By George Bate & Josh Bate
Those eager to evoke their inner Agatha Christie often need to turn to television shows and mini-series, as opposed to theatrically released films nowadays, for their murder mystery fix. Thankfully, the long-form storytelling enabled by television and streaming allow for murder mysteries full of intrigue and suspense that even Christie would be proud of. Here are some of the best murder mysteries shows and mini-series currently streaming.
The Afterparty
Where is it streaming?: Apple TV+
What’s it about?: The afterparty of a high school reunion turns sour when the host, a famous pop singer with complicated ties to his fellow classmates, is found dead. Each episode of the show focuses on a different suspect’s chronicle of the high school reunion and afterparty, with each tale unfolding in different genres/mediums ranging from action to thriller to musical to even animation.
True Detective – Season 1
Where is it streaming?: HBO Max
What’s it about?: Former Louisiana State CID partners, Rustin Cohle and Martin Hart (played by Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson respectively), look back on a murder investigation that took place 17 years earlier.
Poker Face
Where is it streaming?: Peacock
What’s it about?: Knives Out writer/director Rian Johnson created this murder mystery series starring Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale, an expert detective with an uncanny ability to tell when someone is lying. The series follows a mystery-of-the-week format and, akin to the series Columbo, is a “howcatchem” rather than a “whodunnit.” That is to say, the perpetrator is revealed at the beginning of each episode and the audience follows Charlie as she solves the mystery.
Mare of Easttown
Where is it streaming?: HBO Max
What’s it about?: Kate Winslet plays Mare Sheehan, a police investigator in a small Pennsylvania town who investigates a brutal murder while juggling her difficult personal life.
Three Pines
Where is it streaming?: Prime Video
What’s it about?: Alfred Molina plays Chief Inspector Armand Gamache in this adaptation of Louise Penny’s novels. With an overarching conspiracy to look into, each mystery comprises two episodes, which means the full eight-episode show has four separate mysteries to experience.
Only Murders in the Building
Where is it streaming?: Hulu
What’s it about?: Three strangers (played by Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. A grisly death in their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building leads the three unlikely friends to investigate the crime and catch the killer.
Clickbait
Where is it streaming?: Netflix
What’s it about?: Zoe Kazan stars in this Netflix mini-series that explores the dark side of social media. A father (played by Adrian Grenier) goes missing and soon appears in a viral video holding a sign saying that says he abuses women and will die if the video receives 5 million views.