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Shows Like The Alienist

For those captivated by The Alienist, are likely to find resonance in stories that questions the purpose and weight of our choices while grounding the story in targets the intellect with complex, multi-layered ideas. Carefully balances character depth with narrative flow makes this definitely worth a watch.

Mood Breakdown
Runtime Cluster

Standard feature-length experiences.

Viewer Fit

Best for fans of who appreciate concise storytelling.

Top Picks

You
8.0

You

2018

A dangerously charming, intensely obsessive young man goes to extreme measures to insert himself into the lives of those he is transfixed by.

Cross
7.0

Cross

2024

Alex Cross is a brilliant but flawed homicide detective and full of contradictions. A doting father and family man, Cross is single-minded to the point of obsession when he hunts killers. He is desperate for love, but his wife’s murder has left him too damaged to receive it.

Instinct
6.8

Instinct

2018

Dr. Dylan Reinhart, a gifted author, university professor and former CIA operative is lured back to his old life by tenacious top NYPD Detective Lizzie Needham. Though Dylan and Lizzie initially clash, when it comes to catching killers, they make an ideal team.

Murder in a Small Town
6.8

Murder in a Small Town

2024

Karl Alberg moves to a quiet coastal town to soothe a psyche that has been battered by big-city police work but finds himself needing to call upon all his skills to solve the murders that continue to wash up on his shore.

Castle
8.0

Castle

2009

After a serial killer imitates the plots of his novels, successful mystery novelist Richard "Rick" Castle receives permission from the Mayor of New York City to tag along with an NYPD homicide investigation team for research purposes.

The Sinner
7.5

The Sinner

2017

In a small New York town, a haunted detective hunts for answers about perplexing crimes while wrestling with his own demons.

Coroner
7.0

Coroner

2019

Jenny Cooper investigates unexplained or sudden deaths in the city of Toronto. Fierce and quick-witted, Jenny is a newly-widowed single mother with secrets of her own to unearth.

Homicide: Life on the Street
8.1

Homicide: Life on the Street

1993

An American police procedural chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide Unit.

More Shows Like The Alienist

Elementary
7.6

Elementary

2012

A modern-day drama about a crime-solving duo that cracks the NYPD's most impossible cases. Following his fall from grace in London and a stint in rehab, eccentric Sherlock escapes to Manhattan where his wealthy father forces him to live with his worst nightmare - a sober companion, Dr. Watson.

Shining Girls
7.5

Shining Girls

2022

Years after a brutal attack left her in a constantly shifting reality, Kirby Mazrachi learns that a recent murder is linked to her assault. She teams with veteran reporter Dan Velazquez to understand her ever-changing present—and confront her past.

56 Days
7.0

56 Days

2026

When an unidentified body is found in a luxury apartment linked to Oliver Kennedy and his girlfriend Ciara Wyse, Detectives Lee Reardon and Karl Connolly reconstruct the couple's deadly romance across the past 56 days.

Sharp Objects
7.8

Sharp Objects

2018

Reporter Camille Preaker confronts the psychological demons from her past when she returns to her hometown to investigate the murders of two young girls.

Perry Mason
7.7

Perry Mason

1957

The cases of master criminal defense attorney Perry Mason and his staff who handled the most difficult of cases in the aid of the innocent.

Dexter
8.2

Dexter

2006

Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police also leads a secret life as a serial killer, hunting down criminals who have slipped through the cracks of justice.

Agatha Christie's Marple
7.8

Agatha Christie's Marple

2004

The adventures of Miss Jane Marple, an elderly spinster living in the quiet little village of St Mary Mead. During her many visits to friends and relatives in other villages, Miss Marple often stumbles upon mysterious murders which she helps solve. Although the police are sometimes reluctant to accept Miss Marple's help, her reputation and unparalleled powers of observation eventually win them over.

MINDHUNTER
8.1

MINDHUNTER

2017

An agent in the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit develops profiling techniques as he pursues notorious serial killers and rapists.

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries
7.2

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries

2002

DS Barbara Havers is assigned to work with the upper-crust DI Thomas Lynley to solve murders.

Imperfect Women
5.8

Imperfect Women

2026

After a murder shatters the lives of three best friends, their decades-long bond is tested when an investigation reveals betrayals and shocking truths.

Perry Mason
7.2

Perry Mason

2020

Set in 1932 Los Angeles, the series focuses on the origin story of famed defense lawyer Perry Mason. Living check-to-check as a low-rent private investigator, Mason is haunted by his wartime experiences in France and suffering the effects of a broken marriage. L.A. is booming while the rest of the country recovers from the Great Depression — but a kidnapping gone very wrong leads to Mason exposing a fractured city as he uncovers the truth of the crime.

Scream: The TV Series
6.9

Scream: The TV Series

2015

What starts as a YouTube video going viral, soon leads to problems for the teenagers of Lakewood and serves as the catalyst for a murder that opens up a window to the town's troubled past. Everyone has secrets. Everyone tells lies. Everyone is fair game.

Why These Shows Are Similar

These recommendations share core qualities with The Alienist (2018): Drama and Crime themes, similar pacing, and comparable production quality. NoBadPicks uses TMDB collaborative filtering, genre matching, and AI analysis to surface series most likely to resonate with fans of The Alienist.

See full details for The Alienist (2018)

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