7 Shows Like Apple TV+’s ‘Black Bird’

It has been nearly a year since Black Bird premiered on Apple TV+, and we still can’t get the bone-chilling drama series out of our minds.

Starring Taron Egerton, Paul Walter Hauser, Ray Liotta, Sepideh Moafi, and more, the six-episode miniseries is based on Jimmy Keene’s 2010 autobiography, In with the Devil: A Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption, and shares the true story of Keene and his perilous journey to freedom.

In the show, Jimmy Keene (Egerton) is facing a 10-year prison sentence with no chance for parole due to a conspiracy involving both drugs and weapons. While serving his time, the charming criminal receives an offer that he can’t refuse from a detective named Lauren McCauley (Moafi) which would require him to move from a minimum-security holding facility to a maximum-security holding facility to embark on a very dangerous mission. 

Ultimately leading to his release if he succeeds, this risky deal requires Keene to be placed in a cell next to Larry Hill (Hauser), a notorious serial killer with a very dark past. Keene’s mission? He must attempt to persuade Hill to confess to his crimes and reveal where the dead bodies of his victims have been buried (figuratively or otherwise).

If you are anything like us and can’t get enough of Black Bird, we’ve got you covered! We compiled a list of seven shows perfect for our fellow drama lovers that will help fill the Black Bird-sized hole in your soul.

1. ‘Mindhunter’

   Like Black Bird, Mindhunter is a true crime series that highlights some of the most infamous serial killers and rapists of all time, making for a one-of-a-kind thriller that will captivate viewers within the first ten minutes.

   Based on John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker’s 1995 book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit, the eerie show revolves around two FBI agents, Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany), as well as a psychologist, Wendy Carr (Anna Torv), who make up the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Throughout this series, the star-studded trio launches a research project to interview serial killers and rapists in an attempt to understand their motivations.

   Mindhunter and Black Bird both share the common theme of analyzing the minds of some of the world’s worst criminals. That said, Black Bird has a greater emphasis on the brutal and gory details of Hill’s murders, while Mindhunter focuses more on the “why” behind the actions of the serial killers featured throughout the series. 

   Including numerous haunting conversations, Mindhunter is sure to leave you feeling uneasy, highlighting each and every horrific detail of all of the characters in a cinematic masterpiece.

   WHERE TO WATCH MINDHUNTER

2. ‘Hannibal’

   Hannibal is a horrifying series that tells the story of an FBI profiler, Will Graham (Hugh Dancy), who is recruited by the head of Behavioral Sciences of the FBI, Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne), to track down a dangerous serial killer in Minnesota. With the investigation taking a toll on Graham’s mental health, Crawford hires a forensic psychiatrist to help him out, Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen), who doubles as an undercover serial killer and cannibal. Manipulating the FBI from within, Lecter attempts to turn Graham into a murderer in an immersive series that you need to experience for yourself. 

   Sharing the serial killer theme, Graham and Lecter have a very similar relationship in Hannibal as Keene and Hill do in Black Bird. And having been praised as one of the best horror television series ever by both critics and viewers, Hannibal is a must-see series for anyone who loves a good psychological thriller.

   WHERE TO WATCH HANNIBAL

3. ‘The Following’

   The Following is a must-see crime show centered around a retired FBI agent, Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon), and his journey to recapture a serial killer who had escaped from prison, Joe Carroll (James Purefoy). Hardy quickly learns that while serving his time in jail, Carroll trained 14 other inmates to commit crimes for him after his prison break, ultimately developing a cult of killers that appears to be unstoppable.

   Even though their individual storylines may vary, The Following and Black Bird are alike in the sense that they each deal with the theme of serial killers versus law enforcement. While Ryan Hardy seeks justice in Joe Carroll’s case, Lauren McCauley seeks justice in Larry Hill’s case.

   If you love the thrill of law enforcement trying to stop a seasoned criminal, then we can guarantee you will be on the edge of your seat throughout the entirety of The Following. 

   WHERE TO WATCH THE FOLLOWING

4. ‘Unbelievable’

   While Black Bird is primarily focused on its strong male leads, Unbelievable is conveyed from the perspective of women.

   Featuring stellar performances from Toni Collette, Merritt Wever, Kaitlyn Dever and more, the eight-episode miniseries tells the story of Marie Adler (Kaitlyn Dever) and her experience being raped by a masked intruder inside her own home. In this disturbing show, we see both the press and cops accuse Adler of fabricating her story, causing her to question whether or not she should continue fighting for justice, or if she should simply rescind her allegations. When her case is eventually closed, a social media rampage garners the attention of two female detectives, Grace Rasmussen (Toni Collette) and Karen Duvall (Merrit Wever), who decide to take matters into their own hands.

   Based on T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong’s 2015 news piece, An Unbelievable Story of Rape, and their 2018 book, A False Report, the true crime series highlights a three-year string of rapes that occurred throughout both Washington and Colorado, with an emphasis on female empowerment. Unbelievable highlights the prejudice women often face regarding sexual assault cases.

   Even though Black Bird and Unbelievable have their differences from one another, both of the miniseries share devastating stories that will leave you feeling uneasy after each and every episode. 

   WHERE TO WATCH UNBELIEVABLE

5. ‘The Fall’

   The Fall is an unsettling drama series centered around the battle for justice between Paul Spector (Jamie Dornan), a sexually-motivated serial killer operating out of Belfast, and Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson), a detective who is called in to put an end to his killing spree. While Spector is a fictional character, his string of murders mimics those of the infamous serial killer Dennis Rader, who murdered 10 people between 1974 and 1991 throughout Kansas.

   In the show, we see a very interesting relationship between Gibson and Spector, with some fans even speculating that Stella Gibson was secretly in love with Paul Spector, a theory that you may pick up on yourself by watching the series from start to finish.

   WHERE TO WATCH THE FALL

6. ‘Marcella’

   Marcella is a British crime series that follows the life of Marcella Backland (Anna Freil), a former detective who returns to work after her husband of 15 years, Jason Backland (Nicholas Pinnock), abruptly abandons her. Using leads from suspects and victims, Marcella quickly jumps on an open case from over a decade prior, determined to find a serial killer from 2005 who appears to have resurfaced.

   Over the course of the series, we witness Marcella Backland extracting information from other criminals to help her with a case of her own, which directly parallels the plot of Black Bird.

   If watching a strong female detective fight for justice is something that piques your interest, then this show from across the pond might be right up your alley.

   WHERE TO WATCH MARCELLA

7. ‘Oz’

   Set in Oswald State Correctional Facility, a maximum-security men’s prison nicknamed “Oz,” this series follows a group of inmates who participate in a social experiment, where the unit manager, Tim McManus (Terry Kinney), hopes to rehabilitate criminals rather than punish them. As a part of this social experiment, the criminals are divided into a few controversial groups, causing tensions to rise and leading to violence within the prison.

   Both Oz and Black Bird take place in a maximum-security prison, where only the very worst criminals are held, with each series depicting horrifying characters that are truly as villainous as they come. For those who appreciate the prison-centered plot of Black Bird, Oz is truly a classic that you need to check out for yourself.

   WHERE TO WATCH OZ

Born and raised in Orange County, California, Melanie Rooten is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. Melanie has a true passion for all things pop culture, and she tends to spend her free time going to concerts and music festivals, binging her favorite TV shows, spending time with her friends and family and cheering on the Oklahoma Sooners (of course). You can connect with her on Twitter (@MelanieRooten) to see all of her recent articles.