7 Best Thriller Shows to Binge in a Single Weekend

Thrillers are uniquely good at building excitement, suspense, and keeping you hooked. These stories often feature tense plots, high stakes, and a quick pace. While thriller movies are great, TV series allow for even deeper exploration of themes like espionage, crime, and psychological danger. If you’re looking for a short, thrilling binge-watch, several excellent single-season shows deliver a real adrenaline rush.

Thrillers come in many forms, including crime, spy stories, and psychological dramas, making it a really varied and enjoyable genre. The feeling of suspense and surprising plot twists is hard to beat, making thrillers perfect for a weekend watch. Here are some of the best thriller shows that will keep you hooked with their memorable stories and characters – you won’t be able to stop watching!

The Beast in Me Sees Claire Danes Return To Form

The novel The Beast in Me takes place in the wealthy Long Island town of Oyster Bay. It centers on Aggie Wiggs, a celebrated author struggling with grief after the loss of her son, and Niles Jarvis, a successful real estate developer. Their lives unexpectedly connect when Niles moves to town with his new wife, Nina, following the suspicious death of his first wife. Aggie, unable to write since her son’s accident, becomes intrigued by Niles and the secrets surrounding his past.

Aggie is determined to uncover the truth about Niles’ wife and the secrets he’s carefully concealed. Their investigation quickly becomes a battle of wits as each tries to expose the other. Aggie’s journey is especially compelling, as her relentless pursuit of the story for her book leads her into danger, while she struggles with her personal grief and avoids dealing with her own life. Both characters mirror each other’s inner turmoil, making The Beast in Me a truly gripping psychological thriller.

All Her Fault Is A Complex Story Of Motherhood, Murder, And Deception

Megan Gallagher’s film, All Her Fault, immediately throws you into a terrifying and captivating mystery. When wealthy mother Marissa Irvine (played by Sarah Snook) goes to collect her son, Milo, from a playdate, she discovers that no one at the house knows either him or about any playdate. It turns out Marissa and her husband have been tricked, and a suspicious nanny named Carrie is behind a complicated scheme to kidnap Milo.

This suspenseful thriller follows Marissa as she battles accusations and intense public attention while searching for her son. The case quickly becomes much more complex than a simple kidnapping, delving into themes of motherhood, social class, and responsibility. The story is both gripping and emotionally resonant, and features compelling performances from Sarah Snook, Dakota Fanning, and Sophia Lillis, who keep you invested until the very end.

Bodyguard Is A Nuanced Political Thriller

Richard Madden stars in Bodyguard as David Budd, a war veteran from Afghanistan dealing with PTSD. After successfully stopping a dangerous bombing, Budd is assigned to protect Home Minister Julia Montague, despite disagreeing with her political views. He must navigate the conflict between his personal beliefs, his duty, and the emotional challenges stemming from his time in the war.

From the beginning, Bodyguard immediately creates intense suspense and maintains a fast pace throughout its six episodes. Richard Madden delivers a strong performance as a battle-worn officer who hides a sensitive side beneath his tough exterior. The show is both a character study and a thrilling, gritty drama full of scandal, and it’s arguably the most twist-filled series on this list.

Baby Reindeer Is An Atypical Thriller

While it could be seen as a darkly funny or serious story, the intense dynamic between Donny Dunn and Martha leans into psychological thriller territory. The story, created by and starring Richard Gadd, begins with comedian Donny working as a bartender and offering comfort to a sad customer named Martha. But after he offers her a complimentary tea, Martha becomes fixated on him, escalating into stalking behavior that extends to Donny’s friends and family – a pattern she’s demonstrated before as a convicted stalker.

Baby Reindeer is a captivating and emotionally powerful series that explores the complex relationship between two individuals grappling with their own issues. It offers a unique and often unsettling look at abuse and trauma from a male perspective, delving into the motivations of both the victim and the person who caused harm. The show fearlessly tackles a difficult subject, making it a truly disturbing, yet compelling, watch.

Wilderness Gives Pure Female Rage

The story focuses on a complex female character who always did the right thing, but is forced to change when life throws her a curveball. Jenna Coleman delivers a compelling performance as Liv, a kind and innocent woman who moves across the world with her husband to start a new life. However, her dream is quickly shattered when she discovers his infidelity, and she decides to channel her anger in a surprising way.

The series follows Liv and Will on a road trip across America that’s derailed when Will’s mistress, Cara, joins them, creating a highly charged dynamic. As deception, murder, and conspiracy unfold, Cara ends up dead, but Wilderness is more than just a typical whodunit. It’s a deep look at how women change when pushed to their limits and how they react when the men they trust betray them. Jenna Coleman delivers a particularly compelling performance throughout the series.

Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Dramatizes A Gruesome, Real-Life Killer

As a true crime fan, I was completely hooked by Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. What’s great is you don’t need to watch it in order, because each season tells a different story. This first season dives into the horrifying life of Jeffrey Dahmer, the serial killer who terrorized communities in Ohio and Wisconsin throughout the 80s and 90s. It’s incredibly disturbing to learn about the crimes he committed against 17 young men and boys – he became known as the Milwaukee Cannibal due to the truly awful things he did.

Watching Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is a disturbing experience. The show depicts violence with harsh realism, but its use of an 80s soundtrack during Dahmer’s crimes feels strangely detached. Despite criticism, the series offers a fascinating, if unsettling, look into the mind of a killer, and true crime fans will likely find it compelling. While dramatized for effect – such as scenes of Dahmer evading the police – these moments create a thrilling, though deeply disturbing, viewing experience.

The Girlfriend Is As Ridiculous As It Is Thrilling

When Daniel, the son of wealthy matriarch Laura Sanderson, brings home his new girlfriend, Cherry, tensions immediately rise. Cherry’s past is shrouded in mystery, and she has a tendency towards violence, leading to an instant clash with Laura. Both women are untrustworthy storytellers, leaving the audience feeling uneasy and on edge.

Beyond the intense psychological battle between Laura and Cherry, the 6-episode Prime Video series The Girlfriend is packed with unexpected twists, disturbing imagery, and deceitful plots. From animal remains and ruined weddings to hacked social media accounts and staged deaths, the show constantly raises the stakes. Despite a somewhat playful feel at times, The Girlfriend builds to a violent climax where only one of the two main characters will survive.

2025-12-19 22:08