10 Best Shows Like Netflix’s Stay Close

After making its debut on New Year’s Eve 2021, the Netflix original murder mystery miniseries Stay Close instantly shot to the top of the platform’s most-watched list. Adapted from the Harlan Coben novel of the same name, the 6-part British crime serial interweaves the lives of three seemingly unrelated people in the aftermath of a grisly murder.

As the various characters attempt to solve the murder and restore order, a slew of unforeseen twists and unpredictable turns take place that challenges the audience’s expectations every step of the way. As such, Stay Close joins a long lineage of intense murder mystery series centered on one specific murder in each season.

Collateral (2018)

Stream On Netflix

With a superb performance by A-list movie star Carey Mulligan, Collateral is a must-see 4-part British miniseries revolving around the mysterious death of a pizza delivery man in a London suburb. The more layers Detective Investigator Kip Glaspie (Mulligan) and her team peel back, the more questions they have regarding a massive national conspiracy.

Aside from the gravid tone, similar format, single murder, and British sensibilities the two series share, Collateral is littered with just as many wild twists and shocking revelations as Stay Close. Yet due to the high caliber of acting, the twists land with more dramatic impact.

Sharp Objects (2018)

Stream On HBO Max

Created by Marti Noxon, Sharp Objects is really a show about mental health under the guise of a head-swirling murder mystery. Due to the unreliable narration of the series protagonist Camille Preaker (Amy Adams), a crime reporter returning to her hometown to cover a vicious homicide, the fuzzy storytelling, and maddening mystery is very redolent of Stay Close.

Anchored by a weighty turn from Adams, Sharp Objects becomes less about solving the central murder than it is about facing one’s traumatic past, healing old wounds, and reconciling frayed relationships. In many ways, Camille feels like an amalgam of Megan and Michael in StayClose, both of whom are scarred by mysterious pasts.

Cardinal (2017-2020)

Stream On Hulu

Adapted from the first novel in the John Cardinal series by Giles Blunt, Forty Words for Sorrow, Cardinal is a stellar Canadian murder mystery series. Each of the four seasons to date focuses on one specific murder or murderer, but it’s the death of a young girl in season 1 that really aligns with the tone and tenor of Stay Close.

With pitch-perfect casting and a frosty atmosphere in the Canadian snow to increase the chills, Cardinal’s (Billy Campbell) personal demons, and professional hang-ups are just as fascinating as his investigations, particularly in how he butts heads with his partner, Lise Delorme (Karine Vanasse). The underrated show nails the single murder-mystery template far more than most.

Secrets And Lies (2015-2016)

Stream On Tubi & IMDb TV

The tagline of Stay Close is “Everybody Has Secrets,” a perfect descriptor of the well-received but short-lived ABC murder mystery series that was canceled too soon, Secrets and Lies. Moreover, each season concentrates on the protracted investigation of a single murder and how white lies, mistruths, and perjury comes back to haunt those involved.

With standout performances from Juliette Lewis and Ryan Phillippe, Secrets and Lies is a remake of the Australian miniseries of the same name, which is also worth a look for fans of a truly engaging whodunit with unpredictable twists.

The Stranger (2020)

Stream On Netflix

Fans of Stay Close ought to check out Harlan Coben’s other recent Netflix mystery miniseries, The Stranger, also starring Richard Armitage in a lead role. Coben has built a reputation for writing cryptic crime dramas rife with jaw-dropping plot wrinkles that shatter expectations, and both series definitely fit the bill.

When The Stranger (Hannah John-Kamen) arrives in a quaint British town and begins blackmailing the citizens by threatening to expose their darkest secrets, a harrowing series of consequences lead to murder in cold blood. While Safe and The Five are other worthy Netflix Coben crime series, The Stranger reigns supreme.

Dark (2017-2020)

Stream On Netflix

Very few mystery shows converge the lives of various strangers in such a satisfying way as Dark, one of Netflix’s most acclaimed original series. While it does differ in its sci-fi time travel element, the stellar German show is an absolute must-see for anyone who enjoys top-tier dramaturgy revolving around the fate of disappearing locals.

The show kicks off when two young children vanish without a trace. By the time the series ends, a genuinely mind-blowing conspiracy proves the show’s ultimate tagline, “everything is connected” a thematic refrain that perfectly applies to the resolution in Stay Close.

The Killing (2011-2014)

Stream On Hulu

Studded by a tour-de-force turn by Mireille Enos, The Killing low-key deserves credit for popularizing the single-murder-per-season template. By taking a serial look rather than an episode approach, viewers get to know the victims, suspects, and investigators far more intimately before guessing the culprit.

When teenage Rosie Larsen’s corpse is found in the trunk of a car, the lives of several Seattle citizens commingle as Detective Sarah Linden (Enos) doggedly gets to the bottom of a vast political conspiracy. It’s a serious and sobering affair that Stay Close fans are sure to lap up.

Twin Peaks (1990-1991, 2017)

Stream On Paramount+ & Showtime

For another confounding murder mystery with cryptic characters and storylines impossible to predict, tour David Lynch’s quaint town of Twin Peaks, Washington. Centered on the grisly murder of the small town’s beloved homecoming queen, a surreal serial investigation ends up going in maddening circles.

Currently rated #175 on IMDb’s Top 250 TV shows of all time, David Lynch brings his unique cinematic brand of storytelling to keep viewers engaged, amused, disgusted, outraged, and wildly entertained every step of the way. Be sure to watch the 1990-91 season before delving into the 2017 continuation.

The Outsider (2020)

Stream On HBO Max

Although it has a sneaky supernatural bent, HBO’s The Outsider is one of the most thought-provoking serial mysteries centered on one specific murder. Adapted from the Stephen King novel, the series blends whodunit tropes with tenets of psychological horror and a police procedural to create a riveting new whole.

The plot kicks up when a little boy named Frankie Peterson is found murdered. Detective Ralph Anderson (Ben Mendelsohn in a terrific performance) tries to kick the grief of losing a son years prior by teaming with Holly Gibney (Cynthia Erivo), a gifted stranger with telepath abilities. As the two work to solve the murder, wildly unpredictable plot twists ensue that make Stay Close feel tame in comparison.

True Detective (2014-2019)

Stream On HBO Max

No TV drama has taken a single murder mystery and stretched it across an entire season with more satisfying results than True Detective. Created by Nic Pizzolatto, the first and third seasons are among the best written, acted, and directed pieces of crime drama on television.

As such, the show currently ranks #34 on IMDb’s Top 250 TV shows ever made. For Stay Close fans, the best season to watch is the first, in which the investigative odd couple of Rust (Matthew McConaughey) and Marty (Woody Harrelson) leads a harrowing investigation into what appears to be a ritualistic Satanic sacrifice. The level of detail, accuracy, and believability the series achieves is second to none.