15 Shows Like ‘Dexter’ That Will Feed Your Obsession With Crime Thrillers

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Miami’s most charming forensic expert by day and criminal by night, Dexter Morgan

kept fans on edge with his dark code and spine-chilling double life. These shows like Dexter

bring that same pulse-pounding thrill, mind games, and morally gray antiheroes that leave you questioning everything. What happens when a hacker genius like Elliot Alderson from Mr. Robot

takes justice into his own hands? Or when Joe Goldberg from You

 

turns love into obsession?

 From Barry

, where Bill Hader’s hitman struggles between crime and an acting career

, to The Mentalist

, where Simon Baker cracks cases in the most unexpected ways, these stories take you into the deep ends of the human psyche.

With Dexter: New Blood

reviving the legacy and Dexter: Resurrection

stirring the pot again, leaving fans hungry for more- now is the perfect time to immerse yourself in a series like Dexter

that delivers that same haunting intensity. Be it the cat-and-mouse chases, twisted morality, or hunters who hide in plain sight, these TV shows will fill that Dexter

-shaped gap in your watchlist. 

15 series like Dexter with twisted antiheroes you will love

15. The Fall

Cast:

Gillian Anderson, Jamie Dornan

Release Date:

May 13, 2013  

Genre:

Crime Drama, Psychological Thriller  

Where to Watch:

Netflix, Amazon Prime Video  

If you enjoyed watching Dexter juggle his double life, The Fall

will have you hooked. Jamie Dornan is a suburban husband hiding a dark secret

—he is a chilling serial hunter, much like Dexter Morgan. The twist? Gillian Anderson’s sharp and relentless detective is always one step behind, making their game of cat and mouse absolutely gripping! 

Like in Dexter

, The Fall

goes deep into the psychology of its complex characters. Instead of vigilante justice, this story explores the terrifying reality of someone getting away with crime- well, until the walls start closing in! With the news of John Lithgow teasing his iconic return

 in the upcoming Dexter: Resurrection

series, fans have even more reason to visit these gripping tales of hidden darkness as they wait!

Read More: Exciting News for ‘Dexter: Resurrection’ Fans As 2 Major Updates Surface

14. The Mentalist

Cast:

Simon Baker, Robin Tunney, Tim Kang  

Release Date:

September 23, 2008  

Genre:

Crime Drama, Mystery, Thriller  

Where to Watch:

Amazon Prime Video

Similar to Dexter, Patrick Jane is a master of catching criminals

—but instead of a scalpel, he uses his mind. This ex-con turned consultant has a knack for reading people, often outsmarting both the police and criminals in clever ways. The result? A crime thriller that keeps you guessing.  

Jane’s search for the Red John mirrors Dexter’s hunt for justice, blending crime, psychology, and revenge. So, if you are searching for a TV series similar to Dexter

, The Mentalist

with its charismatic lead and exciting new cases, is a perfect fit.  

13. The Punisher

Cast:

Jon Bernthal, Ben Barnes, Ebon Moss-Bachrach  

Release Date:

November 17, 2017  

Genre:

Action, Crime Drama, Thriller  

Where to Watch:

Netflix, Disney+  

If Dexter Morgan had a bulletproof vest and an arsenal of weapons, he would be Frank Castle

. The Punisher

follows a man who, like Dexter, works to deliver his own version of justice. But where Dexter has surgical executions in a pool of blood on the floor, Frank works with bloody takedowns

that make even Dexter’s dark deeds look tame.  

Much like Dexter, The Punisher

explores what happens when a man with a traumatic past turns into an agent of revenge. Both characters justify their actions using a strict moral code, and both live double lives—one as an everyday citizen, the other as a cold-blooded hunter. The Punisher

is a show like Dexter

with more action and an antihero you cannot look away from!

12. CSI: Miami

Cast:

David Caruso, Emily Procter, Adam Rodriguez  

Release Date:

September 23, 2002  

Genre:

Procedural Drama, Crime, Thriller  

Where to Watch:

Paramount+, Prime Video 

Miami’s neon-lit streets and dark secrets are not just for Dexter.

CSI: Miami 

takes you deep into the city’s dark underbelly, where forensic experts crack gruesome crimes with cutting-edge technology. Sound familiar? While Dexter

worked in blood spatter analysis by day, this crew worked around the clock to catch assassins.  

Though more procedural than Dexter

, CSI: Miami

shares that exhilarating combination of scenes bathed in sunshine, high-stakes investigations, and twisted criminals hiding in plain sight. If you enjoy crime shows that make science just as thrilling as the chase, this one is worth binge-watching.  

11. The K—ing

Cast:

Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman, Billy Campbell  

Release Date:

April 3, 2011  

Genre:

Crime Drama, Mystery, Thriller  

Where to Watch:

Amazon Prime Video, Hulu  

Dark, moody, and full of psychological suspense, The K—ng

is what you get when a crime drama slows down to savor every creepy detail. Like Dexter

, it draws you into the minds of both investigators and criminals, making every twist feel intimate.  

While Dexter

was both the hunter and the hunted, The K—ing

’s detectives walk a similar moral tightrope—digging so deep into their cases that the line between justice and obsession starts to blur. 

10. Criminal 

Cast:

David Tennant, Nicholas Pinnock, Katherine Kelly and Lee Ingleby

Release Date:

September 20, 2019  

Genre:

Crime Drama, Anthology, Thriller  

Where to Watch:

Netflix  

Forget the action—Criminal

is all about the mind games. Set entirely in an interrogation room

, this show lives on tension-ridden dialogue that wears down suspects piece by piece. If you enjoyed the psychological mind play in Dexter

, where he manipulated everyone around him, this show has that action on an entirely different level.  

Instead of chase scenes or fancy crime scenes, Criminal

shows that words alone can be just as dangerous. Each episode tells a different criminal’s tale, and you are left thinking—who is actually in charge here? If you want a TV show similar to Dexter,

this one is it, but with even more thrilling psychological battles, so start streaming now!

9. Mindhunter

Cast:

Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, Anna Torv  

Release Date:

October 13, 2017  

Genre:

Crime Drama, Psychological Thriller  

Where to Watch:

Netflix  

What if Dexter Morgan sat down with real-life criminals? That is Mindhunter

in a nutshell. This slow-burning thriller follows two FBI agents in the 1970s as they interview the most disturbing executioners

to understand what makes them tick. 

Dexter always felt different, and Mindhunter

gives you a front-row seat into the minds of criminals who think just like him. If you are fascinated by the psychology of the man behind assassinations, this is one TV series like Dexter

that you do not want to miss!

8. Top of the Lake

Cast:

Elisabeth Moss, David Wenham, Peter Mullan  

Release Date:

March 18, 2013  

Genre:

Crime Drama, Mystery, Thriller  

Where to Watch:

Hulu, Amazon Prime Video  

Like Dexter, Top of the Lake

thrives on that eerie tension, a dark, brooding atmosphere, and moral dilemmas that blur the line between right and wrong. Elisabeth Moss plays a detective who investigates the case of a missing girl in a small town filled with creepy secrets

.  

If you were on edge with Dexter’s quiet moments of tension, when you just have the feeling something nasty is just about to come up—this show brings that same simmering intensity. Mystery, psychological depth, and fresh performances make it a must-watch for fans of TV shows like Dexter

.  

7. Hannibal

Cast:

Mads Mikkelsen, Hugh Dancy, Laurence Fishburne  

Release Date:

April 4, 2013  

Genre:

Psychological Thriller, Horror, Crime Drama  

Where to Watch:

Amazon Prime Video  

If Dexter

had a sophisticated, gourmet-loving cousin, it would be Hannibal.

Mads Mikkelsen’s version of the iconic criminal 

is just as methodical, suave, and dangerous as Dexter Morgan—except he has a taste for fine dining over plastic-wrapped executions.  

Much like Dexter

, Hannibal

explores the duality of a criminal who appears normal to the outside world. But this time, the cat-and-mouse game between him and FBI profiler Will Graham

adds an even more intense layer of twisted psychological battle!

6. The Following

Cast:

Kevin Bacon, James Purefoy, Shawn Ashmore

Release Date:

January 21, 2013  

Genre:

Crime Thriller, Psychological Horror  

Where to Watch:

Prime Video

What happens when a serial hunter is not just one man but an entire cult? The Following

takes the twisted mind games of Dexter

and cranks it up to a whole new level. Kevin Bacon is an ex-FBI agent

who is forced to track down quite a charming criminal with an army.

Like Dexter,

this series feeds on psychological suspense and the never-ending chase between hunter and hunted. If you loved watching Dexter Morgan outsmarting everyone while grappling with his own mortality, The Following

will have you glued to your screen. It is dark, it is intense, and it is packed with surprising twists!

5. You 

Cast:

Penn Badgley, Elizabeth Lail, Victoria Pedretti

Release Date:

September 9, 2018  

Genre:

Psychological Thriller, Crime Drama  

Where to Watch:

Netflix 

What if Dexter Morgan swapped blood slides for a bookstore and had social media at his disposal? Enter You

, where Joe Goldberg’s obsessive tendencies

make him a chilling yet oddly charming hero. Like Dexter talks you through his inner monologue, justifies his actions, and somehow makes you root for a guy who is clearly a monster. 

The tension in You

is not just about whether Joe will get caught- it is how far he will push himself (and you) to believe that his twisted actions are justified. 

How will Joe’s story wrap up? Fans are buzzing with excitement, and with Cardi B announcing its release, the final season trailer

 hints at a truly amazing finale! If you have been searching for TV shows similar to Dexter

, You

is an addictive and deeply unsettling experience that will keep you binge-watching.  

4. Breaking Bad 

Cast:

Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Dean Norris  

Release Date:

January 20, 2008  

Genre:

Crime Drama, Thriller  

Where to Watch:

Netflix

Walter White and Dexter Morgan have more in common than you may think. Both start as seemingly normal men with secret double lives—one cooks crystal, the other hunts criminals. But as their tales are told, their dark sides take over, confusing the hero and villain. Ring a bell?

Breaking Bad

is a masterclass in storytelling, showing how one bad decision can spiral into utter chaos. If you watched Dexter

juggle his day job with his deadly hobbies, you will be hooked to Walter’s transformation into Heisenberg. It is thrilling, nerve-wracking, and full of moments that will leave you gasping.

3. Prodigal Son

Cast:

Tom Payne, Michael Sheen, Lou Diamond Phillips  

Release Date:

September 23, 2019  

Genre:

Crime Drama, Psychological Thriller  

Where to Watch:

Hulu, Prime Video

Picture growing up with a criminal as your parent and then using that knowledge to solve crimes. That is Prodigal Son

in a nutshell. Malcolm Bright, like Dexter, has a natural knowledge of destruction, but instead of acting on it, he helps the police catch criminals.

His biggest challenge? His own father, a Hannibal Lecter-style psychopath.  

This show plays with the same moral dilemmas that make shows like Dexter

so addictive. Malcolm is always fighting the evil within him, trying to be the good guy while being haunted by the fear that he might not be so different from his father.  

2. Mr. Robot

Cast:

Rami Malek, Christian Slater, Carly Chaikin

Release Date:

May 27, 2015  

Genre:

Psychological Thriller, Drama  

Where to Watch:

Amazon Prime Video

What does it look like when a socially awkward genius with a secret double life tries to change the world? Mr. Robot

introduces Elliot Alderson, a cybersecurity expert by day and a vigilante hacker by night

. Like Dexter, Elliot has a dual life and an internal monologue that traps viewers in, making it the perfect watch for viewers who love a good mind game

.

The paranoia, the mind games, and the constant battle between morality and destruction make Mr. Robot

one of the best TV shows like Dexter

. Instead of tracking criminas, Elliot takes on corrupt corporations, but his journey is just as thrilling—and just as dark! 

1. Barry

Cast:

Bill Hader, Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, Henry Winkler  

Release Date:

February 10, 2018  

Genre:

Dark Comedy, Crime Drama  

Where to Watch:

HBO Max, Prime Video

Dexter Morgan tries to balance a normal life with his dark urges but here, Barry Berkman tries to leave his dark past completely behind

. A hitman who accidentally discovers his passion for acting, Barry wants to go straight, but his violent skills keep pulling him back in. If Dexter had a Hollywood dream, this would be it.  

Barry perfectly combines comedy and crime, making you laugh one second and gasp in shock the next. The suspense of living a double life, keeping violent urges in check, and the morally gray character all make it one of the most addictive TV shows similar to Dexter

.  

Crime thrillers have a way of pulling you into the minds of criminals, detectives, and antiheroes who walk the thin line between right and wrong. If Dexter

was keeping you glued with its dark humor, moral dilemmas, and chilling suspense, these shows like Dexter

will do the same and maybe more. Whether you crave psychological narratives, intense cat-and-mouse chases, or shocking twists, there is plenty here to satisfy your obsession! 

Read More: ‘Dexter: Resurrection’: Writer Hints at More Major Cast News, Following Uma Thurman Update

Which of these shows are you adding to your watchlist? Or do you have a go-to crime thriller we missed? Let us know in the comments below!  

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