I present to you The Only List of Dark Shows and Movies You Will Ever Need. I know that is a bold claim, but it is true. Turmoil is my specialty. I decided it would be convenient to post a list of my favorites here and update it regularly. Enjoy!
Dark Shows and Movies
(in alphabetical order)
I’ve linked to where you can watch when possible. Most Amazon links should be free if you have Prime. I haven’t paid to watch anything, and, aside from Prime, I don’t have any select subscriptions. Assume none of this is uplifting or family-friendly. You may recognize many of these if you have followed me online for more than a minute.
- The Americans: This was another show my husband enjoyed. My husband is a big government action/thriller guy, whereas I am a more tortured detective gal.
- Bodyguard: My husband enjoyed this more than I did, but I loved Richard Madden’s inscrutable countenance throughout.
- Bosch: American police procedural web television series starring Titus Welliver as Los Angeles Police detective Harry Bosch. The show takes its inspiration from the Michael Connelly novels City of Bones (2002), Echo Park (2006), and The Concrete Blonde (1994).
- The Bridge: Yes, it’s in Svenska. Yes, it’s worth reading the subtitles and I’ve written about it before. There is an American adaption set on the US/Mexico border, but it’s just okay.
- Broadchurch: This series featured both David Tennant and Olivia Colman, so you know to expect complicated characters and outstanding performances. I don’t care if it’s a Cheetos commercial; I will watch anything with David Tennant or Olivia Colman (especially Oliva Colman).
- Endeavor: slow to start, but I was eventually charmed by his mess of a life.
- Father Brown: This is the closest to family-friendly you will get with this list. I watched it for free on Netflix, but it looks like it’s only available on Amazon with BritBox.
- The Frankenstein Chronicles: Not going to lie, this got weird.
- Good Omens: David Tennant. Mostly tween-friendly.
- Grandchester: Not my favorite (think of it as an alcoholic Anglican Father Brown knock off), but Al Weaver kept me coming back.
- Hell on Wheels: This is a Western, which isn’t usually my cup of tea, but Anson Mount is a strong character actor. The first few seasons are better than the last.
- Hinterland: Once you accept Mali Harries’s suburban mom’s haircut, you’ll be fine.
- Hunters: My husband enjoyed this more than I did. It has that Quentin Tarantino vibe he likes, and has me shrugging my shoulders.
- Jack Taylor: Good if you’re in a pinch, but it’s nothing special.
- The Killing: This is a classic and one of the first canceled series that Netflix picked up and made their own. It’s not available on Netflix anymore, but you can be alerted when it is or just watch it on Amazon.
- Lucifer: Not dark! It’s quite goofy and ridiculous, but I Iove it and can’t wait until the final 5th season.
- Luther: This series is exceptionally dark but very, very good. I would happily listen to Idris Elba recite tax code. Ruth Wilson is also excellent.
- Manhunt: Unabomber: Great if you’re a fan of true crime and want to debate if Ted Kacynzski had a point.
- Marcella: This female detective is an absolute disaster. Dark and satisfying. I’m waiting for the next season.
- McDonald & Dodds: Ambitious DCI McDonald takes a promotion from fast-paced London to picturesque Bath. She assumes everyone will need to catch up to her level, especially the quiet, nondescript Dodds, who still uses (gasp!) a pencil and memo pad.
- Mindhunter: It’s all the more disturbing because of the hints of truth. Cameron Britton, as Edmund Kemper, makes my skin crawl.
- Narcos: My husband loved it.
- Ozark: I have what I call a two-season curse. Sometimes I will enjoy a show until the second season and then be done with it. Ozark was like that for me. I’m trying to get back into it because I know so many people love this show.
- Paranoid: Enjoyable, if not memorable.
- Peaky Blinders: I picked this one out for my husband when it first came out, and he loved it. I suspect this show started the undercut hair trend.
- Reckoning: Explores the darkest corners of the male psyche through the eyes of two fathers, one of whom is a serial-killer.
- River: It’s no longer available on Netflix, but it is on Amazon. Stellan Skarsgard is fantastic in this. The ending. Ugh.
- Sherlock: The BBC show with Benedict Cumberbatch, which is outstanding, not the Robert Downey Jr. movie, which is not. Sherlock is one of my favorite shows of all time. I’ve watched the series twice, which I have never done before.
- Shetland: This was on Netflix, but it looks like it’s only available via BritBox now.
- The Suspicions of Mr. Witcher: Olivia Colman
- The Umbrella Academy: I normally steer clear of superheroes, but this one I enjoyed.
- Unforgotten: SO GOOD
- Unorthodox: Do not ask me why I found Orthodox Yanky Shapiro (Amit Rahav) so sexy, but boy, I sure did. I’m not alone.
- Vera: This show about an emotionally stunted female detective is the only show we have paid to watch, but season 1 is free on Amazon. Her floral grandmotherly dresses are the icing on the cake.
- Wallander: Kenneth Branagh not doing Shakespeare or Star Wars! (I’m still not over his split with Emma Thompson)
- Wind River: I woke up in the middle of the night and realized I forgot to add movies. Here’s one about a murder on a Native American reservation.
- Zodiac: no longer available on Netflix, but check Hulu.
Love, love, love Sherlock! Except the last series, felt a bit rushed to me and like they were trying to hard to tie up all the loose ends in a clever way. I was especially deflated over Moriarty and how they explained his involvement/obsession with Sherlock. And that “Baker Street Boys” crap at the end almost killed the whole series for me. “Endeavour” is great but try to catch “Inspector Lewis” which is the story of his partner. There’s also “Morse” of course (couldn’t resist!) but they are in the 80’s I believe and hard to find. Now to Olivia Colman, have you seen “The Thirteenth Tale”? It’s a British Christmas mystery special (apparently they do one every year b/c of the whole ghost stories at Christmas thing). It is based on an extremely good book (so much it’s one of a very few I read every year) but they messed it all up in the movie. Still, Vanessa Redgrave and Olivia Colman, enough said. Read the book first if you’re interested (and you should be! it’s a masterpiece), otherwise it will be ruined for you in more ways than one. So very glad to see you blogging again! I’ve unfollowed so many over the years but I always hoped you would return. Can we expect any William Morris themed posts?
I will check out your suggestions, especially about Oliva Colman! As for William Morris posts, yes, they are coming. I’m still working from home, though, so my time is limited until school is out for the summer. I also haven’t quite figured out what to do with the stuff I want to declutter. I don’t have the room to store it until the donation centers open up again.
Tell me about it! My hubby is driving me crazy wanting to get rid of all the donations. Luckily I have a friend the clothes go to!
Maybe an obvious one, but try Modern Love for enchanting television.
I have watched Modern Love, but the suggestions is not obvious! I was shocked a few weeks ago when a crime/drama fan someone said they hadn’t watched Broachchurch.
I decided to watch “River” again a while back – so disturbingly wonderful – and was disappointed that it had disappeared from Netflix. And yes: “Unforgotten” is beyond brilliant, and always with the crème de la crème of British actors in the supporting roles. (Common denominator=Nicola Walker. I will watch anything she’s in. I have the DVD of “Last Tango in Halifax” waiting to be played. Different genre, though.)
Nicola Walker is another auto-watch for us. I need to look at her IMDB to make sure I haven’t missed something on my list! I already know I forgot to add movies.
Just thought – stirring my quarantine risotto – of another you would like: Vera. Brenda Blethyn is superb, as are the story lines.
We tried a few of them and enjoyed them! But, because we have to buy the whole season, we’ve balked at moving forward. If I don’t find something soon, we will cave!:)
I watched Sherlock in your recommendation ages ago and *finally* understood the Benedict Cumberbatch crush thing. So good.
All things David Tennant – though I couldn’t get into Good Omens (which made me sad because I like Michael Sheen a great deal. I wasn’t crazy about the book though either. )
Lucifer was a two season show for me. Might have to try that again.
Along the historical/romance/misery line – have you watched Poldark? The first four seasons are on prime.
Looking forward to the fluffy romance list. North/South was SO good.
It’s been really hard to find good ones! I have not heard of Poldark. The reviews on Amazon are great! As for Lucifer, I honestly can’t explain it. There was one season I didn’t like, but for the most part I find it delicious, like junk food.
Oh, you’re in for a treat. You’ll have to let me know what you think!
Pollard is great! Enchantment and Despair!
Did you have two season curse with The Blacklist? I loved it and then all of a sudden I was over it. I’ve been thinking I should pick it up again on Netflix but maybe not. Although I do love James Spader. Thanks for the list and also love Olivia Colman. Have to check out Sherlock Holmes next. Bingeing Mrs Maisel now.
I did have a two-season curse with The Blacklist! It was so great until it wasn’t.
collateral with Carey mulligan and also Nicola Walker.
Enchanted: The Good Place, Crazy Ex Girlfriend (which is magical and occasionally pretty PG 13), Parks and Rec (old but so wonderful), Brooklyn 99, The Office. Anything Michael Schur has ever touched.
I watched the first episode of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend a couple of weeks ago. I saw it was a Man of La Mancha adaptation! I got that because the song that kept popping up reminded me of the “Dulcinea” song.
I know you said television, but for Enchantment, I’m only coming up with a few: the Masterpiece series, Anne With An E. If you have any affection for Anne of Green Gables, I recommend this version. It’s excellent and beautiful with additional insight into Anne’s background.
Bomb Girls-don’t know where you can find it, but it was a great show—war time, so still plenty of despair.
Somewhat similar to it, the British series Home Fires.
We liked Virgin River. If you’ve seen Hart of Dixie, it will feel like a deja vu.
Looking at a short list of some of my favorite movies, it seems I like a good balance of despair and enchantment. Here’s some of my favorites. Also loved North & South
The Hundred Foot Journey
This Beautiful Fantastic
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Finding Neverland
Sophie and the Rising Sun
Chocolat
The Bookshop
Ladies in Black