These Apple TV thrillers are impossible to stop watching
These Apple TV thrillers are impossible to stop watching
Apple TV has built one of streaming’s strongest thriller lineups with shows that pull you in for completely different reasons.
A great thriller binge needs some kind of engine that keeps pulling you forward. Maybe it’s a mystery you desperately need solved. Maybe it’s a world so interesting you want to spend more time inside it. Maybe it’s a ticking clock where every episode makes the situation worse. Apple TV doesn’t have the biggest library around, but honestly, that has never really been a problem because the quality is ridiculous. Some of my favorite shows streaming anywhere right now live on Apple TV, and their thriller lineup is a perfect example. So, here are my picks for the best binge-worthy thriller shows streaming on Apple TV right now.
Best binge-worthy thriller shows streaming on Apple TV
Best puzzle-box binge: ‘Severance’
I’m still convinced “Severance” is one of the most original shows streaming anywhere. The idea alone sounds like something you’d pitch as a weird sci-fi experiment: what if you could completely separate your work memories from your personal life? Adam Scott plays Mark Scout, an employee at Lumon Industries who lives one life outside the office and a completely different one inside it. The deeper you get into the world of Lumon, the more questions start piling up. What exactly is this company doing? Why are these employees kept so separate from the outside world? And who is actually in control?
The reason “Severance” is such an incredible binge is that it turns you into part of the mystery. You’re not just watching characters discover secrets. You’re trying to connect the dots right alongside them. Every episode gives you a little more information, but somehow leaves you with even more questions. The cast is a huge part of why it works, too. Adam Scott, Britt Lower, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, and Patricia Arquette all bring something completely different to this strange little world. It’s funny, unsettling, emotional, and one of those rare shows where paying attention actually makes the experience better. It’s considered one of the best shows on TV for a reason.
Severance
Mark leads a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives. When a mysterious colleague appears outside of work, it begins a journey to discover the truth about their jobs.
Best world-building binge: ‘Silo’
Some shows just have a great premise. “Silo” has an entire universe built around one giant question: why are thousands of people living underground, and what are they being protected from? Set inside a massive underground silo where humanity’s survivors have lived for generations, the series follows Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson), an engineer who starts uncovering secrets that could change everything people believe about their world.
What makes “Silo” such a satisfying binge is that the mystery keeps expanding. You’re not just waiting for one answer. Every discovery opens up a bigger piece of the puzzle. The silo itself becomes one of the most interesting parts of the show, with different levels, different communities, and a history that people have been told to forget. Rebecca Ferguson is fantastic because Juliette never feels like a superhero. She’s smart, stubborn, and willing to push forward even when the truth gets dangerous. If you love shows where you can disappear into a fully realized world, this is one of Apple TV’s best.
Silo
In a ruined and toxic future, thousands live in a giant silo deep underground. After its sheriff breaks a cardinal rule and residents die mysteriously, engineer Juliette starts to uncover shocking secrets and the truth about the silo.
Best adrenaline binge: ‘Hijack’
Some thrillers want you to solve a mystery. “Hijack” just wants to put you in the middle of a disaster and see if you can keep up. Idris Elba stars as Sam Nelson, a business negotiator who finds himself trapped on a hijacked flight from Dubai to London. The setup is simple, but that’s exactly why it works. Sam has to rely on his ability to read people, negotiate, and stay calm while everything around him starts falling apart.
The real-time structure is what makes “Hijack” such an easy binge. The story doesn’t reset every episode. The situation keeps moving, the pressure keeps building, and every decision has consequences. Idris Elba carries the whole thing because Sam feels capable without turning into an action superhero. He’s just a smart guy trying to keep people alive in an impossible situation. This is probably the closest Apple TV gets to a straight-up popcorn thriller, and with two can’t-look-away seasons, I’d say they’re doing just fine.
Hijack
Expert negotiator Sam Nelson is in for the ride of his life—and so is everyone on board with him—after a group of hijackers take control. Sam will try every move in his playbook to take them down…as the stakes grow higher by the second.
Best spy binge: ‘Slow Horses’
I know “Slow Horses” is technically a little different from the other shows on this list, but I had to include it. This is the kind of series where the characters are the reason you keep coming back. The show follows a group of disgraced MI5 agents stuck working at Slough House, a department where spies are sent when their careers are basically considered over. Of course, these “losers” keep finding themselves involved in some very serious situations.
The best part of “Slow Horses” is that it takes a familiar spy thriller setup and fills it with people you actually want to spend time with. Gary Oldman is incredible as Jackson Lamb, a disgusting, rude, chain-smoking spy who somehow becomes one of the most entertaining characters on television. The rest of the team brings the heart, humor, and emotional weight that make the show work. With shorter seasons and tightly packed stories, it’s incredibly easy to fly through. You’re not just watching to find out what happens. You’re watching because you genuinely like hanging out with these weird, messy spies.
Slow Horses
Follow a dysfunctional team of MI5 agents—and their obnoxious boss, the notorious Jackson Lamb—as they navigate the espionage world’s smoke and mirrors to defend England from sinister forces.
More binge-worthy thriller TV shows on Apple TV
‘Tehran’
Tehran
Tamar is a Mossad hacker-agent who infiltrates Tehran under a false identity to help destroy Iran’s nuclear reactor. But when her mission fails, Tamar must plan an operation that will place everyone dear to her in jeopardy.
‘Black Bird’
Black Bird
As Jimmy Keene begins a 10-year prison sentence, he gets an incredible offer: If he can elicit a confession from suspected killer Larry Hall, Jimmy will be freed. Completing this mission becomes the challenge of a lifetime.
‘Bad Sisters’
Bad Sisters
The tight-knit Garvey sisters have always looked out for one another. But when the toxic brother-in-law they all wanted dead actually dies, it turns their lives upside down and tests their bond like nothing before.
‘Presumed Innocent’
Presumed Innocent
A horrific murder upends the Chicago Prosecuting Attorney’s Office when one of its own is suspected of the crime—leaving the accused fighting to keep his family together.