Most fans of Apple TV+ has been focused recently on science-fiction shows like Severance and Silo, or comedies like Ted Lasso. The streamer loves to experiment with offbeat genres and creative storylines in genres that other companies sometimes avoid. That doesn’t mean Apple TV+ can dive into a tried-and-true category like crime fiction, though. Dope Thief is the latest drug drama on the streaming service that has had fans talking for a while.
The series stars Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura as two buddies who try a get-rich-quick scheme when they catch wind of a narcotics group selling drugs. The men pose as DEA agents and infiltrate the organization, but they get in way over their heads when they see that the actual authorities are already investigating the crimes. The series is the perfect concoction of realism and fish-out-of-water storytelling. Putting everyday people into a world of danger never gets old for most TV fans. These are the shows like Dope Thief that you’ll almost certainly enjoy next.
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Banshee (2013)
4 Seasons
Genre
Crime, Drama
Stars
Antony Starr, Ivana Miličević, Hoon Lee
Created by
David Schickler, Jonathan Tropper
Watch on max
Before he became Homelander, Antony Starr was already quite familiar with playing antiheroes. Banshee follows a career criminal who pretends to be a cop in a small Pennslyvania community in an effort to find his ex-girlfriend. The series is just like Dope Thief in the way that it depicts characters trying to assume alter-ego identities and then getting into way more trouble than they expected. Starr’s character is a lot more controversial and immoral than the protagonists in Apple TV+’s series, though.
Goliath (2016)
4 Seasons
Genre
Crime, Drama
Stars
Billy Bob Thornton, Nina Arianda, Tania Raymonde
Created by
David E. Kelley, Jonathan Shapiro
Watch on Amazon
Billy Bob Thornton plays a lawyer who must return to his legal roots for an overwhelming assignment against his ex-firm. The matter transforms into the most dangerous conflict of main character Billy McBride’s life. This series is a thrilling combination of crime, drama, and legal fun that fits right at home on Amazon Prime Video. Other great actors include Nina Arianda and Tania Raymonde. Thornton never won an Emmy for his starring role, but he did take home a Golden Globe in 2016.
Sneaky Pete (2015)
3 Seasons
Genre
Drama, Crime
Stars
Giovanni Ribisi, Marin Ireland, Margo Martindale
Created by
Bryan Cranston, David Shore
Watch on Amazon
Sneaky Pete is an underrated dark comedy that more people should have watched in the late 2010s. Giovanni Ribisi plays a man who takes on the identity of a criminal with an estranged family. His pseudo-identity’s kin doesn’t know he’s not the real Pete, and Ribisi’s characters wishes he had just stuck with his own sad-sack life instead of trading it for another bad guy’s. Bryan Cranston created the show and cameos.
The Wire (2002)
5 Seasons
Genre
Crime, Drama
Stars
Dominic West, Lance Reddick, Sonja Sohn
Created by
David Simon
Watch on max
The Wire is almost ancient in the context of prestige TV, so most crime drama fans worship the DVDs it launched upon. No matter how many decades pass, though, it’s my job as a critic and entertainment journalist to add this series to every list in which crime and drugs are within orbit. The Wire breaks down the hope and loss that live deep within America’s soul. The characters range from cops to criminals and even school children who become victims of the oppressive systems they’re born into. This HBO icon will continue to be essential viewing for the rest of time. There are too many great actors to name, but Dominic West and the late Michael K. Williams deserve a shout-out.
Narcos (2015)
3 Seasons
Genre
Crime, Drama
Stars
Pedro Pascal, Matias Varela, Damián Alcázar
Created by
Chris Brancato, Doug Miro, Carlo Bernard
Watch on Netflix
Narcos is follows the drug wars and cartel battles in Mexico that served as a backdrop for big villains such as Pablo Escobar. The series takes a ton of creative liberties in telling a nonfiction story, but Narcos isn’t supposed to serve as a history lesson on Mexican drug crime. Pedro Pascal gave one of his breakthrough performances in this series.
Atlanta (2016)
4 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Stars
Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, LaKeith Stanfield
Created by
Donald Glover
Watch on Hulu
Atlanta makes this list mostly because it shares acting DNA with Dope Thief. Star Brian Tyree Henry takes over the screen in both series. Atlanta is the magnum opus of Donald Glover, though. The story is loosely based on his relationship with the music industry and how his personal and professional journeys collide in ways that are insightful and frightening. You’ll never look at Black America the same.
Ozark (2017)
4 Seasons
Genre
Crime, Drama
Stars
Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Sofia Hublitz
Created by
Mark Williams, Bill Dubuque
Watch on Netflix
Ozark depicts people who are pretending to be someone else, just not with alternate identities. Marty Byrde and his family get caught up in a money laundering scheme for the cartel and have to move to a hick town in the Ozarks region of Missouri. Their remote lifestyle doesn’t stop them from diving deeper into the world of drugs and crime that eventually kills the people they care about. This is one of the best original crime series on Netflix.
Breaking Bad (2008)
5 Seasons
Genre
Drama, Crime
Stars
Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn
Created by
Vince Gilligan
Watch on Netflix
Breaking Bad is like The Wire in that people probably get sick of seeing it on best-of lists. When something is such a pioneer and example of a genre, though, it has to be included in perpetuity. The story of Walter White cooking meth to save a fortune for his family after death is the ultimate story of someone trying to evolve into someone they’re not cut out to be. The slow-burn plot and insightful symbolism make the show so much more than a cheap thrill but rather the best crime drama of all time.
