10 Surreal Crime TV Shows That Border On Absurd

Crime dramas typically do everything they can to throw the audience off the trail of the story’s mystery, and sometimes supernatural or surreal elements come into play because of this. Making the audience question what’s real and what’s imagined is a great way to build unreliable narrators and a sense of dread throughout the episodes. Sometimes, these aspects of the plot can get so outlandish that the series becomes almost absurdist. However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing since this distinguishes the show from the competition. There is no shortage of supernatural series and crime dramas out there.

There are many underrated recent detective TV shows that use these elements to make their stories unforgettable since a surreal tone sets apart a thriller series. TV is flooded with true crime dramas and docuseries that terrify the audience through realism. However, utilizing surrealism to communicate the horrors that people are capable of can be just as effective, if not more. There’s something uniquely terrifying and compelling about exploring the unknown and using metaphors to create another layer of the crime genre. These TV shows prove that there are many avenues to crafting an iconic series.

10 True Detective (2014)

Time and reality are bent to make intriguing crime and character studies

It’s undeniable that True Detective season 1 is the best installment of the series and features some of the best uses of surrealism. However, each season has something to offer in this way, as the essential themes of the series focus on the philosophical questions and ethics of investigating crimes and how personal issues cloud the character’s judgment. Additionally, the criminals that the characters are after often experience the world through a distinctly otherworldly lens.

True Detective
requires its characters to get inside the minds of the criminals and plays with the narrative through intersecting timelines.

In season 1, Matthew McConaughey’s Rust is the character who’s most in touch with the supernatural and exploration of what exists beyond the physical plane. The dichotomy between Rust and Marty (Woody Harrelson) exposes the need for both intuition and concrete detective work, as the pair work best together, even if they chafe against the other’s style of investigation. True Detective requires its characters to get inside the minds of the criminals and plays with the narrative through intersecting timelines.

9 Hap And Leonard (2016–2018)

This period crime drama explores uncanny territory through a pair of unlikely friends

James Purefoy and Michael Kenneth Williams lead Hap and Leonard as the unexpected pair who turn out to be the perfect partners. Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks joins the actors in season 1 as she leads the friends down a rabbit hole of treasure and intrigue. Based on the novels of Joe R. Lansdale, Hap and Leonard present the two leading men as total opposites, but this ends up being the perfect catalyst for an amazing crime-fighting duo, who are one of the best detective duos from crime TV shows.

Hap and Leonard isn’t afraid to poke fun at the tropes and pitfalls of the crime genre and plays with its 1980s setting to make fun visual and aesthetic choices. Though the series isn’t afraid to get serious and show moments of violence, there’s an undeniable sense of humor at the heart of the story that influences some of the unbelievable turns of events. Like the great film noir movies that the TV show is in conversation with, Hap and Leonard tells a twisting story with every season and leaves the audience guessing.

8 Top Of The Lake (2013–2017)

Elisabeth Moss leads this powerful and gripping drama

Jane Campion is one of the writers and the creator of Top of the Lake, which stars Elisabeth Moss as the central investigator into the dark and tragic occurrences in the show. Moss’s character, Robin Griffin, is pulled back into an investigation in her hometown in New Zealand and is haunted by the traumas of her past. This clouds her judgment but also gives her special insight into the case, as she feels particular empathy and drive to uncover the truth on behalf of the people she can help.

The surreal atmosphere that permeated every scene of the series immersed the audience in the town’s dynamics.

Although Top of the Lake season 2 wasn’t as highly acclaimed as the first outing, it’s still a strong follow-up and explores how Robin can move on and keep being a detective after the horrific end of season 1. Part of the reason season 1 was so powerful was the way Robin’s psyche was explored. The surreal atmosphere that permeated every scene of the series immersed the audience in the town’s dynamics. Each scene in Top of the Lake works to develop the overarching mystery of the past and present.

7 Twin Peaks (1990–1991)

David Lynch’s crime drama is the definitive work of his career

Twin Peaks has often been referred to as David Lynch’s masterpiece, as the writer-director is defined by his surreal style and use of the supernatural to communicate his deeper themes and messages. Kyle MacLachlan stars as Agent Dale Cooper, who arrives in the town of Twin Peaks following the murder of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee). This investigation drives the first two seasons of Twin Peaks, as Cooper is drawn deeper into the web of lies and secrets within the town and realizes that there’s something even more sinister behind Laura’s death.

Every aspect of Twin Peaks works to create the absurdist atmosphere of the series. The over-the-top and stilted interactions between the residents of the town are uncanny enough on their own, and this element is elevated by the story being punctuated by scenes in the Red Room and other intense dream-like sequences. Twin Peaks was unlike any other crime drama on TV at the time and has been highly influential in the way thriller series infuse supernatural aspects into their plots today.

This refers to the original run of
Twin Peaks
, not
Twin Peaks: The Return
.

6 Hannibal (2013-2015)

One of the best adaptations of the iconic serial killer’s story

Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen have come to be known as two of the best actors to take on the roles of FBI agent Will Graham and the notorious serial killer Hannibal Lecter. The series plays with Will’s ability to step inside the mind of a killer and uses chilling visuals to represent how he leaves his body and inhabits the desires of a killer. In the series, Hannibal believes this means Will has the potential to be a killer himself and uses his position as Will’s therapist in season 1 to manipulate him into killing.

As the show progressed, it evolved seamlessly from a more episodic crime procedural to a true character study of the two intertwined men.

Unfortunately, Hannibal is a canceled TV show that ended on a cliffhanger, leaving the audience forever wondering what the future might have held for Will and Hannibal. As the show progressed, it evolved seamlessly from a more episodic crime procedural to a true character study of the two intertwined men. The line between right and wrong and Will’s torn loyalties and desires all play up the tension and uncertainty of what’s real.

5 Fringe (2008–2013)

The impossible is all too real in this sci-fi crime drama

Though Fringe drew comparisons to The X-Files upon its initial release, the series soon stood apart as its own entity, as it dealt more directly with sci-fi and the supernatural. In Fringe, unexpected and seemingly impossible events are made into a reality, as the character’s branch of the FBI is charged with investigating strange occurrences. The existence of improbable technology that causes bizarre situations is a recurring theme in Fringe, which sparked many viewers to consider the show as borderline absurd.

Over the years, Fringe increased in acclaim and notoriety as it became less concerned with following the traditional procedural formula. Season 5 even went so far as to incorporate a time jump and force its central characters to navigate the future. It turned out that fully embracing the unusual and surreal is the best thing that could’ve happened to Fringe, as the series came into its own when it stopped trying to be a typical thriller drama.

4 Mindhunter (2017–2019)

Netflix’s psychological crime show is one of the streamer’s best series

David Fincher’s crime TV show Mindhunter dramatizes the development of behavioral analysis of criminals within the FBI and explores how this affected the people who worked on the project. Jonathan Groff’s character, Holden, is particularly impacted and entranced by his interviews with some of the most notorious serial killers of the time. This makes him struggle with his grip on reality, and the series sees him start to question his abilities to solve these heinous crimes and maintain some semblance of a normal life.

Through the visual style and the many intense interviews that the show employs, it can be difficult for the characters and audience to remember where the line is.

Many audience members are still holding out hope that Mindhunter could return for season 3, but everything Fincher has stated about the show makes this unlikely. However, both seasons of the series received critical and audience acclaim for how well the viewer is immersed in the minds and logic of the most bloodthirsty criminals. Through the visual style and the many intense interviews that the show employs, it can be difficult for the characters and audience to remember where the line is.

3 Dollhouse (2009–2010)

This short-lived series blended sci-fi and crime for incredible results

Eliza Dushku stars in Dollhouse as Echo, one of the people who are uploaded with different personalities and given assignments for wealthy clients through an underground organization. Since the series was cut short, the end of the show abruptly wraps up the overarching plot of Dollhouse, but this doesn’t change how thrilling the road to get there is. Watching how the company abuses its power over the people under its control and the race to stop the spread of the technology explores many ethical questions.

Though Dollhouse takes on an episodic format, the show incorporates its overarching questions into the new personalities that Echo and the other “dolls” are programmed with each episode. The crime element is developed through the FBI agent investigating the company and Echo, who he believes is being controlled. Part of the reason Dollhouse received mixed reviews was because of how intricate the series was and how much sci-fi and surrealism were incorporated to make the premise believable.

2 The Watcher (2022)

This true-crime series isn’t afraid to tread into the unknown

Ryan Murphy’s series The Watcher is loosely based on real events, but the show takes many liberties with the original source material. After a family moves into what they believe is their dream home, they’re plagued by ominous letters from an anonymous source, and each of them becomes unraveled by the events. Throughout the season, it’s unclear who the Watcher, the person behind the letters, is, but the family and the audience begin to suspect everyone they come into contact with.

The many twists and turns that
The Watcher
employs to keep the audience guessing are sometimes so outlandish they’re impossible to believe.

Though it looked like The Watcher was on its way to getting a second season, The Watcher season 2 doesn’t seem like it’s going to be happening any time soon. However, there’s enough drama, intrigue, and improbable situations in the first installment to satisfy any viewer. The many twists and turns that The Watcher employs to keep the audience guessing are sometimes so outlandish they’re impossible to believe. However, The Watcher is enjoyable when the viewer suspends their disbelief.

1 Yellowjackets (2021–Present)

Each season of Yellowjackets has seen an increase in the supernatural

The dual timelines of Yellowjackets inherently lend themselves to a surrealist tone, and season 2 upped the ante of the supernatural elements as the women search for answers about their past in the woods. As more is revealed about what the girls had to do to survive for the many months they were stranded, it becomes clear that there’s something at work behind the scenes. Whether this is real or imagined has yet to be determined, but the strange visuals and hallucinations the series uses raise more questions than answers.

It will be interesting to see how Yellowjackets season 3 will continue to weave in the crime and investigation elements into the story as the women delve deeper into the mystery of the forest. Two characters who are most in tune with the absurd and supernatural in Yellowjackets are Taissa and Lottie, who have visions and otherworldly experiences that they either embrace or try to hide from. Their connection to the woods could be a central theme of the upcoming season.