10 Most Binge-Worthy Crime Shows You Can Watch in One Weekend
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Breaking Bad, The Wire, The Sopranos—it’s no coincidence that several of the most acclaimed and beloved TV shows of all time belong to the crime genre. There’s an irresistible allure to watching stories of outlaws and those who chase them on the small screen, and as such, everyone has watched at least one crime series that they’ve absolutely fallen in love with.
There are, of course, plenty of highly bingeable crime shows that one can spread out over the course of several weeks, but, during some rainy weekends spent at home, one may want to get into one of these series and finish it all before Monday rolls in. Thankfully, there are plenty of crime series and miniseries out there waiting to be binge-watched in (almost) one sitting.
10
‘Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story’ (2020)
India has produced several shows so highly rated that they’ve joined the ranks of IMDb’s Top 250 series, and the most acclaimed of those is Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story. This docudrama, based on the rise and fall of the titular infamous stockbroker, at an admirable IMDb rating of 9.2, is the site’s 31st highest-rated show.
Scam 1992 is one of the best crime shows of all time, and at just 10 episodes that clock in at a total of nine hours and 10 minutes, there’s no excuse not to check out this modern gem. Insightful, impeccably written, anchored by terrific production qualities, and bolstered by a powerhouse lead performance by Pratik Gandhi, it’s proof of why Indian television is as acclaimed as it is online.
9
‘The Night Of’ (2016)
Winner of 5 Emmys, the British HBO miniseries The Night Of is one of the best in its medium of the 2010s. The general plot that it follows isn’t anything novel in the crime genre, but the incredibly thrilling and structurally brilliant way in which that story is conveyed is what makes this show so brilliant. A once-in-a-lifetime performance by Riz Ahmed doesn’t hurt, either.
The Night Of has eight episodes that altogether account for a little under nine hours, making it a breeze to get through in a single weekend. And although the possibility of more episodes has been explored, it has been years since that possibility has been talked about—so, for now, it remains a “single weekend” kind of show. One of the best-ever 8-episode miniseries, it’s a story that proves that sometimes, shorter is better.
8
‘Adolescence’ (2025)
One of the most talked-about TV shows in years, Adolescence is guaranteed to go down as one of this year’s most impactful shows. A hard-hitting miniseries about incel culture and the way social media is affecting young men—and the women around them by proxy—, it’s inarguably one of the most thematically timely small-screen stories in years, but it also has a lot more going for it.
Each of Adolescence‘s four episodes is shot in one long take, and they all take around four hours to get through; quite a breeze for those used to consuming an entire season of Stranger Things on Saturday afternoon. It’s one of the very best miniseries in recent memory, as formally titillating as it is narratively thought-provoking and absolutely engrossing.
7
‘Mr Inbetween’ (2018–2021)
One of the best Australian crime shows out there, Mr Inbetween is a dark comedy based on the 2005 Australian crime film The Magician, directed by, written by, and starring Scott Ryan. Mr Inbetween, too, was created by and stars Ryan. It’s his story and his characters through and through, and what a riveting story and what compelling characters they are.
Each of the show’s 26 episodes, which add up to a little under 11-and-a-half hours, is beautifully directed and impeccably written. The humor works wonderfully, the performances are unforgettable, and the characters are so nuanced and fun to follow around that it’s impossible to turn off the TV. You’ll just find yourself clicking “next episode” 25 times, making this ideal for an at-home weekend.
6
‘Twin Peaks: The Return’ (2017)
David Lynch was 30 years old when his debut feature, the surrealist masterpiece that is Eraserhead, came out. After that, he became one of cinematic surrealism’s biggest icons. It was only a matter of time before he made the jump to the small screen, and that jump happened in 1990 with Twin Peaks. It low-key takes a genius to fully understand Lynch’s show, but it’s undeniable that it’s one of the most fascinatingly creative crime shows ever created.
Mainly due to declining ratings, the show was canceled after just two seasons. It wasn’t until 2017 that it was revived with the follow-up Twin Peaks: The Return. Logically, one would need to get through the original before checking out its sequel, but the fact of the matter is that, with 18 episodes that amount to just a bit under 17 hours, The Return can definitely be binge-watched in one weekend. It would certainly be an ambitious task, but with how irresistibly engrossing and absolutely addictive it is, it wouldn’t be a struggle by any means.
5
‘When They See Us’ (2019)
One of the best-ever miniseries based on true events, When They See Us is a Netflix miniseries that follows the infamous Central Park Five case, where five teenagers from Harlem were falsely accused of a brutal attack. It’s an absolutely harrowing story, which perhaps is even more of a reason to watch it all in one sitting.
The show has four episodes and runs for just a bit under 5 hours. It’s the perfect miniseries to watch in one go, so that one can sit with it and analyze its thought-provoking themes afterward. It’s not an easy watch, that’s for sure; but it’s an absolutely essential one, undoubtedly one of the most important TV shows of the last decade.
4
‘Broadchurch’ (2013–2017)
There are plenty of British crime dramas that are absolutely exceptional, but not many are as great—or as bingeable—as Broadchurch. Starring Olivia Colman and David Tennant delivering some of the best work of their respective careers, it’s a real masterpiece of a crime show that people can thankfully watch for free on Tubi.
Winner of three BAFTAs, it’s a riveting and stunningly complex drama with 24 episodes that run for just a little bit over 19 hours. Those planning to go out to the park on Sunday might want to look for a quicker show to binge-watch, but those who want a mesmerizing crime drama that will capture their attention for two entire days ought to check out Broadchurch.
3
‘The Penguin’ (2024)
In 2022, The Batman took the world by storm. Audiences didn’t anticipate just how ready they were for a new take on the Caped Crusader and his Gotham City. The version of the Gotham underworld that Matt Reeves envisioned is strangely enrapturing, and the way the sequel miniseries The Penguin explores it to its grimiest, gloomiest depths is precisely the kind of world-building that DC fans love.
The Penguin is one of the most masterful crime shows of the last few years, elevated by a career-best performance by Cristin Millioti and an absolutely unrecognizable Colin Farrell. Dark, violent, and full of psychologically complex characters, The Penguin is the spiritual successor to The Sopranos that the world didn’t know it needed. With 8 episodes that run for a little over seven-and-a-half hours, binge-watching this masterclass in crime TV show-making isn’t just easy: It almost feels obligatory.
2
‘Barry’ (2018–2023)
With a masterful Bill Hader performance, a brilliant balance between heartfelt drama and absurdist comedy, and one of the most original premises of any HBO show, Barry deserves to be in the conversation as one of the greatest crime series of the 2010s and 2020s.
Barry has 32 episodes and lasts about 17 hours. It’s definitely a daunting weekend activity, but the show is so addictive, so well-paced, and so undeniably fantastic that not only is it doable: It’s very, very tempting. The performances are amazing, the writing and directing are phenomenal, and the themes of forgiveness, redemption, and existentialism are surprisingly profound and serious for what can often be an absolutely wild and hilarious comedy.
1
‘Mindhunter’ (2017–2019)
Netflix’s tragic cancellation of Mindhunter after just two short-lived seasons due to relatively low viewership remains one of the saddest chapters in the history of the streaming giant. Thankfully for fans of true crime television, however, this masterful psychological thriller’s life having been cut short at least means that it can be watched (and rewatched) in just a couple of days.
After all, some of the best Netflix shows run for less than five seasons. Mindhunter, with its 19 episodes and 17-hour runtime, is fascinatingly realistic and flawlessly written. The casting is amazing, the directing of each episode is perfection, and the exploration of criminals’ mentalities and the FBI’s profiling techniques is delightfully complex. It’s one of the best crime TV shows ever made, and it definitely is the best out of the ones that can reasonably be binge-watched in one weekend.
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