10 Best Murder Mystery Shows Like The Survivors

There aren't many Australian dramas that get global recognition, but among the ones that has is 2025's "The Survivors." It's a gritty, dramatic mystery series that takes place in the small coastal town of Evelyn Bay, a picturesque village where everyone knows everyone else, and there would seem to be few secrets among them. But at the outset of the series, the unthinkable happens when a devastating storm ravages the area, causing three horrific deaths from a group of four on a boat at sea. Teenager Kieran Elliott (Ned Morgan) is the only survivor, while his brother is one of the dead.

More than a decade later, Elliott (played by Charlie Victers as an adult) — having long left Evelyn Bay — returns home with his wife and young daughter to help commemorate the 15th anniversary of the storm as part of a memorial service. But his return is not celebrated, as his family and friends has complicated feelings about Elliott being the sole survivor, with some believing he may even have been partly responsible for the others' deaths. This leads to uncomfortable questions about what really happened on the night of the storm, and the answers could expose the village as a place that isn't quite as perfect as it may have seemed.

A story about escaping our past and the truths we keep from even ourselves, "The Survivors" explores themes of guilt, grief, and trauma. One of the biggest hits on Netflix, it also may have you craving more after the series' final episode. If you're facing that dilemma, worry not — we're here to help with the 10 best murder mysteries shows like "The Survivors." 

If you're looking for a story centered on a murder mystery in a shore town, the best comparison is the British crime drama "Broadchurch," which kicks off with the unexplained murder of a young boy. Sent in to try and solve the horrific crime is embattled detective Alec Hardy (David Tennant), who joins local policewoman Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) in the investigation. At the same time, Hardy himself continues to struggle with an unsolved case that has dogged him for years.

But there are more than a few wrinkles to Hardy's newest murder investigation, as the seemingly stand-up residents of Broadchurch all have dirty secrets that will come to light, making each and every one of them a potential suspect. To complicate matters even further, the media descends on the town and sensationalizes the tragedy, serving as another roadblock between authorities and finding the increasingly distant answer to the mystery.

Released in 2013, "Broadchurch" was an instant hit, and scored big in the awards categories with multiple BAFTAs. It returned for two additional seasons that explored the aftermath of the crime, adding "Fleabag" star Phoebe Waller-Bridge to the cast in Season 2. Slow-paced, moody, and at times incredibly grim, "Broadchurch" is a standout example among modern crime dramas, and a perfect fit for fans of "The Survivors" looking for another bingeable series. Just steer clear of "Gracepoint," an American remake that, despite being a near carbon copy of "Broadchurch" right down to sharing series lead David Tennant, fails to capture the magic of the original, which may be the best British crime drama of all time.

Fans of "The Survivors" in the market for another gritty murder mystery in a small town need look no further than the ironically-titled "Happy Valley." Focusing on intense themes of drug addiction, sexual violence, and trauma, the series can be one of the toughest watches on our list. But with a story that explores both new crimes as well as the lasting repercussions from the ones we've seen, "Happy Valley" is one of the most compelling crime dramas to hail from English shores in recent years.

In "Happy Valley," we're shown just how far-reaching the effects of a single terrible crime can be: It goes down in the United Kingdom's West Yorkshire, where Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) is a cop with a troubled past. Years earlier, her daughter was sexually assaulted by a man named Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton), a traumatic event followed by her suicide shortly after giving birth to their child. In the present day, Cawood still harbors a bitter resentment towards Royce, who she blames for the death of her daughter. And when the man who single-handedly destroyed her family is released from prison around the same time as a local woman is kidnapped, Cawood fears that the two events are somehow related.

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Moving from the British Isles to American shores, we have the 2021 HBO original, "Mare of Easttown." Headlined by Kate Winslet as a disillusioned Pennsylvanian detective, Mare Sheehan, the show is supported by a cast that includes Julianne Nicholson, Guy Pearce, Cailee Spaeny, and Evan Peters. Winslet puts on an impeccable Delco accent (a hyper-specific region immediately west of Philadelphia proper) to portray the world-weary Mare, convincing enough that she seems like she grew up there.

Created by Brad Ingelsby, himself a native of the Philadelphia region, "Mare of Easttown" explores the messy life of its lead detective, who is struggling with a complicated past. She's a local celebrity for her days as a high school sports champion — but as a detective, she's far less renowned, having failed to solve a highly publicized missing persons case. Now, after the death of a teenage mother, she's determined to find redemption, even if it destroys her own life in the process. Because while she's knee deep in trying to solve a grisly murder, she's also dealing with the suicide of her own son, fighting a bitter custody battle over her grandchild, and in the middle of a messy divorce.

Though it aired for just one season, it was a riveting series that captivated critics and audiences alike, earning a whopping 16 Emmy nominations, with Winslet, Nicholson, and Peters all taking home a trophy for their performances. Unfortunately, we're still waiting to see if the series will get a Season 2.

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More of a conspiracy-driven crime drama than a murder mystery, fans of "The Survivors" will be drawn to the small-town setting of "Paranoid." But the story does a lot more than simply follow investigators solving a case, as it also explores the effects that big business interests and corrupt governments can have on even small, isolated communities. Indira Varma, who genre fans may know from shows like "Obi-Wan Kenobi" and "Game of Thrones" (where she died off-screen), stars as Detective Sergeant Nina Suresh of the Woodmere police force.

Suresh, along with a team of fellow detectives, is brought in after the mysterious murder of a town doctor whose body was found at a children's playground, the victim of an apparent fatal stabbing. But this small-town murder isn't the work of a serial killer or a jilted lover, as Suresh uncovers evidence that a foreign pharmaceutical company may have connections to the doctor and could somehow be involved. This leads to difficult questions about the real motive behind the attack, and as she learns more, it becomes clear that someone is trying to hinder her investigation. But how far does this conspiracy go?

Bucking orders and risking her career, Shuresh is determined to get to the truth, but she is also dealing with her own problems that complicate the situation. An engrossing character drama and a satisfying thriller, "Paranoid" didn't get the attention it deserved when it was first released in 2016. But don't let its lack of recognition deter you — it deserves a watch, and will leave you on the edge of your seat until its final moments.

If "Broadchurch" is the first series to watch right after you finish "The Survivors," "Deadwater Fell" might be the second — specifically if you found yourself mesmerized by the David Tennant/Olivia Colman mystery. That's because Tennant once again finds himself at the center of the drama, but this time he isn't playing a beleaguered investigator. Instead, the "Doctor Who" star finds himself in the role of Tom Kendrick, a local doctor and pillar of the small Scottish community called Kirkdarroch.

In Kirkdarroch, Kendrick and his family are beloved by his fellow Scottish villagers, and as a result the entire region is shaken when his wife and children are killed in a devastating home fire. Kendrick is the sole survivor, and immediately, he becomes both a sympathetic figure and a questionable person of interest. But like "The Survivors" and indeed "Broadchurch," the series takes a grim turn as the investigation into the incident reveals uncomfortable truths about both Kendrick, his family, and the surrounding community. 

Beyond Tennant, "Deadwater Fell" also features actor Cush Jumbo as Kendrick's neighbor, Jess Milner, who becomes increasingly uneasy as the truth behind the fire begins to come to light. Realizing that there's much more going on than a simple house fire, Milner becomes determined to get to the facts and sort out what really happened — and her search for the truth may have enormous ramifications for everyone in their little village. A nuanced mystery that makes good use of Tennant's reputation as a hero, "Deadwater Fell" is impressive for taking an otherwise run-of-the-mill mystery and turning it into something much more.

Few actors working these days are as criminally underrated as Colman Domingo, who came to popular attention thanks to a recurring role on "Fear the Walking Dead," but who nearly quit acting after auditioning for "Boardwalk Empire." Among his other work, though, are critically acclaimed hits like "Euphoria," "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," and "If Beale Street Could Talk." And perhaps his most underappreciated role is that of Muncie Daniels in the 2024 Netflix thriller, "The Madness."

Set in a small Pennsylvania mountain town located deep in the Poconos, we meet Daniels, a popular news anchor, as he seeks refuge from the city — and his messy personal life — in an effort to unwind. But when he stops by the house of a friendly neighbor, he discovers a dismembered corpse, and suddenly he finds himself in the middle of a murder mystery. Worse yet, he realizes that he is the prime suspect in the killing. The dead man was involved with a White Supremacist group, and authorities believe Daniels may have acted to silence the racist once and for all. As more and more evidence is uncovered that points to Daniels being the killer, he begins to suspect that he's being framed for the crime.

A murder mystery that blends elements of "The Survivors" with "The Fugitive," "The Madness" is held aloft by Domingo, who gives a spellbinding performance as Daniels. A strong cat-and-mouse thriller, it's not a somber drama or a standard crime drama, but is instead an enthralling story that ratchets tension right up until the very end. 

The basic premise of "The Survivors" can be summed up in the title of our next entry, the 2021 crime drama "Murder in a Small Town." This time, the action moves from the Australian coastal town of Evelyn Bay to the fellow former Commonwealth shore town of Gibsons, British Columbia, in Canada. Rossif Sutherland stars in the series as Detective Karl Alberg, a newly-installed police chief by way of Minneapolis. By the end of the first episode, he finds himself involved in a complicated relationship with local librarian Cassandra Lee ("Smallville" alum Kristin Kreuk), who fears that Alberg's job as a copper will make their love life impossible.

Set in a picturesque little burg where everything seems a little too perfect at times, the town of Gibsons is home to a surprising number of murders, and it's up to Alberg to get to the bottom of them. Unlike, "The Survivors," though, "Murder in a Small Town" isn't a typical season-long mystery, but is instead more of a weekly procedural, with a new crime each episode that pulls on the thread that threatens to unravel the very fabric of Gibsons' idyllic facade.

Though "Murder in a Small Town" isn't an award-winner, nor does it boast critical acclaim, it's the perfect companion to "The Survivors" if you're looking for something a little more like "Law and Order."

Some crime shows try to reinvent the wheel, to find a new way to tell a classic type of story. And that's understandable when there is so much clutter in the genre. But sometimes, tried-and-true formulas exist for a reason. When executed well, it doesn't matter if you've seen the same kind of story before. A good, well-told mystery is always a satisfying story, even if it uses plenty of well-worn tropes, and "The Sinner" is the perfect example.

Airing on the USA Network, "The Sinner" features "Independence Day" and "Spaceballs" star Bill Pullman in the role of Harry Ambrose, a detective whose specialty is working cases that are a little outside of the norm. They may have an unusual culprit, a strange modus operandi, or something else that makes it an odd case that nobody else can — or will — take on. 

Like "Murder in a Small Town," "The Sinner" is a procedural, but instead of the weekly variety, it features series-long mysteries that are told across each of the show's four seasons. The biggest narrative difference from its peers, though, is that we typically learn the murderer's identity early on. The real mystery at the heart of each season, then, is the "why" — what could possibly have motivated them to commit such heinous acts? Understanding the perpetrator and getting inside their head is where the real story lies, and that's where the series shines. As each investigation progresses, the mystery only deepens, sending Ambrose in new directions looking for the truth. 

You probably know actor Elizabeth Moss from her role as Peggy Olson in "Mad Men," or as June Osborne in "The Handmaid's Tale." But between those two series, Moss starred in another TV standout, 2013's "Top of the Lake," though it never quite reached the levels of popularity as her two bigger shows. And she's not the only female powerhouse involved in the series, as it was co-created and co-directed by Jane Campion, who won Academy Awards for her work on 1993's "The Piano" and 2022's "The Power of the Dog."

In "Top of the Lake," Moss stars as Robin Griffin, a fresh-faced investigator who arrives in the small New Zealand town of Laketop from Sydney, Australia. She's there to search for a pregnant 12-year-old girl named Tui Mitcham (Jacqueline Joe), who has gone missing. The question is whether Tui the victim of sexual assault, and if so, who was the culprit, and are they involved in her disappearance? These are just a few of the first questions that Griffin must answer, but her investigation only leads to even more questions, as she begins to discover that Laketop isn't the sweet little town she thought it was. At the same time, her arrival also reunites her with a former flame, which only complicates her investigations.

In addition to Moss, "Top of the Lake" boasts an impressive supporting cast that includes Nicole Kidman, Gwendoline Christie, Holly Hunter, and David Wenham. Running two seasons, it's one of the most underrated mysteries of the decade, and its Australian co-production provides a tone that fans of "The Survivor" will appreciate.

"The Survivors" explores the fractures that emerge in a small town when a murder hits the community. And that's the same idea behind "Stay Close," a British mystery series led by "Deadwater Fell" star Cush Jumbo, who you might also remember from "The Good Fight." Here she plays an exotic dancer and mother named Megan Pierce, one of many residents of the small suburban town known as Livingstone. Daniel Francis plays her partner and fiancé Dave, while Richard Armitage appears in the role of Ray, a photographer for hire who has settled for the less-than-glamorous role as a paparazzo.

The story begins on the one-year anniversary of the disappearance of Livingstone resident, husband and father named Stewart Green. There are few leads, but Detective Sergeant Michael Broome (James Nesbitt) decides he's going to take up the case, much to the chagrin of the community, who don't like him poking around their business. The more questions he asks, the more dirty secrets begin to leak out, threatening to expose more than just the person responsible for Green's disappearance.

A story about how the past haunts us in numerous ways, "Stay Close" may be a little by-the-numbers, but is a satisfying adaptation of a mystery novel of the same name by Harlen Coben. The prolific author of crime fiction has seen many of his works adapted for Netflix, so if are still hunting for more after binging through this list, check out the 2020 British thriller "The Stranger" and the 2024 series' "Fool Me Once" and "Run Away."