Top 10 Brand New Netflix Crime Dramas You Can’t Miss in 2025

Pictures: Netflix

In this list, we count down 10 incredibly binge-worthy crime dramas new to Netflix so far in 2025. It’s been a busy year with some record-breaking entries added so far. 

Netflix’s most popular series of 2025 so far is Adolescence, a chilling crime drama about knife crime in the UK. Beyond that, the streamer has dropped a number of Netflix Original crime series. Whether its other standout British series, dramas based on best-selling novels, and so on — here’s 10 new must-watch Netflix crime series so far in 2025. 

10

The Breakthrough

• Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
• Rating: TV-14
• Release Date: January 7, 2025
• Cast: Peter Eggers, Mattias Nordkvist, Jessica Liedberg, Jonatan Rodriguez, Karin de Frumerie, Annika Hallin
• Language: Swedish

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The Breakthrough was initially conceived as a limited series, making it the perfect binge without worrying about it getting renewed. The Swedish crime series follows a detective and genealogist, who seek answers to a double homicide case over a decade old. The homicide saw the brutal murder of 8-year-old Adnan and 56-year-old Gunilla in Linköping, Sweden.

The series is based on true events, covering one of the largest criminal events in Swedish history. It was well-received at Netflix, being praised for its intense storytelling and maturity in dealing with such heavy topics. 

9

The Glass Dome

• Genre: Crime, Drama
• Rating: TV-MA
• Release Date: April 15, 2025
• Cast: Léonie Vincent, Johan Hedenberg, Johan Rheborg, Farzad Farzaneh, Ia Langhammer, Cecilia Nilsson
• Language: Swedish

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Coming in with another Swedish series, this time we turn our attention to The Glass Dome. The crime drama follows an ex police chief and a criminologist as they team together to investigate the disappearance of a girl from the quaint, fictional Swedish town of Granås. 

Netflix has not renewed The Glass Dome. We’re holding out hope, but time is passing fast. There is one positive sign, which is series creator Camilla Läckberg telling Swedish outlet FilmTopp that she’s interested in continuing the story. “I always think when I create a TV series that there will be more seasons. Then you have to see if there is interest from the channel and so on. But in my mind, when I am creatively working on this, I always think about some kind of continuation.”

8

Mercy for None

• Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
• Release Date: June 6, 2025
• Cast: So Ji-seob, Huh Joon-ho, Ahn Kil-kang
• Language: Korean

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A savage, brutal story of revenge, Mercy For None adapts the beloved webtoon Gwangjang. The K-Drama follows former gangster Ki-jun (SO JI-SUB), who returns to the underworld after 11 years to investigate the death of his brother Ki-seok (Lee Jun-hyuk). As he uncovers secrets, a gritty sequence of events unfolds, but Ki-jun will stop at nothing to enact explosive violence on the perpetrators of his brother’s murder. 

Mercy for None was very well-received upon its release, with viewers desperate for another instalment. Netflix has not renewed the series for another outing yet. Watch this space.  

7

The Survivors

• Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
• Rating: TV-MA
• Release Date: June 6, 2025
• Director: Cherie Nowlan, Ben C. Lucas
• Cast: Charlie Vickers, Yerin Ha, Robyn Malcolm, Damien Garvey, Thom Green, George Mason
• Language: English

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Based on the best-selling novel by Jane Harper, The Survivors is an investigative limited series. Set in Australia, the story takes place in the sleepy seaside town of Evelyn Bay, where a tight-knit community investigates the mysterious death of a woman. As they delve deeper into the case, they uncover secrets and answer questions from the past, revealing connections to the loss of three young people fifteen years prior. 

The Survivors is headlined by Charlie Vickers (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) and Yerin Ha (Halo, Bridgerton). Season 1 debuted to fantastic reviews, still standing at a 100% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes (granted, there aren’t many critic reviews for it). 

6

The Residence

• Genre: Drama, Comedy, Mystery
• Rating: TV-MA
• Release Date: March 20, 2025
• Cast: Uzo Aduba, Giancarlo Esposito, Randall Park, Molly Griggs, Susan Kelechi Watson, Isiah Whitlock Jr.
• Language: English

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Who doesn’t love a good murder mystery story? Well, that’s exactly what Netflix’s The Residence is — but this time, there are over 150 suspects. The series sets up a high-stakes whodunnit, set within the walls of the White House itself, starring Uzo Aduba as wry, eccentric detective Cordelia Cupp.

The series is based on the bestselling novel The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Andersen Brower and is the third major new series to emerge from the Shonda Rhimes deal, following Bridgerton and Inventing Anna.

The Residence season 1 gained pretty good ratings upon its release in March. It currently stands at an impressive 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, several factors, including the show’s large budget, meant that the streamer ultimately pulled the plug and cancelled it. That said, it still works perfectly as a standalone. The season tells one case, without ending on an irritating cliffhanger. 

5

Sara: Woman in the Shadows

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Sara: Woman in the Shadows has very much been in the shadows of Netflix’s catalogue since its release in early June, but don’t let that put you off. This Italian series is suspenseful, unnerving, and super emotional. We follow Sara, a retired secret service agent who’s thrust back into the world of espionage after the suspicious death of her son. As she investigates her son’s death, she links together a string of crimes that grow increasingly sinister. 

Sara: Woman in the Shadows stars Teresa Saponangelo, Claudia Gerini, and Flavio Furno. The series has a pretty conclusive ending. It ties up most loose ends, but should Netflix choose to renew, there’s plenty of scope to continue. 

4

The Waterfront

• Genre: Crime, Drama, Family
• Rating: TV-MA
• Release Date: June 19, 2025
• Cast: Holt McCallany, Melissa Benoist, Jake Weary, Maria Bello, Rafael L. Silva, Humberly González
• Language: English

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In Kevin Williamson’s (Scream, Dawson’s Creek) latest series, The Waterfront, we follow the Buckley family as they try to keep control of their diminishing North Carolina fishing empire. However, as their troubles escalate, they resort to dangerous methods to keep themselves afloat. 

The series stars Holt McCallany (Mindhunter), Maria Bello (BEEF), Melissa Benoist (Supergirl), and Jake Weary (Oh, Canada). It is inspired by true events, but the Buckley family is completely fictional.

The Waterfront has now spent multiple weeks in the top 10 charts on Netflix, putting it in a great position for a renewal.

3

Missing You

• Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
• Rating: TV-MA
• Release Date: January 1, 2025
• Cast: Richard Armitage, Rudi Dharmalingam, Jackie Knowles
• Language: English

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Based on the novel of the same name by best-selling crime author Harlan Coben, Missing You was the first crime drama to land on Netflix in 2025. The story follows Detective Kat Donovan, who unwittingly finds her estranged fiancé on a dating app. This discovery snowballs, causing Donovan to dive down a rabbit hole, reigniting the unsolved mystery surrounding her father’s murder.

The 5-part miniseries boasts an all-star cast, including Rosalind Eleazar, Richard Armitage, Ashley Walters, Lenny Henry, and Jessica Plummer. If you enjoy this, there’s plenty more adaptations of Harlan Coben’s novels in the works at Netflix, such as Run Away, and I Will Find You.

2

Dept. Q

• Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
• Rating: TV-MA
• Release Date: May 29, 2025
• Cast: Matthew Goode, Chloe Pirrie, Jamie Sives, Mark Bonnar, Alexej Manvelov, Leah Byrne
• Language: English

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Department Q (or simply Dept. Q) is a crime drama that stands out in many ways. Set in a dark and brooding Scotland, the gritty series follows the steely and no-nonsense detective Carl Morck (Matthew Goode). After suffering a near-death attack that killed a police officer and injured his partner, Morck is tasked with dealing with forgotten cold cases. 

Along with his enigmatic Syrian partner, Akram (Alexej Manvelov), and Detective Constable Rose Dickson (Leah Byrne), the team investigates the disappearance of the controversial prosecutor, Merritt Lingard (Chloe Pirrie). As they delve into the case, which had long remained unsolved, they uncover various clues and leads, shedding light on one of Scotland’s most mysterious and unsolved crimes.

We loved season 1 of Dept. Q! Hopefully, Netflix renews it for another season. Being based on a long-running series of novels by Jussi Adler-Olsen, there’s plenty of seasons’ worth of content to cover. As of July 2025, however, Netflix has not confirmed nor denied that more episodes are on the way.

1

Adolescence

• Genre: Crime, Drama
• Rating: TV-MA
• Release Date: March 13, 2025
• Cast: Ashley Walters, Owen Cooper, Stephen Graham
• Language: English

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What is there to say about Adolescence that hasn’t been said already. This short, but breathtaking series tells the story of one working class family, whose lives are turned upside down when their 12-year-old son Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) is accused of murdering a girl in his school. 

Dealing with deep themes, Adolescence is a chilling look into knife crime in the UK. The series is developed by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, who also stars. It’s masterfully directed by Philip Barantini, who shoots each episode in one big, continuous shot. 

Adolescence is one of Netflix’s standout series of 2025, and the immense viewership numbers back that up. You can check out our review here. 

What’s been your favorite new crime drama on Netflix this year? Tell us in the comments down below!