The first season of The Flight Attendant introduced the audience to the character of Cassie Bowden, who ends up tangled in a web of international intrigue thanks to her careless and often alcohol-fueled social and personal misadventures. It’s an ideal setting for a dark comedy that’s also intended to be a murder mystery and political thriller.
In the second season, which is currently playing on HBO Max, Cassie has cleaned herself up and has a job on the side as a CIA asset. Whereas an agent is actively pursuing certain goals, an asset might not even be aware of their status, as they’re often an easily manipulated person.
No matter what, they still get mixed up in the same situations that seem typical of the world of espionage. There are other shows out there with a similar tone and subject matter as The Flight Attendant, and they also tell stories about secrets, murder, and other types of mayhem.
6 Behind Her Eyes (2021)
A psychological thriller with a supernatural twist, the basic story is about a woman who is having an affair with a psychiatrist while also being friends with his wife. It’s a fine plot for a typical melodrama, but as the story goes on and more is revealed, including night terrors, realistic dreams, and of course, murder.
One season of the show has aired so far, and that’s likely all there will be. Behind Her Eyes is part of a new genre known as a “limited series” which makes it too long to be a miniseries but instead consists of anywhere from six to nine episodes. It’s the ideal format for this type of story, which has long moments of drama broken up by the occasional shocking revelation.
5 How To Get Away With Murder (2014)
Described strictly as a legal thriller, the tone also overlaps into the realm of psychological horror given the subject matter. The setting of How To Get Away With Murder consisted of courtrooms, classrooms, and other benign and well-lit locations, juxtaposed with flashbacks that explain to the viewer what happened, to whom, and when.
The series ended after six seasons and received a lot of love from both fans and critics in that span of time. Every season had a different case for the main character, professor and prominent criminal defense attorney Annalise Keating, to figure out, and her star interns are at her side for most of the time.
4 Mare Of Easttown (2021)
Marianne Sheehan, also known as Mare, is a police detective in a Philadelphia suburb who stars in this crime and family drama. This has also been billed as a limited series and consists of seven episodes as Mare not only investigates two sordid murders but also tries to put her own broken life back together.
The main role is played by Kate Winslet, and her performance is partly why the show has been so highly praised by critics. It is not only a show about murder, but also about drug addiction, broken child-parent relationships, and personal identity.
3 Sharp Objects (2018)
This could be the series that ignited the trend of combining a murder mystery series with a side of psychological horror and social drama. Sharp Objects also has the benefit of starring several big named actors including Amy Adams, Patricia Clarkson, and Miguel Sandoval along with some daring and unique writing to back them up.
Amy Adams plays Camille Preaker, a former alcoholic discharged from a psychiatric hospital Aside from the acting, the dark and brooding look of the series in general also received critical acclaim, a reflection of the inner demons people have and the external problems they create.
2 Big Little Lies (2017)
Big Little Lies tells the story of a group of friends who get involved in a murder investigation. It started as a miniseries, but by the time it ended in 2019, it consisted of two seasons and a total of 14 episodes. Most of the action takes place in an upper-class community in Monterey, California, and the intrigue is related to the lives of the rich and famous along with the occasional mysterious deaths and not-so-random murderers.
There’s already plenty of personal drama going on when the show kicks off with a victim and killer in the very first episode, and neither of their identities are revealed at first. Aside from having a murderer in their midst, characters have to contend with the trials of distant teenage children, ex-husbands getting married, and birthday party invite snubs.
1 Only Murders In The Building (2021)
It’s a murder mystery, but with Steve Martin both writing and starring in the show, along with long-time friend and fellow comedian Martin Short, there’s going to be a strong element of comedy here. Selena Gomez also brings her talent to the screen as one of the fans of a true-crime podcast that seems to overlap with their lives and become reality.
After a suspicious murder takes place in their apartment building, Charles, Oliver, and Maybel decide to start their own true-crime podcast, even though the police ruled the death a suicide. The show is a unique twist on the concept of a crime drama with a comedic twist, a trait it shares with The Flight Attendant.
