10 Best Crime Shows Streaming On Prime Video

Though most people still think of Amazon Prime as an online retailer, streaming service Prime Video has quietly built up a library of excellent television. Any network or streamer worth its salt is basically required to dive into crime drama from time to time, as this genre has been the medium's bread and butter for almost as long as TV has been around. In fact, we can trace the modern crime show back to at least "Dragnet," which began as a radio show and evolved into an NBC TV series by 1951.

Prime Video is the host of several first-rate crime shows, including both originals and series that have migrated over to the platform. From gritty book adaptations to action-packed adventures and clever procedurals, these shows are destined to give crime lovers everywhere something to talk about. If you love watching intrepid investigators solve mysteries, dogged detectives get dragged into the criminal underworld, or slippery serial killers evade capture, these series are for you. These are the 10 best crime shows streaming on Prime Video. Feel free to share your favorites in the comments below.

"Ballard" is one of the best spin-offs we've seen in years. Set in the same universe as "Bosch," it stars the criminally underrated Maggie Q (finally given the chance to shine) as Renée Ballard, a brilliant detective sidelined for speaking truth to power. After filing a sexual harassment claim against her superior, Ballard is (literally) sent to the basement, assigned to work on the underfunded cold cases division. She's joined by her longtime partner (John Carroll Lynch) and several other detectives who form an unexpectedly effective team.

Season 1 sees Ballard and her team working on two separate cases, and despite running only 10 episodes, the pacing is impeccable. The trappings of police procedurals here are familiar, but these stories are told from a place of empathy and center the humans over the system. Maggie Q is truly remarkable in "Ballard," playing the titular character with both steely determination and a hint of vulnerability. The different dynamics among the team provide plenty of entertainment, and the lovely Amy Hill is a delight as Ballard's grandmother.

You needn't have watched "Bosch" to enjoy "Ballard," though the show continues its predecessor's legacy of gritty, hardboiled crime drama scaffolded by great character work and seriously good acting. Ballard's investigation into corruption is thrilling, and Maggie Q — as fans of "Nikita" know well — is a force to be reckoned with. Put this underrated Prime Video gem on your list ASAP.

Nicolas Winding Refn is a controversial filmmaker, dividing audiences with features like "The Neon Demon" and "Only God Forgives." His first television series, 2019's "Too Old to Die Young," proved similarly polarizing among critics, but you should give it a shot if stylized depravity is up your alley. Co-created by comic book writer Ed Brubaker, the series stars Miles Teller as Martin Jones, an LA sheriff with a unique side hustle: killing rapists. He works alongside former FBI agent Viggo Larsen (John Hawkes), who thinks Martin is on track to destroy and rebuild the world in his image.

"Too Old to Die Young" is both slow-paced and bleak, featuring signature Refn images like neon lights and cars driving on empty highways late at night. It's quite violent, too, and seems to be arguing that America is built on violence, and that this is something we must face head-on. Of course, not everyone is willing to face the debasement that Refn so often traffics in, which is perfectly fine. The director welcomes both the love and the hate. "If you don't create polarization, then you have not touched the soul," he said (via TV Guide).

The aestheticized horror of "Too Old to Die Young" creates a mesmerizing viewing experience, and the hard-hitting synth score creates a sense of propulsive unease. It's certainly not for everyone, but for those who can stomach it, it's an immersive watch.

The smartest TV detective of all time doesn't exactly need an origin story, but "Young Sherlock" proves that one is worth telling. Developed by Guy Ritchie, who previously took a crack at Sherlock Holmes in the films starring Robert Downey Jr., "Young Sherlock" imagines the character as a rebellious 19-year-old. Played charmingly by Hero Fiennes Tiffin, this Sherlock has just done a stint in prison for pickpocketing and now works at Oxford thanks to his older brother Mycroft (Max Irons). While there, he meets scholarship student James Moriarty (Dónal Finn), who, in a change to a major piece of lore, becomes Sherlock's good friend.

When the two troublemakers are accused of stealing some sacred scrolls, they set out to find the real culprit, and in the process of their investigation, become embroiled in a high-profile murder case. At this point, Sherlock is not yet the great detective we know him to be, but his impressive skills — such as his photographic memory and keen attention to detail — make themselves known over the course of the investigation. It's fun to watch Sherlock in his gestational stage, and the young detective is much more jovial and freewheeling than his older counterpart(s).

As Moriarty, Finn is a highlight of the series, and his relationship with Sherlock is by far the most interesting. The plotting of "Young Sherlock" is thrillingly fast-paced, and the puzzle-like quality of the mystery makes for great TV.

What if Sherlock Holmes was a really huge guy with no qualms about smashing heads together, but secretly had the kind heart of a gentle giant? That's sort of the premise of "Reacher," the wildly entertaining Prime Video series based on the novel series by Lee Child. Alan Ritchson plays the title character, a former military investigator who travels around the country with no property to his name. In each season, Reacher arrives in a new town or city and encounters some form of corruption or criminal conspiracy that he's unable to walk away from. With his brilliant powers of observation and really strong muscles, Reacher plows his way through bad guys like it's nothing.

"Reacher" is the platonic ideal of a novel adaptation, with each season following the plot of a different Lee Child book. This means that each season introduces new characters for Reacher to fight with (or fight alongside), and the taciturn, loaf of a man has amusing chemistry with all of them. The action scenes in "Reacher" are a highlight, but it's also quite funny, and the cases Reacher investigates are all gripping and thrillingly life-or-death.

"Reacher" spawned a spinoff, "Neagley," featuring one of his former military buddies, which continues in the tradition of kicking butt and taking names, and is also worth watching if "Reacher" strikes your fancy. The original show is unbeatable, though, as is the titular character, who can survive anything because he's just so huge.

"Deadloch" is a supremely underrated Prime Video series that deserves way more viewers. Similar to "Widow's Bay" in its mixing of genres, "Deadloch" initially comes off as a serious-minded small-town crime show before revealing itself to be an uproarious comedy filled with silliness at every turn. Kate Box plays Sgt. Dulcie Collins, a by-the-book cop in the quaint Tasmanian town of Deadloch. When a local man is murdered, she's forced to work with out-of-town detective Eddie Redcliffe (Madeleine Sami), whose loud, overly casual attitude contrasts with Dulcie's straight-laced demeanor.

Deadloch is a quirky town filled with colorful characters, including Dulcie's wife, Cath (Alicia Gardiner), the town's bubbly vet. There is some tension between a group of newly arrived lesbians and the town's more conservative old-timers, and there's also the problem of Kevin, an enormous sea lion who often disrupts traffic and infuriates the locals. Despite the show's comedic elements, it also serves up compelling mysteries. Season 2 ups the stakes with another murder investigation, this time connected to Australian crocodile tourism.

The series parodies many of the crime genre's most popular tropes — the odd couple pairing, for example — without lessening the intensity of the central murder cases. It's tonal perfection, and the cast of actors who make up the town are delightfully strange and idiosyncratic.

"River" is one of the best miniseries streaming on Prime Video, and it cleverly reworks the crime genre. Mixing Nordic noir conventions with a British police drama, the series stars Stellan Skarsgård as detective John River. Detective River is still deep in the throes of grief after his partner, Stevie (Nicola Walker), was shot in front of him mere weeks ago. River is hell-bent on solving Stevie's murder (despite his superior's orders), while still managing his typical caseload.

Of course, Stevie's not actually gone — not for River. The detective regularly converses with Stevie, who appears in the form of a ghost, or something like it, often in the passenger seat of River's car. River is visited by other deceased folks as well, including 19th-century serial killer Thomas Neill Cream (Eddie Marsan), as well as wayward murder victims.

While the vaguely supernatural premise may sound cheesy, it doesn't feel out of place in this character-driven BBC drama. The show is more about River's grief than it is about solving particular cases, though River also uses work to deal with his grief. Skarsgård portrays River's literal haunting beautifully, and the show's depiction of mental deterioration is moving. The cast also includes the great Lesley Manville as River's boss, Adeel Akhtar as his new partner, and Georgina Rich as the police psychiatrist he reluctantly sees. In literalizing the death that surrounds him, "River" finds a new way to explore the mind of a tortured detective.

In our opinion, "Elementary" is one of the most underrated crime dramas of this century, and it features consistently great storytelling over its seven seasons. In a twist on the Sherlock Holmes story, we find this Sherlock, played by a shockingly good Jonny Lee Miller, in New York City. Following a stint in rehab, Sherlock's father forces him to live with a sober companion — Dr. Joan Watson, played by the wonderful Lucy Liu. Eventually, Joan, with her smarts and medical expertise, begins helping Sherlock solve cases as a consultant for the NYPD. He's managed by Captain Gregson (Aidan Quinn), a gruff leader who nonetheless respects Sherlock's work.

Though similar in some respects to the Holmes-Watson dynamic we've come to expect (Joan is frequently exasperated and perplexed by Sherlock's antics), "Elementary" also distinguishes itself from other Sherlock Holmes adaptations through the depth and complexity of this duo's bond. The series totally eschews any possibility of romantic tension between Sherlock and Joan, and it's all the better for it. Instead, the two characters have one of the most profound platonic relationships we've seen between a man and a woman on television.

Both characters are given room to grow, with Sherlock continuing his sober journey and Joan trying to figure out who she is if she's not a surgeon — and who she is outside of her relationship with Sherlock. The cases they solve are just as compelling, and it features a few surprising inclusions of famous Sherlock Holmes characters.

"The Fall" is an impeccably crafted crime drama and hands down one of the best serial killer shows ever made. The series stars Gillian Anderson, who is no stranger to the police procedural, but does something singular with her performance here. Anderson plays Stella Gibson, a seasoned detective sent to Belfast to oversee the investigation into a serial killer. Jamie Dornan plays the serial killer in question, a supposedly reliable family man named Paul Spector who's been preying on young women.

The setup of "The Fall" doesn't appear all that different from any other crime show, but the series stands out from the rest thanks to the incredibly powerful character that is Stella Gibson. Stella is a veteran police officer who suffers no fools and aims her contemptuous gaze at any detractors. But as a woman, she also knows what it's like to be vulnerable to attack, both at her place of work and in the world generally. This perspective, which is inherently different than that of her male colleagues, allows Stella to empathize with Spector's victims in a way that draws her into his psychological orbit.

Dornan gives an eerie performance as a killer, and his dynamic with Stella is both riveting and tense, even when they're far apart. The balance of power between them is electrifying, as Spector presents his mastery over human life while Stella embodies both steely determination and compassion.

As Prime Video's longest-running original series, "Bosch" is a consistently great detective show without a bad season. Based on the novel series by Michael Connelly, the series stars Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch, an old-school LAPD detective. In the first season, we meet Bosch as he's under fire for killing a serial killer and investigating a child murderer. Bosch is dedicated to justice, but his propensity to bend (or break) the rules often puts him on thin ice with his superiors. Thankfully, he has plenty of allies on the force who back his moves and believe in his mission.

Like the titular character himself, "Bosch" is an old-fashioned detective story, offering all the pleasures the genre has to offer and shoring up its foundations with great writing, phenomenal acting, and an alluring, neo-noir atmosphere. The series masterfully weaves its crime narratives with stories of Bosch's personal life, letting them intermingle while never offering easy solutions for either. "Bosch" is concerned with character development and motivations as much as it is with solving knotty mysteries. The writing is straightforward but never boring, and its no-frills approach to storytelling is refreshing in an industry that often favors flashy action over substance.

"Prime Suspect" doesn't get discussed much today, and that's a shame, because it's one of the best crime dramas of the 1990s. It aired on ITV from 1991 to 2006, with seven seasons but only 15 episodes total. The great Helen Mirren, who won two Emmys for the role, plays Jane Tennison, a detective chief inspector in London and likely the first DCI to ever appear on television. Jane works in an extremely male-dominated world, and much of the series tracks her struggles to be taken seriously by her male colleagues. The cases Jane works on are products of sexism as well, such as the rape case Jane investigates in Season 1.

Though relatively short (each season contains only two or three episodes, at about 1 hour, 45 minutes each), "Prime Suspect" takes its time, sitting with Jane's struggles without offering quick fixes. She's a fascinating character, and Mirren gives a fierce performance that holds everything together. She's single-minded and dedicated to her job (despite the disrespect she faces), often at the expense of her personal life, which usually falls by the wayside. She also drinks too much, a common issue for tortured heroes like these. While Jane seems to be subliminally replicating the behavior of her male colleagues, she doesn't reap the same rewards, and this contradiction is at the heart of the series. Mirren's powerful performance and the quality of the writing make this one of the best British crime dramas of all time.