'Masterpiece' crime series that's the 'best on Netflix' fans can't stop watching

Crime has become one of the most popular genres of TV series amongst British viewers. Many people are curious to delve into the minds of criminals while some enjoy the thrilling and often exciting nature of the genre.

Netflix's Monster anthology series has been a hit with viewers since its release in 2022. The three-season series, created by Ian Brennan and Ryan Murphy, is now top of IMDb's list of most popular crime TV shows. Each series focuses on the shocking stories of convicted or suspected criminals who took America by storm, including Jeffrey Dahmer and Lyle and Erik Menendez. The latest instalment was released earlier this month and focuses on the case of Ed Gein - a serial killer and grave robber from Wisconsin.

The first season, The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, was released on Netflix on September 21, 2022. It consists of 10 episodes and delves into the story of how Dahmer transformed from a shy teenager into a notorious serial killer and cannibal.

The season, which sees Evan Peters star as Jeffrey Dahmer, became Netflix's second most-watched series of all time within 28 days and the platform's third series to pass 1 billion hours viewed in 60 days. It received four nominations at the Golden Globe Awards and 12 nominations at the Primetime Emmy Awards.

Season two, The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, is nine episodes long and was released on September 19, 2024. It centres around how the brothers, played by Cooper Koch (Erik) and Nicholas Alexander Chavez (Lyle) murdered their parents Jose, played by Javier Bardem, and Kitty Menendez, played by Chloe Sevigny, in their Beverly Hills home in 1989.

The season was the third most-watched Netflix series in the second half of 2024. It received 11 nominations at the Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.

The most recent season, The Ed Gein Story, unmasks the horror behind the serial killer and grave robber. His horrific crimes inspired a number of films including Psycho and The Silence of the Lambs. Ed Gein is played by Charlie Hunnam.

The series is currently of IMDb's list of crime TV series, with close to 1,200 reviews. Most viewers commented on the outstanding acting within the series as well as compelling nature of each horrific criminal case.

Erik_Surewaard said: "The acting is superb. The script is top-notch! The cinematography one of the best that I have seen in a true crime series of a serial killer!"

They added: "Netflix really surprised me big time with this great show! It deserves a solid 9 stars! And I don't easily give away a 9 star rating!"

Saimariejohnson wrote: "There are no doubts that Evan Peters has killed this role by delivering one of the most engrossing performances of his career, and that's saying something considering the aptitude of his many esteemed performances to date."

Urbanvikingale put: "Suffocating. Nerve destroying. Heart wrenching. Disturbing. I had high hopes for this being a true crime addict and seeing a decent cast. But this went beyond my expectations. If you're expecting a gore fest you'll be sadly disappointed. If you're expecting a sinister emotional rollercoaster you'll be sated."

Rockbunny-73250 agreed: "This is disturbing, unsettling and really strange. It's brilliant! They should do all serial killer series like this. Not leaving any detail out at all. Make the audience actually get a look into the minds and reasons of why and how the killer kills."