The Silence of the Lambshas endured as one of the most loved thrillers for a number of reasons. The iconic performances fromJodi FosterandAnthony Hopkinsare obviously a large part of it.Jonathan Demme’s 1991 classic also defined storytelling standards for police procedurals for years to come.
In addition to the structure and cast ofThe Silence of the Lambs, the Best Picture winning film also frames its story through the lens of complex and interesting characters. While there are few pieces of media that can scratch the same itch asThe Silence of the Lambs, there are plenty of TV shows that come close.
10’The Pitt' (2025–)
Created by R. Scott Gemmill
The Pittfollows doctors, nurses and other medical professionals as they work in the emergency department of a Pittsburgh teaching hospital. Each hour-long episode depicts one real-time hour of the hospital shift. The series explores administrative politics, patient care and all the ups and downs of healthcare within an emergency setting.
The Pitt’s fast-paced and hyper-real depiction of a day in an emergency room may seem worlds away from the tense and methodical policing content ofThe Silence of the Lambs. But, lovers of investigative practices will be hooked on the ultra-realistic and informative nature of the patient diagnosis and treatment inThe Pitt.
The Pitt is a medical drama developed by veterans of the television series ER. The series will follow healthcare workers set in Pittsburgh, showing he challenges faced in the modern-day United States by nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals.
9’Mare of Easttown' (2021)
Detective Mare Sheehan (Kate Winslet) is well known throughout her Philadelphia suburb. While she has a glowing reputation within her community, she still struggles with family difficulties and her own personal challenges. She must manage her troubled personal relationships while investigating the recent murder of a teen mom.
Policing, as it is depicted in media, is often devoid of a sense of community. Audiences rarely see stories about investigators who have to live in the same communities that they police.Mare of Easttownfunctions not only as a great crime procedural, but also an interesting representation of the benefits that community connections can bring to law enforcement.
Mare of Easttown
8’I’ll Be Gone in the Dark' (2020)
Created by Liz Garbus, Patton Oswalt, Paul Haynes and Billy Jensen
Before 2018, the identity of the Golden State Killer remained a mystery. The criminal didn’t even have a consistent nickname until the 2000s. Long before he was dubbed ‘The Golden State Killer’ by crime writerMichelle McNamara, his crimes were believed to have been the work of multiple people. Known as the Visalia Ransacker, the East Area Rapist and the Original Night Stalker,Joseph DeAngelowouldn’t be caught for the crimes until 2018.
McNamara tragically passed away in 2016, just two years before the arrest of the killer who had defined her work as a true crime writer and researcher. Her book about the case,I’ll Be Gone in the Darkwould be published posthumously, and served as the basis for the 2020 series of the same name.I’ll Be Gone in the Darkexamines the horror of DeAngelo’s crimes through the lens of a woman who was obsessed with his capture. McNamara’s journey through the case will appeal to lovers ofThe Silence of the Lambswho value the importance of a personal perspective in crime.
7’The Jinx' (2015 and 2024)
Created by Andrew Jarecki, Marc Smerling and Zac Stuart-Pontier
New York real estate heirRobert Dursthas long been embroiled in controversy. In the 80s, his own wife,Kathleen McCormack Durst, disappeared mysteriously. While he was suspected of the crime, he hadn’t been officially implicated when the first season ofThe Jinxaired in 2015.
The mysterious deaths in Durst’s sphere continued. In 2000, his good friend,Susan Berman,was murdered. Then, in 2001, Durst’s neighbor was found dead and dismembered. While Durst was acquitted of the murder, he did plead guilty to the dismemberment.The Jinxfollows these crimes and features interviews with the strange and off-putting millionaire.Strange and idiosyncratic criminals likeHannibal Lecterare rarely seen in true-crime because, for the most part, weird criminal masterminds don’t exist. Durst is an exception, and his strange vibes, murder-adjacent past and status as a millionaire makeThe Jinxa fascinating and singular true-crime series.
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark
6’The Outsider' (2020)
Created by Richard Price
A small town in Georgia is rocked by the violent murder of a young boy. The police investigation into the crime quickly implicates beloved little league coach Terry Maitland (Jason Bateman) in the crime. This revelation comes as a surprise to everyone who knows Terry. It also comes to the surprise to Terry himself, who has very compelling evidence to suggest that he was in another state at the time of the crime.
LikeThe Silence of the Lambs,The Outsideris also an adaptation of an acclaimed book. Based on theStephen Kingnovel of the same name,The Outsideris a slow-burning and methodical examination of police work in the midst of the supernatural. The series is stacked withincredible performances, and starsCynthia Erivo,Ben Mendelsohn,Paddy ConsidineandBill Camp.
The Outsider
5’Bodyguard' (2018)
Created by Jed Mercurio
Police sergeant David Budd (Richard Madden), is a British Army veteran with severe PTSD. Now retired from the army, he works in the special protection branch of London’s Metropolitan Police Service. He is assigned as the lead bodyguard for controversial Home Secretary Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes) and becomes embroiled in a conspiracy shortly after beginning to work with her.
Few shows manage to capture edge of your seat tension likeBodyguard. The British series brings crime and policing into the 21st century with a focus on terrorism and conspiracy. Best known for his starring role inGame of Thrones,Richard Madden grounds the serieswith a stoic and vulnerable performance. Viewers who resonate with the character-focused elements ofThe Silence of the Lambswill adoreBodyguard.
4’Killing Eve' (2018–2022)
Created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) is a British intelligence investigator. Her primary case involves finding and capturing a deadly, meticulous andpsychopathic assassin known as Villanelle (Jodie Comer). As the cat and mouse game between the pair intensifies, a mutual obsession grows.
Dark, and at times darkly comedic,Killing Eveprovides a fresh and unique twist on the cat and mouse, cop and killer dynamic. While the series gets patchy as time goes on, the first season ofKilling Eveis a knockout.Comer’s utterly unhinged performance as Villanelleadds gravitas and intrigue to the premise which, without her, may not have held up on screen. Lovers of the female perspective ofThe Silence of the Lambswill be drawn to the modern female characterizations in this fun crime thriller.
Killing Eve
3’The Alienist' (2018–2020)
Created by Jakob Verbruggen, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Eric Roth and Hossein Amini
In the late 1890s, a series of brutal murders have New York City living in fear. To quell the panic and stop the killing, newly appointed police commissioner Teddy Roosevelt (Brian Geraghty). Assembles an unorthodox investigative team. The team is made up of Dr. Laszlo Kreizler (Daniel Brühl), a criminal psychiatrist (or as they were known at the time, an alienist), newspaper illustrator John Moore (Luke Evans) and police secretary Sara Howard (Dakota Fanning).
In addition to being an engaging and unique crime procedural,The Alienistis also an exploration of historical investigative techniques and their evolution.History buffs will loveThe Alienist’s period-accurate depictions of people like Teddy Roosevelt, new investigative techniques and turn-of-the-century psychiatry.
The Alienist
2’Unbelievable' (2019)
Created by Susannah Grant, Ayelet Waldman and Michael Chabon
Teenager Marie (Kaitlyn Dever) approaches the police to report that she has been raped. The police make the reporting procedure difficult, and she ultimately retracts her statement and claims the rape didn’t happen. The police charge her with filing a false report, and she soon crosses paths with Detectives Rasmussen (Toni Collette) and Duvall (Merritt Wever).
Unbelievableis based on a 2015 article byKen ArmstrongandT. Christian Miller. The article won a Pulitzer Prize and examined a string of rapes that occurred in Washington and Colorado between 2008 and 2011. The heart of the TV adaptation ofUnbelievableis the story of one of the real survivors, who was accused of lying to police when she initially reported the crime. Star Kaitlyn Dever is no stranger to true crime adaptations. The actress can currently be seen in the Netflix seriesApple Cider Vinegar, which coversinfamous Australian con woman,Belle Gibson(and features a spectacular Australian accent by Dever).
Unbelievable
1’I Love You, Now Die' (2019)
Created by Erin Lee Carr
The tragic suicide of youngConrad Roybecame international news when it was revealed that Roy’s girlfriend at the time,Michelle Carter, had encouraged Roy to take his own life. Carter would later be put on trial in the courts and the media. This two-part documentary series explores both sides of the story, and may surprise viewers who already have their minds made up about the case.
I Love You, Now Diewalks the line between film and mini-series, as the two-and-a-half-hour piece aired in two parts on HBO. While true crime and crime in fiction can be addictive,I Love You, Now Dieis a very harsh reality check for the true-crime obsessed. While crime thrillers can make speculating on true crime feel like a game, there is nothing fun or scandalous about this case.
