I love a good gritty crime drama, especially with realistic portrayals of the unpleasant details of life, crime, and the justice system. The dark themes, real-life consequences, and psychologically driven character stories are deeply relatable in the most visceral ways.

If you’re as much a fan of the genre as I am, chances are you loved the Guy Ritchie-produced MobLand. One of 2025’s hits, the Paramount+ series is a methodical, sophisticated slow burn full of shockers, head games, and explosive action unfolding around the criminal psyche.

Now that MobLand has wrapped up its first season, you might be jonesing for more. Here are more gritty crime dramas to keep the mood going.

13

Ray Donovan

Set in the sprawling mecca of the rich and famous, Ray Donovan follows the professional life of its titular character, played by Liev Schreiber, who works as a fixer for the Los Angeles elite. He solves their messy problems, covers up their scandals, handles their threats, and more. The series also focuses on his personal life—specifically, the effects of his job on his psyche, on his family, and on past consequences involving his brothers and father. Its study in restraint and intensity is utterly engrossing and full of masterful performances.

The show ended abruptly with season seven after Showtime canceled it, but showrunner David Hollander and Liev Schreiber wrote a film that brings the Donovan family saga (and legacy) full circle. So, once you finish the series, be sure to watch Ray Donovan: The Movie.

12

Breaking Bad

Ah, the gritty crime series that popularized the high school chemistry teacher. Breaking Bad is a story built around fear and desperation that proves just how much both, when strong enough, can entirely change who a person is. The series follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he’s diagnosed with terminal cancer, then teams up with a former student-turned-drug dealer (Aaron Paul) to become the largest manufacturer and seller of the purest methamphetamine on the market.

Breaking Bad is one of the best in the genre: You’ll want to follow White’s journey as he straddles the fence between family man and felon. Cranston is explosive is this gritty crime drama that put him on the map as a top-notch actor.

11

Banshee

Banshee is perhaps the most provocative crime drama out there, full of so much bone-breaking action that it’s impossible to watch with your mouth closed. The story follows Homelander himself (Anthony Starr) as Lucas Hood, an ex-con and master thief, after he’s released from a 15-year prison stint. As he sets out to find his former lover and partner in crime, he assumes the identity of a murdered sheriff in the small rural town of Banshee, Pennsylvania.

You’ll get sucked in to watching Hood struggle to reconcile his new life as a lawman with his criminal past, all while dealing with threats from a ruthless former gangster whom he robbed and a local Amish crime lord who lusts for control of the town. The show’s exploration of dark themes, such as identity, revenge, and moral complexity, displays some of the most brutal, incredible martial arts fight scenes formerly on TV. While chock-full of grit and crime, it’s also full of hardcore intimacy and action. In fact, everything about Banshee is hardcore, and that’s why you’ll love it.

10

Ozark

Jason Bateman is unforgettable in this intense crime drama, also starring Laura Linney and my favorite foul-mouthed spitfire, Julia Garner. In Ozark, Bateman is a financial advisor who suddenly moves his family from Chicago to the Ozarks after a money-laundering scheme for a Mexican drug cartel goes so far beyond wrong, there’s no coming back. As a result, Marty Byrde (Bateman) is forced to launder $500M in five years to keep his family safe.

Ozark sucks you right in and bolts you to its gritty narrative. You’ll feel the pressure and the fear, and you’ll experience the same panic the Byrdes do. From family dynamics and survival to the influence of corruption and power, this hit crime drama explores and depicts dark, visceral moments and performances that linger with you long after the story has ended. It’s a breath-holder clean through to the very end.

9

Taboo

Tom Hardy is The Man for gritty crime dramas with sources of levity. If you haven’t seen his series Taboo, you’re gonna want to hop right on that, especially since he’s in the process of writing season two with his father and with the inimitable Steven Knight, of Peaky Blinders fame.

Taboo is set in 1814 against the dark, tumultuous backdrop of 19th Century London, amid the War of 1812 and the rise of the East India Trading Company. Our story follows James Delaney (Hardy) as he returns to the city to inherit his late father’s shipping empire. The problem is, Delaney has been presumed dead in Africa for quite some time. When he returns, not only does he face conspiracies and enemies, but he also disrupts the conniving plans of his half-sister, her husband, and the trading company, who all seek to control the inheritance and eliminate him.

The series is dark, gritty, scandalously provocative, and utterly brutal, all of which make Taboo a must-see crime drama. If you’re looking to get your money’s worth out of Peacock, this Tom Hardy-led series is the perfect place to start.

8

A Thousand Blows

Stephen Graham is all over 2025 like fresh content on a major platform. A Thousand Blows is his gritty bare-knuckle boxing and crime drama that was released around the same time as his other hit crime drama, Adolescence (on Netflix).

The narrative follows a pair of Jamaican best friends who immigrate to London and find themselves right in the path of murderous gangster and champion bare-knuckle boxer Sugar Goodson (Graham). This story is set in mid-1800s London and is full of ambition, violence, and desire as it follows a group of outsiders (lower class) who demand more than society is willing to give, then take it when they’re denied.

A Thousand Blows is inspired by the true life stories of a group of characters battling for survival in London’s East End during this time period. In addition to Goodson, it also introduces us to the first all-female gang, The Forty Elephants, led by the infamous Mary Carr (Erin Doherty—also in Adolescence), and they are fun to watch. The series is masterful at depicting the filthy, dangerous, brutal underbelly of London’s thriving boxing scene. It’s riddled with power and grit and is teeming with weakness and vulnerability.

7

Wentworth

Wentworth is the best, most dynamic prison drama I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen them all. This one takes a sharp turn and pins you to the floor with adrenaline. It’s a series that, once you start, you can’t stop, so don’t say I didn’t warn you!

This Australian prison series is a re-imagining of 1979’s Prisoner, except Wentworth is set in modern-day Victoria and centers on the fictional Wentworth Correctional Centre. Its narrative follows the lives of inmates and staff, exploring their relationships, vulnerabilities, struggles, and survival inside and outside of prison walls.

The first four seasons follow the experience of Bea Smith (Danielle Cormack) as she first enters the prison after murdering her husband and climbs up through the ranks. By season five, our story takes a hard left turn and morphs into a psychological thriller when it introduces us to a sadistic governor who lusts for manipulation and cruelty.

Trust me, you won’t be able to tear yourself away from this story, which offers more than enough crime, violence, tension, and shock to excite even the dullest of senses.

6

Dope Thief

Based on the book of the same name, Dope Thief is a thrilling crime drama starring Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura. The two are best friends who revel in their life of small-time delinquency… right until it blows up in their faces. The guys run a scam where they pose as Philadelphia DEA Agents and rob small-time drug dealers. When they’re lured into robbing a house in the countryside, the you-know-what hits the fan as bullets start flying and bodies start dropping, sending Ray (Henry) and Manny (Moura) on the run from both the cops and a drug cartel.

A Ridley Scott production, Dope Thief carries enough drama and tension to hold your attention, and it features the kind of action you’d expect out of a show like Sons of Anarchy. Also, this is your chance to see Brian Tyree Henry in his best role to date. Somebody, please, reward this kid with an award. He earned it with this performance.

In addition to Dope Thief, there are other Apple TV+ shows you need to watch, so after you finish this gritty crime drama, wander around the platform and see what you can find!

5

Sons of Anarchy

Now we’re getting deeper into some of my all-time favorite crime shows. Sons of Anarchy changed my life forever with its bingeworthy story about an outlaw motorcycle club as a visceral analogy for human transformation, especially of the criminal psyche. The club, SAMCRO, was built on hopes, dreams, loyalty, and brotherhood, but over time it became tainted with secrets, lies, and betrayals when guns, drugs, and violence infiltrated its core.

The Sons narrative follows club vice president Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam) as he struggles to find a balance between fatherhood and honoring his personal relationships while remaining loyal to his club and brothers, which are slowly unraveling from the inside out.

Sons of Anarchy is gritty, raw, bold, and captivating, and with its powerful storylines and cast of incredible character performances, it’s one you’ll watch on repeat frequently. It’ll get your blood pumpin’ and your heart poundin’, so buckle up and bring some Hogs into your life. This epic biker saga will make you glad you did.

4

Animal Kingdom

You are in for a real treat with Animal Kingdom. Inspired by the true story of Australian crime family the Pettingills, the series follows the fictional Cody family as they partake in a multitude of criminal activities and pull off various heists to make their money. Matriarch Janine Cody (Ellen Barkin), also known as Smurf, is the shot-caller, epitomizing ruthlessness and manipulation in one of her finest performances. Her sons, Baz (Scott Speedman), Pope (Shawn Hatosy), Craig (Ben Robson), and Deran (Jake Weary) undertake the jobs.

While we follow 17-year-old Joshua “J” Cody (Finn Cole), who is Smurf’s grandson, as he moves in with his family after his mother dies, the one to watch here is Pope. He’s an emotionally troubled, explosive fuse just begging for a spark, and when he’s ignited, the moments are breath-holding.

Animal Kingdom is one family saga you’ll with which you’ll want to familiarize yourself. Like the others above, this gritty crime drama will have you glued to the screen, afraid to blink for fear you’ll miss something.