Need a thriller? These are the AMC+ shows to binge first
Need a thriller? These are the AMC+ shows to binge first
Every show on this list has multiple seasons, a complete story, and enough twists to keep you hitting next episode.
The tentpole AMC series “The Walking Dead” finally lands back on the streamer in 2027 (it’s on Netflix right now). While you wait, though, there are plenty of other great, bingeable thrillers to rip through — including a few you may never have heard of. And all of these shows are complete; they have multiple seasons, and they don’t leave you with that bad taste in your mouth when a show gets canceled before a proper wrap-up. Here are my picks for the best binge-worthy thriller TV shows streaming on AMC+ right now. Oh, and you can check them out for free with a seven-day free trial of AMC+.
Best binge-worthy thriller shows streaming on AMC+
Best dystopian binge: ‘Snowpiercer’
Imagine being one of the last human survivors on Earth after it froze over seven years ago… and you’re living aboard a train that never stops moving. Well, the creators of “Snowpiercer” did that for you! You get to follow Andre Layton (Daveed Diggs), a former homicide detective stuck back with the poor passengers at the back of the train. But then someone gets murdered, and he’s pulled forward to try and solve it… all the while collecting information for a possible rebellion.
What makes it a great binge is that it evolves over four seasons. It starts as a murder mystery, then melds into class warfare, revolution, rival factions, competing trains, and maybe even a way to survive outside Snowpiercer. And each section of the train has its own culture and secrets, so it never feels repetitive. If you want a thriller with a dystopian, sci-fi twist and 40 eps to rip through, it’s time to board “Snowpiercer.”
Snowpiercer
More than seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland, the remnants of humanity inhabit a gigantic, perpetually-moving train that circles the globe as class warfare, social injustice and the politics of survival play out.
Best zombie binge: ‘Fear the Walking Dead’
As we wait for AMC+ to get their tentpole original “The Walking Dead” series back on the platform next year, the next-best zombie binge is “Fear the Walking Dead.” This one takes you to the very earliest days of the outbreak in Los Angeles, before society has imploded. I like that you get to watch ordinary people, like high school guidance counselor Madison Clark (Kim Dickens) and her family, realize in real time that the institutions they trust to protect them — hospitals, schools, police and government — aren’t capable of doing it.
This is the longest binge on the list so be ready to commit to eight seasons and 113 episodes. But I don’t think you’ll get bored because the show does a great job of jumping locations. You’ll see LA first, then Mexico, Texas, along with ranches and nuclear fallout zones. And later, Morgan Jones (Lennie James) enters the fray from the original series. The characters change too, going from normal civilians to hardcore survivors as they figure out how to survive as everything collapses. A “Walking Dead” show on AMC+ is a rite of passage, and this is the place to start.
Fear the Walking Dead
What did the world look like as it was transforming into the horrifying apocalypse depicted in “The Walking Dead”? This spin-off set in Los Angeles, following new characters as they face the beginning of the end of the world, will answer that question.
Best supernatural binge: ‘NOS4A2’
“NOS4A2” is a little hard to explain, but the core premise is kind of like a supernatural cat-and-mouse game. The cat is Vic McQueen (Ashleigh Cummings), who can use a strange bridge called the Shorter Way to find lost things. The mouse is Charlie Manx (Zachary Quinto), an immortal who feeds on the life force of children (you still with me?). Manx takes these children and traps them in a supernatural world he’s built called Christmasland (Christmas every day!). Of course, Vic wants to save the children, while Manx wants to feed on them.
The binge quality here is that you get a great, very imaginative central conflict between these two. They learn about each other’s powers as they go, like how they’re both part of a larger mythology involving “Strong Creatives” — people who can turn pieces of their imagination into something real. And when Manx targets Vic’s son in Season 2, things start to get very personal. It’s based on Joe Hill’s novel, so you can trust the story is in good hands, and if you love a Stephen King-style mythology meets family drama meets darker ideas, this may be the binge for you.
NOS4A2
A young Victoria “Vic” McQueen discovers she has the power to unlock portals that help her find lost objects. As she delves further into this hidden universe, she encounters many other “inscape travelers” - some benevolent, and some who have been corrupted by their power. When Vic encounters Charlie Manx, an immortal who stays that way by feeding off of the souls of children, she makes a sworn enemy of Manx.
Best murder mystery binge: ‘The Killing’
For those looking for a more grounded thriller, “The Killing” is a straight-shooting murder mystery. You follow Mireille Enos as Seattle homicide detective Sarah Linden. She’s just about to ditch the department when teenager Rosie Larsen turns up dead. Beside her is her new partner, Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman), who’s a lot gruffer and has a bit of an unconventional approach to police work.
What’s unique about this show is that it’s told from a bunch of different perspectives. You get to see the world through the eyes of Rosie’s grieving family, various suspects, local politicians, and each piece becomes a part of the larger case. But it’s the dynamic between Linden and Holder that really drives this. Linden keeps things very controlled and a little obsessive, whereas Holder goes by his gut. And with a murder case that unfolds over the entire first season, I think you’ll be very motivated to watch Season 2 when you’re finished. There are two more after that (four seasons total) and you get a proper finale season with a real wrap-up. If you want a complete murder mystery, “The Killing” is the binge.
The Killing
The Killing is an American crime drama television series based upon the Danish television series Forbrydelsen. Set in Seattle, Washington, the series follows the various murder investigations by homicide detectives Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder.
More thriller TV shows to binge on AMC+
‘Dark Winds’
Dark Winds
This psychological thriller follows two Navajo police officers, Leaphorn and Chee, in the 1970s Southwest as their search for clues in a grisly double murder case forces them to challenge their own spiritual beliefs and come to terms with the trauma of their pasts.
‘Gangs of London’
Gangs of London
When the head of a criminal organisation, Finn Wallace is assassinated, the sudden power vacuum his death creates threatens the fragile peace between the intricate web of gangs operating on the streets of the city. Now it’s up to the grieving, volatile and impulsive Sean Wallace to restore control and find those responsible for killing his father.
‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
After washing ashore in France, Daryl struggles to piece together how he got there and why, as he navigates a fractured, walker-infested landscape to find his way home. During his journey, Daryl has to protect a young boy, Laurent, who is seen as a messiah, while facing new, dangerous walker variants and the “Power of the Living” paramilitary group, as the connections he forms along the way complicate his plan to return home.
‘The Terror’
The Terror
A chilling anthology series featuring stories of people in terrifying situations inspired by true historical events.