Crime Thrillers Worth Watching If Apple TV’s ‘Nocturne’ Has Hooked You
Apple TV launched ‘Nocturne’ on October 30 with two episodes, and new episodes arrive every Friday through December 25. The series premiered on Apple TV with two episodes, followed by weekly releases through the holiday. It adapts the Lars Kepler novels Lazarus and The Sandman, and early reviews have been largely positive, with particular praise for Stephen Graham’s chilling performance.
The story follows Jonah Lynn, a former soldier and homicide detective who leaves Philadelphia for a quiet town in western Pennsylvania, only to find his family and community targeted by the cunning serial killer Jurek Walter. Viewers looking for shows like ‘Nocturne’ will find the following series built around similar psychological duels, damaged investigators and unsettling communities.
‘Hannibal’
The series follows FBI profiler Will Graham, whose unusual ability to understand murderers draws him into a dangerous contest with psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter. Like ‘Nocturne’, it presents a brilliant killer whose influence reaches far beyond any single crime. It is considerably more stylised, but the thin line between understanding a criminal and becoming vulnerable to him runs through both.
‘The Fall’
Gillian Anderson plays detective superintendent Stella Gibson, who investigates a series of murders in Belfast opposite Jamie Dornan’s killer, a man whose ordinary public life hides his secret activities. The drama shares the interest of ‘Nocturne’ in the psychological relationship between an investigator and a calculating offender. Its deliberate pacing gives behaviour and deception room to matter.
‘The Killing’
The American version of the series follows detectives Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder as a murder investigation exposes secrets across an entire community. Its rain soaked streets and subdued colours create the sort of unease that suits ‘Nocturne’ viewers. It focuses more on the ripple effects of a crime than on a single mastermind, but its patient storytelling keeps the tension steady.
‘Mindhunter’
FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench interview imprisoned serial killers alongside psychologist Wendy Carr to understand how violent offenders think. That premise connects closely to the way ‘Nocturne’ treats a killer as an opponent who must be read rather than simply chased. The show is more procedural, yet its interviews carry the uneasy feeling of facing someone who may be deliberately misleading you.
‘Black Bird’
A prisoner named Jimmy Keene is offered a chance at freedom if he can gain the trust of suspected serial killer Larry Hall. The prison setting makes it a particularly close match for ‘Nocturne’, since both dramas show that confinement does not remove a dangerous man’s reach. The story is based on real events, which gives its study of manipulation a grounded edge.
‘The Sinner’
Detective Harry Ambrose investigates crimes that seem simple until buried memories, personal trauma and complicated relationships surface, with each season introducing a new mystery. Like ‘Nocturne’, it cares about the psychological forces behind a crime more than the identity of the culprit. Ambrose repeatedly finds that the obvious explanation falls short, which keeps the cases engaging.
‘True Detective’
This anthology drama presents a new investigation, a new set of detectives and a new atmosphere each season, often pairing complex murders with damaged investigators and questions about justice. Its bleak tone and troubled lawmen echo the personal cost carried by Jonah Lynn. The first season is a natural starting point, though every season offers a different experience.
‘The Chestnut Man’
This Danish thriller follows detectives Naia Thulin and Mark Hess as they investigate murders linked by an unusual clue that exposes disturbing connections. The Kepler books are rooted in Nordic noir, and the Apple series relocates that story to Western Pennsylvania. This series offers the original cold, restrained atmosphere and works as a compact mystery for viewers who do not want a long commitment.
‘The Bridge’
The Swedish and Danish drama begins when a body is found on the border between the two countries, forcing detectives from each side to cooperate. What first looks like a single murder grows into a carefully constructed case with wider social questions. For viewers drawn to the Scandinavian origins of ‘Nocturne’, it shows how well atmosphere and psychology can work together.
‘The Alienist’
Set in late nineteenth century New York, the series follows criminal psychologist Dr Laszlo Kreizler, illustrator John Moore and police secretary Sara Howard as they hunt a killer at a time when psychological profiling was unfamiliar. The historical setting makes it visually distinct, yet its investigators share the same challenge of understanding a criminal who defies conventional explanations. It rewards patient viewers who enjoy methodical detective work.
‘Broadchurch’
The series opens with a death that shocks a small coastal community and places detectives Alec Hardy and Ellie Miller at the center of an increasingly tangled investigation. Its small town setting and the way one crime unsettles family life and neighbourly trust mirror what happens to Jonah Lynn’s new home. It leans more on collective grief than on a cunning predator, which leaves a fair question for anyone watching ‘Nocturne’ week to week, does Jurek Walter’s calculated menace feel closer to the close knit suspicion of Broadchurch or to the cold psychological duels found in the other series on this list?
