Apple TV hosts a wealth of suspenseful series. Here are the ones to watch.

8 gripping thriller shows worth the binge on Apple TV+

Apple TV hosts a wealth of suspenseful series. Here are the ones to watch.

By Declan Gallagher

March 14, 2026 11:00 a.m. ET

Britt Lower in 'Severance,' Gary Oldman in 'Slow Horses,' Idris Elba in 'Hijack'. Credit:

apple tv+ (3)

Apple TV has carries several thriller that hit fast and refuse to let go. The platform’s best series combine sharp writing with high-octane pacing, creating shows that feel built for edge-of-your-seat binge-watching.

*Slow Horses* leads the charge with its punchy, foul-mouthed espionage energy. Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb is a chaotic force of nature, and every season moves with the swagger of a spy drama that knows exactly how good it is. On the other end of the spectrum, *Criminal Record* brings a cracking, street-level intensity to the packed procedural genre, pairing Cush Jumbo and Peter Capaldi in a tense collision over a case that refuses to stay buried.

Together with Apple’s growing slate of mysteries and psychological nail-biters, these shows prove that the platform has mastered the art of the modern thriller: lean, stylish, and impossible not to binge. These are **’s picks for the best thrillers you can stream right now on Apple TV.

Bad Sisters (2022–2024)

Sharon Horgan, one of the bad sisters from 'Bad Sisters'.

Natalie Seery/Apple TV+

Five Irish sisters (chief among them showrunner Sharon Horgan) are caught in a moral jam, and subsequently a legal one. In the present, they’re dealing with an insurance investigation following the death of the eldest sister’s abusive husband (a brilliantly hateable Claes Bang). In the recent past, the four other sisters are trying to figure out how to murder him. The show’s structure pivots back and forth between the two.

Sort of a Euro-inflected *Big Little Lies*, *Bad Sisters *is a diabolically funny dark comedy and an intimate dissection of family dynamics. Its fabulous season 1 conclusion complicates everything, and the second season twists the knife even further.

Where to watch *Bad Sisters*: Apple TV

Black Bird (2022)

Taron Egerton goes to prison in 'Black Bird.' Where's Colin Firth when you need him?. Courtesy of Apple

Facing an extended prison sentence, Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton) is offered an early release if he can coax a confession out of serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser, in an Emmy-winning role), whose case is pending an appeal he seems likely to win.

Based on Keene’s book *In With the Devil*, *Black Bird* is a thoughtful dissection of the true crime phenomenon seen through the eyes of two men on the frontlines. It's a grim moral drama that comes to life through the psychological dance between these two very different criminals.

Where to watch *Black Bird*: Apple TV

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Criminal Record (2024–present)

Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo in 'Criminal Record.' Explaining the knife would constitute a spoiler.

Two diametrically opposed London detectives — Daniel Hegarty (Peter Capaldi) and June Lenker (Cush Jumbo) – are drawn together when mysterious phone calls lead to the reopening of a long-closed murder case. Complicating matters is that it was Hegarty's* *case, and he doesn’t necessarily take kindly to this younger cop getting involved.

One of the best procedurals of this decade,* Criminal Record* is a terrifically authentic thriller that benefits from boots-on-the-ground details and sizzling turns from Jumbo and Capaldi. The episodes are smartly structured, drawing the maximum suspense and intrigue from each set-up.

Where to watch *Criminal Record*: Apple TV

Hijack (2023–present)

Idris Elba uses his particular set of skills (again) in 'Hijack' season 2.

Corporate negotiator Sam Nelson (Idris Elba) — a legend of his field, in classic TV hero fashion — is on a flight headed back home to London. But things go awry when a group of terrorists hijack the plane. Sam isn’t exactly Jack Bauer, but he uses his particular set of skills to keep things running smoothly, with as few casualties as possible.

This sleek real-time thriller gives Elba one of his best showcases. Despite its highly specific premise, the series for a second season — and took the opportunity to twist its own format.

Where to watch *Hijack*: Apple TV

Presumed Innocent (2024–present)

Jake Gyllenhaal and Renate Reinsve trying not to look conspicuous in 'Presumed Innocent'.

Resurrecting a hit from Harrison Ford’s heyday — and the heyday of the big-screen procedural thriller — the miniseries remake of *Presumed Innocent *follows the same template with a few new wrinkles. Hotshot prosecutor Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal) becomes the prime suspect of the murder of his co-worker, Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve), with whom he was having an affair.

In this eight-episode version, David E. Kelley updates the story only as much as he needs to. This plays like an elevated *Law & Order, *elegantly balancing family drama, murder mystery elements, and the politics of it all.

Where to watch *Presumed Innocent*: Apple TV

Severance (2022–present)

Britt Lower's outie makes a new friend in 'Severance' season 2.

With creative ambition to spare, the satirical sci-fi thriller *Severance *posits a world in which one can “sever” their brain into distinct selves. The employees at Lumon Industries have undergone the procedure; they have no idea what their outer selves are like, and vice versa. What begins as a delightfully twisted deconstruction of corporate America evolves into something stranger and more sinister — religious cultism more than business culture.

A rare series that matches the fervent hype, *Severance* is equal parts surreal and emotionally sincere. Beyond Adam Scott’s lead performance, it boasts breakout performances from Britt Lower and Trammell Tillman in addition to predictably great work from stalwarts John Turturro, Patricia Arquette, and Christopher Walken.

Where to watch *Severance*: Apple TV

Silo (2023–present)

Rebecca Ferguson heads out into a presumably ruined world in 'Silo'.

This future is so dystopian, no one can even see the world anymore. Survivors — or rather, descendants of survivors, of *something*, no one can say what — live in a self-contained silo hundreds of levels deep. It operates like any other society (businesses, police, politicians, etc.) although procreation is strictly regulated. Windows show a glimpse of the post-apocalyptic wasteland everyone is presumably protected from, but occasionally someone gets suspicious and asks to leave the silo. Our reluctant heroine, Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson), is the latest to question the official story.

*Silo* works because it’s plausible, sometimes queasily so. It proves itself extremely adept at world-building and character development while parceling out its mysteries and revelations.

Where to watch *Silo*: Apple TV

Slow Horses (2022–present)

Gary Oldman, probably farting (IYKYK), in 'Slow Horses'.

A team of ne’er-do-well MI5 agents, exiled to “Slough House” for their less-than-savory track records, must protect England from traitors and other assorted evildoers while contending with their slovenly, irascible boss, Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman).

This exhilarating, grimly funny thriller (based on novels by Mick Herron) centers around one of the finest (not to mention gleefully repellent) performances of Oldman’s legendary career. *Slow Horses* is distinctly British in presentation and tone, but it’s more willing to probe thorny issues and darker storylines than its procedural peers.

Where to watch *Slow Horses*: Apple TV

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Drama”