Premiering on April 2, 2021, Netflix's 8-part limited series The Serpent has quickly become one of the most buzzed-about new true-crime serials on the platform. Directed by Hans Herbots and Tom Shankland, the British miniseries dramatically reenacts the reign of terror exacted by Charles Sobhraj (Tahar Rahim), a mysterious serial killer that disguised himself well enough to remain at large in Asia during the mid-70s.
Due to the difficult subject matter, The Serpent joins a long line of intriguing yet challenging true-crime shows based on a real-life serial killer. Once all eight episodes are completed, here are the next best TV series to watch.
Aquarius (2015-2016) - Netflix
After spending seven years and 84 episodes as Hank Moody in the Showtime dramedy Californication, David Duchovny went back to network TV to catch bad guys in Aquarius. Alas, the series lasted just two seasons.
Set in the 1960s, Aquarius follows Duchovny's Sam Hodiak, an LAPD officer who takes a mentor under his wing while solving a series of brutal murders exacted by real-life serial killers of the day. In particular, Hodiak hones in on Charles Manson and his murderous family of outlaws.
In Plain Sight (2016) - BritBox
Fans of The Serpent are likely to be enraptured by In Plain Sight, the three-part Scottish miniseries that traces the steps of infamous serial killer Peter Manuel (Martin Compston), aka "The Beast of Birkenshaw," who really murdered at least eight people in the Lanarkshire area from 1956 to 1958.
Hot on Manuel's trail is the skilled Detective William Muncie (Douglas Henshall), a dedicated lawman trying to balance his demanding home life with his pursuit of the murderous Manuel.
Lupin (2021-) - Netflix
For similar but slightly lighter fare, tune in to Netflix's major hit French crime series Lupin. Similar to Charles Sobhraj, the show's central criminal Assane Diop (Omar Sy) is also a skilled thief and master of disguise.
Taking cues from his childhood inspiration, a fictional criminal named Arsene Lupin, Assane is a gentleman thief who steals from the rich as a matter of sport. When he concocts an elaborate scheme to pilfer a priceless diamond, he spends the rest of his time covering his tracks, securing his alibis, and living the high life.
Des (2020) - Amazon Prime
David Tennant stars as real-life Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen (aka Des), who, in 1983, was arrested after a human corpse was discovered blocking a drainage system near his London abode. Despite the difficult subject matter, Tennant has earned rave reviews for his performance.
The three-part ITV miniseries currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video centers on DCI Peter Jays' (Daniel Mays) interrogation of Des after he openly confesses to the murder of several men. Des joins a long line of miniseries based on British murder cases, the next of which to be released will be The Pembrokeshire Murders.
The Alienist: Angel Of Darkness (2018-2020) - Amazon Prime
While it mixes fact and fiction more than most on the list, The Alienist remains one of the finest period-piece detective yarns to feature real-life historical figures such as one-time Police Commissioner, Teddy Roosevelt.
Set in the late 1890s, the drama revolves around psychiatrist Laszlo Kreizler (Daniel Bruhl) and newspaper artist John Moore (Luke Evans) as they set out to solve a series of savage murders of street boys in season one and find a kidnapped baby in season one. While many of the murders are based on real-life, the names of those involved have been changed.
Ripper Street (2012-2016) - Netflix
While the 2020 Netflix documentary The Ripper is a worthy addendum, BBC's dramatic crime series Ripper Street is even more aligned with The Serpent. Created by Richard Harlow, the hour-long period drama explores 1889 London in the wake of Jack the Ripper's bloody reign of terror.
In an environment of heightened fear and paranoia, Detective Edmund Reid (Matthew Macfayden) pours through the Whitechapel area of East London to solve a series of grisly murders.
Manhunt (2017-) - Netflix
So far, there have been two distinct seasons of Discovery's original anthological crime series, Manhunt. The first season explores the FBI's dogged pursuit of Ted Kaczynski (Paul Bettany), aka the Unabomber, led by the chief investigator and criminal profiler Jim Fitzgerald (Sam Worthington).
The second season of the show chronicles notorious security guard Richard Jewell (Cameron Britton) and his involvement with the Centennial Park bombing at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Just like The Serpent, each nine-part season focuses on one specific criminal suspect and their mysterious past.
The Act (2019) - Hulu
The hyper-talented Patricia Arquette deservingly won an Emmy and Golden Globe Award for her terrifying turn as Dee Dee Blanchard, the odious and abusive mother who forced her young daughter Gypsy (Joey King) to feign illness in order to reap state benefits.
The devastating true story is recounted in dramatic fashion, culminating in Gypsy's violent breaking point and the psychological ramifications she faces in the wake of being held captive by her own mother.
American Crime Story: The Assassination Of Gianni Versace (2018) - Netflix
While season one of American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson is also a worthy watch, The Assassination of Gianni Versace aligns more with The Serpent.
The nine-part miniseries traces the twisted exploits of Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss), a globe-trotting serial killer who systematically stalked the fashion impresario Gianni Versaci (Edgar Ramirez) in Miami Beach before shooting him to death in July 1997. The show traces Cunanan's footsteps leading up to the assassination, which included the murder of four other male victims.
Mindhunter (2017-2019) - Netflix
Without the high viewership and critical acclaim of David Fincher's Mindhunter, The Serpent may never have come after it. That is, Fincher made popular the notion of exploring the twisted minds and inner-workings of real-life serial killers from the past.
Set in the late 70s and early 80s, the show details the FBI's nascent criminal profile program in which they try to get inside the minds of various murders in order to prevent future crimes. Such real-life serial killers as Ed Kemper (Cameron Britton), Jerry Brudos (Happy Anderson), Richard Speck (Jack Erdie), David Berkowitz (Oliver Cooper), and more.