Netflix dabbles in almost every type of TV genre imaginable, but the thriller category has been on-lock for them since the beginning. The streamer revolutionized the binge-watching habits of new-age viewers with easily digestible programming and a menu setup that encouraged viewers to watch many episodes at a time. It also helped that the series Netflix was asking fans to watch were engrossing and entertaining.
The Madness is the latest in a long line of Netflix thriller shows. Colman Domingo stars as an author and media member who is caught at the scene of a murder and has to fight back against the allegations that he is the main suspect. The show deals with the main character’s tumultuous personal life and how the murder investigation exacerbates those issues. For those who are already finished with The Madness, these are similar programs that will fill the void.
Breaking Bad (2008)
Breaking Bad is the thriller show that all try to match and very few come close. Bryan Cranston is Walter White, the cancer-ridden chemistry teacher with a crazy plan to save his family’s fortunes after his death: cook enough meth, and he becomes the ultimate drug lord in the United States. What could possibly go wrong? Walter’s decision-making provides viewers at home with a way to imagine how they would react in the same situations. How do human morals go awry when power, greed, and vision are taunting you? Breaking Bad supplements its drama with fantastic character work, jaw-dropping acting, and writing that forces the viewers to care about so much more than just the cliffhangers at the end of each episode.
The Diplomat (2023)
Keri Russell plays a U.S. Ambassador who tries to handle the responsibilities of becoming a new diplomat for the country while her personal drama comes out in the open. The Diplomat replicates the type of high-stakes drama that murder mysteries and crime series accomplish with insightful political turmoil and a unique lens looking at the people within the United States government. Fans of The Madness will also love the similarly powerful lead performances from Russell and Domingo.
Yellowjackets (2021)
Yellowjackets follows a girls’ soccer team that struggles to survive in the wilderness after crash landing on the way to a big match. The series depicts the survivors’ lives a quarter-century after these events and how the trauma they endured in their pasts still haunts them in the present. Fans get to try and solve the mysteries of the show by deciphering both timelines and seeing how something that happened in the past affected the future, and vice versa. The third season of the show will be released on Valentine’s Day 2025.
Kaleidoscope (2023)
Kaleidoscope is a crime drama with a creative gimmick. Viewers are presented the episodes of the season in random order labeled only by color (i.e. Green, Blue, etc). Depending on the order in which you watch the show, you’ll see the characters’ stories and motivations in a different light. Giancarlo Esposito leads a large cast of criminals who try to pull off a massive heist without a glitch. The family dynamics of Esposito’s character’s life give the show extra pieces of the puzzle to put together.
Ozark (2017)
Ozark is one of the best Netflix original series of the last decade. Jason Bateman dives headfirst into the thriller genre by crafting a show about a family who gets in way too deep with the Mexican drug cartel after patriarch Marty tries to use his number-crunching skills to launder money for the criminals south of the border. Basic family drama fare such as relationships, teenage angst, marital distress, and more factor into the plot lines and help flesh out the characters much like in The Madness.
Dead Boy Detectives (2024)
Dead Boy Detectives gives viewers of The Madness something a little more comedic to turn to even if the structure of the series are different. The show utilizes supernatural murder investigations and two dead protagonists to ramp up the intensity while utilizing dark humor. The basic structure of murder investigations heading off the drama makes both shows ideal for a weekend binge where you don’t have to think too much.
You (2018)
You capitalizes on the serial killer/crime series craze by following Joe Goldberg, a murderer who kills all in his path on the way to finding his one true love. The series employs all of the exciting twists you’d come to expect from a serial killer story while leveraging Penn Badgley’s lead performance to create an alternative to both The Madness and Dexter.
True Detective (2014)
True Detective is almost exactly like The Madness in how it combines personal trauma and murder investigations into a thrilling package that never lets up. The first season of this HBO series led to massive fanfare and critical admiration thanks to Matthew McConaughey’s lead performance, but the following seasons have also emulated the same basic structure that made the debut so successful. True Detective: Night Country put Jodie Foster in the spotlight in season 4 and led to a renewal for a fifth go-around.
