Best Mystery & Thriller Series 2023

After proving his whodunit bona fides with a pair of Knives Out movies, Rian Johnson decided to try his hand at a “case of the week” crime series and recruited Natasha Lyonne to lead the show. With that kind of pedigree — not to mention a cast of guest stars that included Adrien Brody, Hong Chau, Ron Perlman, Tim Blake Nelson, and many more — it’s no wonder Poker Face rose to the top of our Mystery & Thriller Series category.

Poker Face: Season 1

#1

Adjusted Score: 109649%

Critics Consensus: With the incomparable Natasha Lyonne as an ace up its sleeve, Poker Face is a puzzle box of modest ambitions working with a full deck.

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Starring: Natasha Lyonne, Chloë Sevigny, Lil Rel Howery, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Directed By: Rian Johnson, Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman, Nora Zuckerman

Reacher: Season 2

#2

Adjusted Score: 101882%

Critics Consensus: Brawny as Alan Ritchson's biceps, Reacher swaggers confidently into its sophomore season as rock 'em sock 'em pulp with a sly wink.

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Starring: Alan Ritchson, Willa Fitzgerald, Malcolm Goodwin, Marc Bendavid

Directed By: Nick Santora, James D Grant, Don Granger, Scott Sullivan

Happy Valley: Season 3

#3

Adjusted Score: 103106%

Critics Consensus: Full of highs and with nary a low, Happy Valley returns at the peak of its hardscrabble powers, with Sarah Lancashire seamlessly slipping back into her quintessential role for one final mystery.

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Starring: Sarah Lancashire, James Norton, Siobhan Finneran, George Costigan

Directed By: Fergus O'Brien, Pat Harkins, Sally Wainwright

Only Murders in the Building: Season 3

#4

Adjusted Score: 105207%

Critics Consensus: Relocating the action to the theatre, Only Murders in the Building can take a bow for yet another twisty mystery handled with a good-humored touch.

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Starring: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Michael Cyril Creighton

Directed By: Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Jamie Babbitt, Dan Fogelman

Yellowjackets: Season 2

#5

Adjusted Score: 100543%

Critics Consensus: Having already made a startling first impression, Yellowjackets coils itself in a second season preparing for the long haul -- thankfully, its superb performances and mesmeric ambience are fine substitutes for fast answers.

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Starring: Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci, Tawny Cypress

Directed By: Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson, Jonathan Lisco, Drew Comins

Slow Horses: Season 3

#6

Adjusted Score: 101879%

Critics Consensus: Slow Horses' shabby charms reach a full gallop in this superb third season, yielding what might just be Slough House's most compelling operation yet.

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Starring: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jack Lowden, Saskia Reeves

Directed By: Graham Yost, James Hawes, Will Smith, Douglas Urbanski

Fargo: Season 5

#7

Adjusted Score: 98102%

Critics Consensus: A back-to-basics caper populated by the likes of a mesmerizing Juno Temple and a thick slice of Hamm, Fargo's fifth season is a superb return to peak form.

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Starring: Juno Temple, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Jason Leigh, David Rysdahl

Directed By: Noah Hawley, Warren Littlefield, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Deadloch: Season 1

#8

Adjusted Score: 101441%

Critics Consensus: An irreverent twist on the crime procedural, Deadloch's addictive mixture of mystery and mordant humor makes most of its corpse-strewn competition look comparably stiff.

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Starring: Kate Box, Madeleine Sami, Nina Oyama, Tom Ballard

Directed By: Kate McCartney, Kate McLennan, Kevin Whyte, Ben Chessell

The Afterparty: Season 2

#9

Adjusted Score: 98425%

Critics Consensus: The Afterparty welcomes in a mostly new cast and keeps things festive with its enduringly clever Rashomon-style format, stirring up an entertainment that viewers won't want to end.

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Starring: Tiffany Haddish, Sam Richardson, Zoe Chao, Elizabeth Perkins

Directed By: Christopher Miller, Phil Lord, Anthony King, Anu Valia

You: Season 4

#10

Adjusted Score: 97879%

Critics Consensus: The hunter becomes prey in You's London-set fourth season, which shows some wear as this premise begins to outlive its believability -- but Penn Badgley's sardonic performance continues to paper over most lapses in logic.

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Starring: Penn Badgley, Tati Gabrielle, Charlotte Ritchie, Lukas Gage

Directed By: Greg Berlanti, Sera Gamble, Sarah Schechter, Leslie Morgenstein