10 binge-worthy British mysteries now on Netflix (2023)

From elevated procedurals to gripping mysteries and twisty thrillers with a supernatural twist, there are plenty of grisly British murders to solve on Netflix right now, so do well to make yourself comfortable.

Here are ten binge-worthy British crime dramas guaranteed to brighten up those dark winter nights.

Die A-List

The essentials:A group of attractive teenagers, in various states of teenage temper, arrive at the picturesque summer camp on Peregrine Island. You really can't blame them as there is no wifi on the island and the camp supervisors treat them like big kids and ask them to play kid games like capture the flag. A darker game soon develops, however, as the street-smart Mia (played by Lisa Ambalavanar) and the oddly deadpan Ice Queen Amber (played by Ellie Duckles) struggle for social power. However, the odds are high, as it soon becomes clear that Amber has supernatural advantages.
Why it's worth it:The spooky scenes are twisted rather than terrifying, and you'll spend most of your time feeling pleasantly disoriented rather than veered off course. The ending will test your ability to stifle disbelief - possibly to the breaking point - but it's still an enjoyable guilty pleasure, even for those well past the age of majority. A second season is planned, so it looks like there's an opportunity for a second look.
Assessment:7/10

Black Earth Ascendant

The essentials:Kate Ashby (Michaela Coel) is a 20-something legal investigator with a traumatic history. Born during the Rwandan genocide, the Rwandan refugee was adopted by human rights lawyer Eve Ashby (played by Harriet Walter) and raised in England. The past merges with the present when Kate's adoptive mother takes on the indictment of a Rwandan general at the International Criminal Court. While investigating the general and the forces that brought him to the ICC, Kate travels back to Rwanda and begins to fill in some of the gaps in her background. What she discovers is shocking.
Why it's worth it:This is no ordinary mystery, but a unique and unexpected drama that explores issues of justice and race (and how ideas about the former are often influenced by the latter) and how the stories we are told shape our identity. It's an ambitious series that doesn't always reach its goal, but is held back by a preliminary phase.I can destroy youCoel, portraying Kate with wild vulnerability.
Assessment:7/10

Broadchurch

The essentials:A picturesque Dorset town is reeling after the body of an 11-year-old boy is found at the foot of a beach cliff. Detective Inspector Alec Hardy (David Tennant) is a cantankerous parent of sorts (minus the jokes and gut) and community misfit. He teams up with local detective sergeant Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman), compassionate and deceptively maternal, to investigate the murder. The investigation gradually reveals how many mysteries can hold together a seemingly tranquil seaside village.
Why it's worth it:Two reasons: Tennant and Colman, whose brilliant chemistry adds extra drama to the already potent mix. And, like the best British crime series, it's filled with solid British actors. You simply can't go wrong here - the premise is deadly enough to grab your attention, but it's the richness of the subplots that bolster and elevate the narrative.
Emotion rating:8/10

Security

The essentials:A Syrian refugee working as a pizza delivery boy is shot dead after delivering a cake to a well-connected woman in a London suburb. Detective Inspector Kip Glaspie (Carey Mulligan) is the smart cop assigned to investigate the case. The newly promoted cop has something to prove, and with her 360-degree swivel antenna for solving crimes, she suspects there's more to crime than just another random act. Her intuition proves true, revealing an interconnected web of complicity and corruption at the highest institutions.
Why it's worth it:It's so well designed and executed. Written by the eminent English playwright Sir David Hare, this is a dramatic thriller that exudes contemporary relevance both politically and culturally. The women round out this series and Mulligan shines brightest. You could cut yourself at the sharp angles of her performance.
Emotion rating:8/10

criminal great britain

The essentials:Detectives interrogate a suspect and unravel his story piece by piece until the truth comes out. Each episode of this anthology series takes place in an interview room whose air is becoming increasingly thick with psychological tension. The accused is almost always portrayed by a bold name or a prominent British actor, adding to the atmosphere of This Is Acting.
Why it's worth it:criminal great britainit's an oddly satisfying one-trick pony, and that's largely due to the quality of the acting (the dramatic arc can be daunting at times). In season one, David Tennant and Hayley Atwell were detective-shy. The newly released second season pleases the actorsTo War two Thrones's Kit Harington eCatastrophe'is Sharon Horgan an opportunity to shine.
Assessment:7,5/10

Giri/Haji (duty/shame)

The essentials:Kenzo Mori (played by Takehiro Hira) is a Tokyo police officer who is sent to London to find his brother Yuto (Yōsuke Kubozuka), a former member of the Yakuza gang presumed dead. (The very much alive Yuto killed the nephew of a rival boss in the English capital and started a gang war back home.) In London, Kenzo meets a delightfully weird English detective (played by Kelly McDonald) and a wicked English/Japanese boy named Jiro (played by a scene robbing Yoshiki Minato).
Why it's worth it:The BBC production, which alternates between English and Japanese, looks a little more prestigious on TV than it does on the network. An emotional slow burn with a noirical edge, its nuanced performances of Mori with a stoic world-weariness, as well as memorable portrayals of Minato and McDonald only serve to heighten the enjoyment of watching this series, which is also sadly funny, with an unexpectedly dry sense of humor.
Assessment:8/10

exercise of duty

The essentials:Police procedure with a contemporary twist - the cops are the criminals -exercise of duty,Spanning five popular seasons, with a sixth in the works, it chronicles the activities of AC-12, a task force assembled to root out corruption. The unholy trinity of DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compson), DI Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) are intensely focused on exposing bad apples, even as they deal with their own bruises and sometimes conceal procedures.
Why it's worth it:A complex narrative that keeps us engaged, combined with an interesting cast - fabulous guest stars up the fun quotient - create a solid foundation that is both entertaining and educational. Law and order with nuances and moral ambiguity, who would have thought?
Assessment:8,5/10

Requiem

the essentials: Matilda "Tilly" Gray (Lydia Wilson) is a London cellist whose mother inexplicably commits suicide before her eyes. Later, when Tilly is going through her mother's belongings, she discovers a cache of photos and newspaper clippings belonging to the abduction of a four-year-old Welsh girl decades earlier. To unravel the mystery of these relics and their strange power over the mother, Tilly and her best friend Hal (Joel Fry) go to the Welsh village where the little girl was taken. Strange events multiply upon your arrival in Penllynith, Wales. Get ready to be scared unexpectedly, there are lots of great sounds and scary pictures.
Why it's worth it:Wilson has an otherworldly quality that befits the far-fetched, almost mythical plot given to make it dramatic. She's so determined to delve deeper into the darkness that you can't help but follow her (if you occasionally stop and wonder where she got some of her awesome sweaters).
Assessment:7/10

Sherlock

The essentials:A modern reinterpretation of the legendary detective story, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the title character and Martin Freeman as his sassy Watson.
Why it's worth it:It's fast and fast (though a little too fast at times) and filled with eccentric performances from solid British actors. Sherlock's evil antagonist, Moriarty, played by Andrew Scott, aka,flea bag''s Hot Priest, is a series highlight. (That's right, he was a hot bad guy before he put a collar on Phoebe Waller-Bridge.)
Emotion rating:7,5/10

young wallander

The essentials:Ever wonder how the brooding legendary Swedish detective got his start? No, neither do I, but that's not the point. This ingenious origin story is an opportunity to revive the character with a young and attractive protagonist (no disrespectWallanderStar Kenneth Branagh). The show delivers on that brief with flying colors, with Swedish actor Adam Pålsson as a young newcomer. But don't expect time travel to 1970s Sweden. The series begins in contemporary Sweden, where the gruesome murder of a teenager in a housing project has deepened anti-immigrant sentiment.
Why it's worth it:Kurt is still finding his leading man legs - as is the series, which feels more English than Swedish (it's being produced by the same British company responsible forWallanderand it's packed with English actors) – but there's something endearing and undramatic about watching him do it. The show might scratch the surface of its big ideas, but for viewers who've had a long day tackling contemporary real-world challenges, it might feel good to skate.
Assessment:6,5/10