I’ve been searching for more things to watch on BBC iPlayer and have been surprised by the quality of shows available to stream. Here are 16 award winners, critically acclaimed and highly rated psychological thrillers you should add to your watchlist.
Award-Winning & Critically Acclaimed
The Sixth Commandment (2023) – [True Crime/Psychological Thriller]
For fans of: Landscapers, The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe, The Teacher
Timothy Spall and Anne Reid star in this BAFTA-winning dramatization of a shocking real-life murder involving coercion and betrayal. Written by Sarah Phelps, it’s haunting, restrained, and emotionally devastating.
The Missing (2014–2016) – [Crime/Psychological Thriller]
For fans of: Broadchurch, Baptiste, The Cry
Tchéky Karyo stars in this anthology about disappearances and the emotional fallout. Golden Globe-nominated and deeply affecting.
The Fall (2013–2016) – [Crime/Psychological Thriller]
For fans of: Luther, Mindhunter, Top of the Lake
Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan face off in this Belfast-set cat-and-mouse thriller. BAFTA-nominated and critically acclaimed, it’s slow-burning, cerebral, and deeply unsettling.
Thirteen (2016) – [Drama/Psychological Thriller]
For fans of: The Missing, The Sinner, Room
Jodie Comer plays Ivy, a woman who escapes captivity after 13 years and struggles to reintegrate into her old life. BAFTA-nominated and emotionally raw, it’s a gripping study of trauma and identity.
Four Lives (2022) – [True Crime/Drama]
For fans of: Little Boy Blue, Three Girls, The Long Shadow
Stephen Merchant and Sheridan Smith star in this BAFTA-nominated drama about the families of four murdered men fighting for justice. It’s restrained, powerful, and socially urgent.
Mayfair Witches (2023– ) – [Supernatural Thriller/Drama]
For fans of: Interview with the Vampire, The Witching Hour, A Discovery of Witches
Alexandra Daddario stars as a neurosurgeon who inherits a haunted legacy in this Anne Rice adaptation. Saturn Award-nominated and visually lush, it’s gothic, eerie, and full of family secrets.
More drama best lists:
Thrillers On ITVX ~ Apple TV+ Dramas ~ Foreign Dramas On Channel 4 ~ Crime Dramas On ITVX ~ Dramas On Disney+ ~ Dramas On Channel 4 ~ Dramas On ITVX ~ Dramas On BBC iPlayer ~ Dramas On Sky And Now TV
Highly Rated Psychological Thrillers
Black Earth Rising (2018) – [Political Thriller/Drama]
For fans of: The Honourable Woman, The Night Manager, State of Play
Michaela Coel and John Goodman star in this international legal thriller about genocide and justice. It’s cerebral, morally complex, and visually striking.
End of Summer (2023) – [Mystery/Psychological Thriller]
For fans of: The Chestnut Man, The Valhalla Murders, The Cry
A boy’s disappearance in 1980s Sweden haunts his sister decades later in this adaptation of Anders de la Motte’s novel. It’s atmospheric, slow-burning, and emotionally layered.
The Cry (2018) – [Drama/Psychological Thriller]
For fans of: The Slap, The Missing, The Undoing
Jenna Coleman stars as a mother whose child disappears in Australia, triggering media frenzy and personal collapse. It’s emotionally raw and full of narrative misdirection.
Nightsleeper (2025) – [Real-Time Thriller]
For fans of: Hijack, Vigil, The Undeclared War
A train becomes the setting for a real-time crisis in this BBC thriller starring Joe Cole and Alexandra Roach. It’s tense, claustrophobic, and full of moral dilemmas.
The Ridge (2025) – [Psychological Thriller/Drama]
For fans of: The Kettering Incident, The Returned, Fortitude
A woman returns to her hometown after a tragedy and uncovers buried secrets. It’s eerie, atmospheric, and emotionally taut.
Clique (2017–2018) – [Drama/Psychological Thriller]
For fans of: Gossip Girl, Elite, The Secret History
University students get pulled into a seductive and dangerous world in this BBC Three thriller. Created by Jess Brittain (Skins), it’s glossy, dark, and quietly subversive.
Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue (2025) – [Mystery/Psychological Thriller]
For fans of: The Wilds, Lost, The I-Land
Survivors of a plane crash wake up in a morgue with no memory of how they died. It’s eerie, twisty, and full of unreliable narration.
The Guest (2014) – [Thriller/Psychological Horror]
For fans of: It Follows, You’re Next, Drive
Dan Stevens plays a charming stranger who may not be what he seems in this stylish genre mashup. It’s pulpy, tense, and critically adored.
Red Rose (2022) – [Tech Horror/Psychological Thriller]
For fans of: Black Mirror, The Ring, Bodies
A sinister app infiltrates a group of teens in this Manchester-set BBC thriller. It’s socially sharp, creepy, and emotionally grounded.
MotherFatherSon (2019) – [Political Thriller/Drama]
For fans of: Succession, The Night Of, The Loudest Voice
Richard Gere plays a media mogul whose empire and family unravel in this BBC drama. It’s cold, stylish, and psychologically dense.
More best lists on BBC iPlayer: