Explore TV Series • Crime
Search our curated catalog of cinema releases, binge-worthy series, and where to stream them.
Breaking Bad
A high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer turns to manufacturing and selling methamphetamine in order to secure his family's future.
The Wire
Created by former Baltimore Sun police reporter David Simon and former homicide detective Ed Burns, HBO's five-season drama The Wire is celebrated as a monumental, Dickensian sociological masterpiece on the slow collapse of the modern American city. Set across Baltimore, Maryland, the series eschews traditional cop-show melodrama to construct a meticulously researched, panoramic dissection of institutional failure. Season 1 investigates the high-rise drug trade of the Barksdale Organization, led by Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris) and his corporate-minded partner Stringer Bell (Idris Elba in his breakout role), pursued by rebellious detective Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West) through court-authorized wiretaps. Subsequent seasons expand the sociological lens to the dying working-class shipping ports (Season 2), corrupt city hall politics (Season 3), the decaying public school education system (Season 4), and print journalism ethics (Season 5). Featuring immortal characters like the whistling, shotgun-wielding stickup artist Omar Little (Michael K. Williams), The Wire is a profound, unforgettable treatise on human beings trapped inside broken systems. Praised by sociologists and television critics worldwide for its journalistic authenticity, David Simon's masterpiece transformed television into an urgent literary document that deconstructed institutional decay across twenty-first-century urban America with heartbreaking clarity.
Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story
Directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Hansal Mehta and adapted from journalists Debashis Basu and Sucheta Dalal's book The Scam, SonyLIV's biographical financial thriller Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story achieved unanimous critical acclaim and unprecedented viewership, catapulting theater actor Pratik Gandhi to national stardom. Set against the chaotic, bullish Bombay Stock Exchange of the 1980s and early 1990s, the ten-episode series chronicles the meteoric rise and catastrophic downfall of stockbroker Harshad Shantilal Mehta. From his humble beginnings living in a tiny one-room chawl in Ghatkopar, Mehta's audacious ambition, infectious charm, and legendary motto 'Risk hai toh ishq hai' ('If there is risk, there is love') propel him to become the undisputed 'Big Bull' of Dalal Street, single-handedly manipulating market rallies using illegal fake bank receipts. However, when relentless financial journalist Sucheta Dalal (Shreya Dhanwanthary) breaks the story of a ₹5,000 crore banking fraud in The Times of India, Mehta's house of cards collapses under CBI raids and political abandonment. Featuring Achint Thakkar's viral electronic theme song and razor-sharp Gujarati-infused dialogue, Scam 1992 is an undisputed triumph.
The Sopranos
Created by David Chase, HBO's 1999 drama series The Sopranos is widely credited by television historians as the singular work that launched the Golden Age of Television, transforming the medium into high art and winning 21 Primetime Emmy Awards. James Gandolfini delivers what is universally regarded as the greatest, most layered performance in television history as Tony Soprano, a ruthless, panic-attack-ridden New Jersey mob boss who secretly begins visiting psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco). Juggling the existential stresses of leading the DiMeo crime family against federal wiretaps and treacherous capos with the suburban tribulations of his marriage to Carmela (Edie Falco in an Emmy-winning powerhouse performance) and his rebellious children, Tony is haunted by a toxic, murderous relationship with his manipulative mother Livia (Nancy Marchand). Blending visceral mob violence, Freudian psychoanalysis, dark comedy, dream sequences, and existential angst, The Sopranos redefined the antihero archetype. Culminating in its historic, controversial smash-to-black cut to Journey's 'Don't Stop Believin'' in Holsten's diner, the series remains an unassailable masterpiece. With David Chase's fearless narrative innovations, the drama permanently eliminated the divide between television and prestige cinema, establishing modern serialization tropes and cementing Tony Soprano as television's ultimate anti-hero.
Better Call Saul
Created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould as a prequel to their seminal series Breaking Bad, AMC's Better Call Saul accomplished the near-impossible: matching and, in the eyes of many critics, surpassing the dramatic depth and moral complexity of its predecessor across six peerless seasons. Bob Odenkirk delivers an immortal, heartbreaking performance as Jimmy McGill, an earnest, scrappy ex-con artist trying desperately to walk the straight and narrow as an elder law attorney while seeking the elusive approval of his brilliant, condescending older brother Chuck McGill (Michael McKean). Beside him is Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn in one of television history's greatest performances), a formidable lawyer whose profound love for Jimmy gradually draws her into his addictive, morally hazardous cons. Parallel to Jimmy's gradual descent into the flamboyant, soulless cartel lawyer Saul Goodman, Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) and Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) wage a cold, lethal war against the psychotic Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton). Driven by breathtaking cinematography, patient character-first storytelling, and an exquisite black-and-white post-Breaking Bad finale, Better Call Saul stands as a triumph of American television drama.
True Detective
Conceived and written by Nic Pizzolatto and directed entirely by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the inaugural 2014 season of HBO's anthology series True Detective stands as one of the greatest single seasons of television drama ever produced. Set against the desolate, sun-bleached swamps and decaying petrochemical refineries of coastal Louisiana, the narrative alternates across three timelines (1995, 2002, and 2012) as two former Louisiana State Police homicide investigators are interrogated about the unsolved ritualistic murder of prostitute Dora Lange. Matthew McConaughey delivers an electrifying, career-best performance as Rustin 'Rust' Cohle, an aloof, philosophically pessimistic detective steeped in cosmic nihilism, partnered with Woody Harrelson's Martin 'Marty' Hart, an ostensibly normal family man struggling with hypocritical morality and explosive temper. As their 17-year pursuit of the shadowy 'Yellow King' and the sinister Tuttle family unspools, their fractured partnership is pushed to existential madness. Featuring an immortal, six-minute uninterrupted tracking shot through a violent housing project and profound meditations on human consciousness, True Detective redefined television auteurism.
Narcos
Created by Chris Brancato, Carlo Bernard, and Doug Miro and executive produced by José Padilha, Netflix's gripping international crime drama series Narcos revolutionized global multilingual streaming television, earning critical acclaim and a massive worldwide following. Chronicling the explosive rise and violent fall of the Medellín Drug Cartel and its ruthless kingpin Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura in a monumental, Golden Globe-nominated performance of menacing charisma and terrifying volatility), the series explores how a modest contraband smuggler in Colombia built an unprecedented multi-billion-dollar global cocaine empire through bloodshed, political terrorism, and robin-hood populist manipulation ('Plata o Plomo'—silver or lead). Countering Escobar's reign of terror are American DEA agents Steve Murphy (Boyd Holbrook, who also narrates with gritty documentary-style realism) and Javier Peña (Pedro Pascal in a magnetic, star-making breakthrough), alongside dedicated Colombian police commander Horacio Carrillo and the Search Bloc tactical unit. Seamlessly weaving authentic archival documentary footage, high-octane guerrilla warfare, and intricate geopolitical corruption, Narcos is a breathless, sweeping historical saga that captures the tragic human and political cost of the international war on drugs with unrelenting authenticity, brilliant pacing, and unforgettable performances.
Mindhunter
Executive produced and directed by cinematic master David Fincher alongside Charlize Theron, Netflix's 2017 psychological crime drama series Mindhunter stands as the benchmark for intellectual, procedurally authentic television on the origin of modern criminal profiling. Based on the 1995 true-crime memoir Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker, the series is set in the late 1970s at the dawn of modern forensic psychology. Visionary young FBI Special Agent Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and cynical, world-weary veteran agent Bill Tench (Holt McCallany), collaborating with brilliant psychology professor Dr. Wendy Carr (Anna Torv), establish the FBI's nascent Behavioral Science Unit inside the basement of Quantico. Traveling across the United States, Ford and Tench conduct groundbreaking, deeply disturbing in-depth interviews with incarcerated, high-profile serial murderers—including the chillingly articulate, hulking 'Co-ed Killer' Ed Kemper (Cameron Britton in an Emmy-nominated tour de force), Jerry Brudos, and Charles Manson—to decipher abnormal behavioral psychology, motives, and behavioral signatures to aid ongoing active investigations. Distinguished by Fincher's trademark clinical precision, moody desaturated color grading, and razor-sharp dialogue, Mindhunter is a cerebral, chillingly realistic examination of the psychological toll of staring into the abyss of human evil.
Delhi Crime
Written and directed by Indo-Canadian filmmaker Richie Mehta, Netflix's procedural crime drama Delhi Crime made history as the very first Indian series to win the prestigious International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series in 2020. The harrowing, meticulously researched inaugural season chronicles the intense five-day police investigation that followed the infamous December 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old medical intern on a moving bus—a heinous crime that outraged the conscience of India and sparked nationwide protests. Shefali Shah delivers a tour-de-force, career-defining performance as Deputy Commissioner of Police Vartika Chaturvedi (Madam Sir), who marshals her dedicated, underfunded, and exhausted team through sleepless nights to apprehend all six perpetrators before public fury and political interference tear the city apart. Supported by outstanding performances from Rasika Dugal, Rajesh Tailang, and Adil Hussain, Delhi Crime avoids sensationalism, presenting a clinical, empathetic, and unvarnished examination of police procedural work, systemic infrastructure decay, and the relentless quest for justice. A harrowing, deeply essential landmark of Indian television.
Mirzapur
Created by Karan Anshuman and Puneet Krishna and produced by Excel Entertainment, Amazon Prime Video's crime thriller Mirzapur became an explosive, unmatched pop-culture sensation across India, spawning hundreds of viral memes, iconic catchphrases, and record-setting viewership. Set in the lawless, gun-toting heartland of Purvanchal in Uttar Pradesh, the series revolves around Akhandanand Tripathi, popularly known as 'Kaleen Bhaiya' (Pankaj Tripathi in an immortal, understated performance of quiet menace and patriarchal authority)—the benevolent carpet exporter who rules the city's illegal arms and narcotics syndicates with an iron fist. His reckless, psychopathic son Munna (Divyenndu in a beloved, unhinged turn) aspires to inherit the throne but constantly stumbles into disaster. When Munna crashes a wedding and shoots the groom, he crosses paths with two upright college brothers, Guddu (Ali Fazal) and Bablu Pandit (Vikrant Massey), sons of an uncorrupted lawyer. Recognizing their muscle and intellect, Kaleen Bhaiya recruits them into his empire, triggering an irreversible bloodbath of betrayal, revenge, and political power plays. Filled with dark humor, shocking deaths, and raw regional authenticity, Mirzapur reigns as the king of desi crime drama.
Sacred Games
Directed by Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane and adapted from Vikram Chandra's acclaimed 2006 novel, Netflix's inaugural Indian original series Sacred Games fundamentally revolutionized Indian streaming television, earning international praise and an International Emmy nomination for Best Drama. Set across the murky underbelly of Mumbai, the series kicks off when Sartaj Singh (Saif Ali Khan in an acclaimed, melancholic performance), a cynical, overlooked Sikh police inspector struggling with insomnia and professional compromise, receives an anonymous phone call from legendary crime lord Ganesh Gaitonde (Nawazuddin Siddiqui in his crowning, iconic role). Gaitonde, who has been missing for sixteen years, delivers a chilling ultimatum: 'You have 25 days to save Mumbai. Everyone will die, except Siddheshwar.' Moments later, Gaitonde shoots himself in an underground bunker. Partnered with sharp RAW intelligence analyst Anjali Mathur (Radhika Apte), Sartaj unspools Gaitonde's operatic, blood-soaked rise from a small-time crook to the undisputed king of Gopalmath, uncovering a terrifying nexus of organized crime, corrupt politicians, film star blackmail, and an apocalyptic nuclear conspiracy orchestrated by a shadowy godman. A gritty, unyielding masterpiece.