descent into Saul Goodman: a morally ambiguous legal/crime drama of clever schemes, quiet tension, dark humor and strong performances. read more
Genres: Crime, Drama
7.9
/10
9.0
/10
8.4
/10
9. Twin Peaks (1990)
Twin Peaks: a slow-burn crime drama that starts with Laura Palmer’s murder. FBI Agent Cooper uncovers eccentric townsfolk, hidden secrets and surreal, supernatural phenomena—an eerie, atmospheric mystery. read more
Genres: Crime, Drama, Mystery
7.9
/10
8.8
/10
8.3
/10
10. When They See Us (2019)
When They See Us is a four-episode series about five Black and Latino teens wrongly accused, coerced, convicted and imprisoned for a Central Park assault; it shows their trauma, exoneration and systemic injustice. read more
Genres: Biography, Crime, Drama
7.9
/10
8.8
/10
8.3
/10
11. Narcos (2015)
Narcos dramatizes the rise and fall of Colombia’s cocaine cartels, focusing on Pablo Escobar then the Cali cartel through DEA agent Steve Murphy. Intense, violent, politically complex, alternating English/Spanish. read more
Genres: Biography, Crime, Drama
7.9
/10
8.7
/10
8.3
/10
12. Oz (1997)
Oz is a raw, brutal prison drama set in Emerald City, following warring inmate factions and conflicted staff. Ensemble-driven, violent and morally complex, it probes power, race, corruption and survival. read more
Genres: Crime, Drama, Thriller
7.9
/10
8.7
/10
8.3
/10
13. The Shield (2002)
The Shield is a gritty, character-driven LAPD drama about a corrupt but effective leader and his unit, blurring law and lawlessness with brutal policing, moral compromise, betrayals and tense, serialized confrontations. read more
Genres: Crime, Drama, Thriller
7.9
/10
8.7
/10
8.3
/10
14. Dexter (2006)
Dexter follows Miami blood-spatter analyst Dexter Morgan, who by night is a vigilante serial killer targeting criminals who escaped justice. The series blends forensic procedural, moral ambiguity, tension and shocking twists. read more
Genres: Crime, Drama, Mystery
7.9
/10
8.6
/10
8.2
/10
15. Boardwalk Empire (2010)
Boardwalk Empire: 1920s Atlantic City drama following Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, a politician-racketeer controlling bootlegging and crime. Lavish period detail, tense power plays, moral ambiguity. Contains violence and adult content. read more
Genres: Crime, Drama, History
7.9
/10
8.6
/10
8.2
/10
16. The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst (2015)
The Jinx is a six-part true-crime doc that uses decade-long reporting, rare footage and interviews to investigate Robert Durst’s ties to several unsolved deaths, raising legal, moral and accountability questions. read more
Genres: Crime, Documentary, Mystery
7.9
/10
8.6
/10
8.2
/10
17. Making a Murderer (2015)
Making a Murderer (2015): decade-long docu-series about Steven Avery—exonerated by DNA then later accused of another crime. Chronicles investigation, trials, appeals and alleged police misconduct; immersive and unsettling. read more
Genres: Crime, Documentary
7.9
/10
8.5
/10
8.2
/10
18. The Night Of (2016)
The Night Of (2016): Pakistani-American student Nasir 'Naz' Khan is accused of murder after one night. A slow-burning, claustrophobic courtroom/prison drama about justice, prejudice and moral ambiguity. read more
Genres: Crime, Drama, Mystery
7.9
/10
8.4
/10
8.2
/10
19. Mindhunter (2017)
Mindhunter: a slow-burning 1970s crime drama following two FBI agents and a psychologist who pioneer criminal profiling by interviewing serial killers, exploring motive, methodology and moral cost. read more
Genres: Crime, Drama, Thriller
7.8
/10
8.6
/10
8.2
/10
20. Deadwood (2004)
Deadwood is a gritty 1876 frontier drama about lawlessness, vice and power struggles, where disillusioned figures—Wild Bill, Seth Bullock, Al Swearengen—and a rough ensemble clash amid violence and moral ambiguity. read more
Genres: Crime, Drama, History
7.8
/10
8.6
/10
8.2
/10
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