If you loved ‘Task,’ here are four crime dramas worth your time
If you loved ‘Task,’ here are four crime dramas worth your time
From small-town detectives to psychological thrillers, these shows scratch that same itch for dark, grounded storytelling.
The Season 1 finale of “Task” drops Sunday, Oct. 19 on HBO Max, and yeah, it’s been one of those shows that just crawls under your skin in the best way. Brad Ingelsby, who also created “Mare of Easttown,” brings that same Philly grit here, this time following Tom Brandis (Mark Ruffalo), an FBI agent heading up a task force targeting stash house robberies run by outlaw biker gangs.
Tom’s not your average fed, though. He’s a former Catholic priest, recently widowed, and totally caught between personal guilt and professional duty. What starts as a straightforward investigation quickly turns into something more tense and psychological, with damaged men on both sides of the law. Once that finale hits, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be itching for another bleak, character-driven crime story. Here are the four I recommend watching next.
Task
In the working-class suburbs of Philadelphia, an FBI agent heads a task force assembled to put an end to a string of violent robberies led by an unsuspecting family man.
Loved ‘Task’? Watch: ‘Mare of Easttown’
If you liked how “Task” mixes blue-collar realism with a messy investigation, you’ve got to check out “Mare of Easttown.” It’s the most natural next watch because it’s created by “Task” writer Brad Ingelsby. Kate Winslet stars as Mare Sheehan, a detective in a small Pennsylvania town investigating the murder of a young woman while quietly falling apart inside. She’s grieving her son’s suicide, going through a divorce, and fighting for custody of her grandson. The show nails that feeling of trying to survive another day while carrying the weight of the world.
The cast is loaded with talent. Winslet, Julianne Nicholson, and Evan Peters all won Emmys, and Jean Smart was nominated for her role as Mare’s sharp, hilarious mom. Peters also delivers one of the best drunk-acting scenes I’ve ever seen on TV. What makes “Mare of Easttown” special is how grounded it feels. The people are flawed, the town feels lived in, and every emotional moment lands. If you’re missing the Philly grit and emotional depth of “Task,” this is the next one to queue up.
Mare of Easttown
A detective in a small Pennsylvania town (Kate Winslet) investigates a local murder while trying to keep her life from falling apart. The stellar cast features Jean Smart, David Denman, and Guy Pearce.
Try out: ‘Black Bird’
“Black Bird” was one of my favorite shows of 2022, and a big reason why is Paul Walter Hauser. You probably know him from “I, Tonya,” but here he’s chilling. He plays Larry Hall, a suspected serial killer who might be hiding more than anyone can prove. Every time he’s on screen, the tension spikes. The show follows Jimmy Keene, played by Taron Egerton, a drug dealer who’s offered a deal: go undercover in a maximum-security prison for the criminally insane and get Larry to confess. If he succeeds, he goes free.
What starts as a survival mission becomes a psychological chess match, and it’s gripping from start to finish. The show’s slow-burning pacing and claustrophobic tone make it unforgettable. Hauser’s quiet menace is terrifying, and Egerton brings a surprising vulnerability to a guy who thought he had everything figured out. Like “Task,” it digs into morality and how far people will go to do the right thing. If you like your crime stories more psychological than action-packed, “Black Bird” hits the mark.
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.
Don’t miss: ‘Lady in the Lake’
“Lady in the Lake” didn’t get nearly as much love as it should have. My wife and I ripped through it in a weekend, and the world it builds is incredible. Set in 1960s Baltimore, it follows two women whose lives collide over a mysterious death. Natalie Portman plays Maddie Schwartz, a housewife who reinvents herself as an investigative journalist, while Moses Ingram plays Cleo Johnson, a single mother trying to survive in a community full of hope and danger.
The story dives into privilege, ambition, and what it costs to chase the truth. It’s moody, stylish, and unpredictable, with a central mystery that keeps you guessing all the way through. The emotional complexity lingers long after it’s over. If “Task” is about men pushed to their limits, “Lady in the Lake” is the flip side, showing how women fight their own battles against power, race, and expectation. It’s a show that deserves way more attention than it got.
Lady in the Lake
When the disappearance of a young girl grips the city of Baltimore on Thanksgiving 1966, the lives of two women, Maddie Schwartz and Cleo Sherwood, converge on a fatal collision course.
Wild card: ‘Unbelievable’
I named “Unbelievable” the best under-the-radar drama on Netflix for a reason. I didn’t know much going in, and maybe that’s why it hit so hard. My wife and I just clicked play one night because we’d heard Kaitlyn Dever was great in it. And yeah, we weren’t ready. The show is based on a true story from a Pulitzer Prize-winning article, and it’s one of the most emotionally raw crime dramas I’ve ever seen. It starts with a young woman reporting her assault, only to be doubted and retraumatized by the people who should have protected her.
Dever’s performance is heartbreaking. She captures that quiet strength of someone trying to hold it together in a world that won’t believe her. Then you’ve got Toni Collette and Merritt Wever as detectives who start connecting the dots on similar cases years later. It’s powerful without ever feeling exploitative, and it finds hope in the moments where truth finally breaks through. “Unbelievable” isn’t easy to watch, but it’s unforgettable, and it proves that justice can hit just as hard in silence as it does in noise.
Unbelievable
After a young woman is accused of lying about a rape, two female detectives investigate a spate of eerily similar attacks.
More to watch after finishing ‘Task’:
‘The Night Of’ | HBO Max
The Night Of
After a night of partying with a female stranger, a man wakes up to find her stabbed to death and is charged with her murder.
‘Under the Bridge’ | Hulu
Under the Bridge
Fourteen-year old Reena Virk went to join friends at a party and never returned home. Through the eyes of Rebecca Godfrey and a local police officer, learn the hidden world of the young girls accused of the murder — revealing startling truths about the unlikely killer.
‘Smoke’ | Apple TV
Smoke
When an arson investigator begrudgingly teams up with a police detective, their race to stop two arsonists ignites a twisted game of secrets and suspicions.
‘Sharp Objects’ | HBO Max
Sharp Objects
Reporter Camille Preaker confronts the psychological demons from her past when she returns to her hometown to investigate the murders of two young girls.