Hostage is a classic Netflix limited series. Full of tensions, twists, and turns, with some explosive (literally) moments to keep you attempting to figure it all out.
My only gripe is that it ended too soon, and as a limited series, there won’t be a follow-up. The clue is, of course, in the name.
So, if you’re like me, you’ll want to know exactly what to watch once you finish enjoying Hostage. Thankfully, there are heaps of British thrillers to keep you watching for weeks—and on the edge of your seat.
5
Line of Duty
Watch Line of Duty on HBO Max
The BBC’s biggest modern thriller, Line of Duty, is built on one simple question: who can you really trust?
Following the work of AC-12, the anti-corruption unit, every season dives into a new case of police misconduct, except nothing is ever straightforward. The series is famous for shocking reveals, interrogation scenes that feel like high-stakes chess matches, and cliffhangers that keep viewers glued.
Across six seasons, Line of Duty mastered the art of long-term mystery and explosive payoff, making it the gold standard for British thrillers. However, I’ll throw in one caveat to this series: it also made my most disappointing TV show endings list, too.
But even with that sobering point, there is some good news about Line of Duty. Series 7 is due to hit screens in 2026, and could finally resolve who the mysterious “H” is (because we all know the person revealed in Series 6 is just not the one!).
4
Missing You
Watch Missing You on Netflix
I’m fairly certain I’ve watched every one of Netflix’s dramatizations of Harlan Coben’s thrillers. Missing You is the latest addition to the long-running series, and it’s definitely up there with the best.
Detective Kat Donovan’s (Rosalind Eleazar) life is thrown upside down when she spots her long-lost fiancé on a dating app—the same man who vanished more than a decade earlier. That discovery rips open old wounds, including the unsolved murder of her father, and drags her into a conspiracy that blurs the line between past and present.
Like all of Coben’s dramatizations, Missing You blends emotional rawness and depth with twists, suspense, and considerable intrigue. There are multiple layers to unpack here, and as soon as one is revealed, more arrive to darken the waters again.
With only five fast-paced episodes, it’s a binge you can knock out in a weekend, but the story lingers thanks to its mix of heartbreak, betrayal, and Coben’s trademark “just one more episode” cliffhangers.
3
Luther
Watch Luther on Hulu
Luther is a proper British police thriller, with some really dark and violent moments to keep you pulled in.
Idris Elba’s portrayal of DCI John Luther is unforgettable. A brilliant detective with a mind for catching killers, but a soul weighed down by obsession and rage. Across its five seasons, the series explores what happens when a detective blurs the line between justice and vengeance, often breaking rules in pursuit of criminals who are as intelligent as they are terrifying.
And then there is the sociopathic presence of Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson), a constant in the show who becomes both Luther’s nemesis and his confidant. Their wild, twisting relationship adds a whole extra level to what’s already a deeply engrossing, “just one more episode” crime show.
If you love Luther and want more, you should check out Luther: The Fallen Sun on Netflix. It features Elba as Luther once again, with some seriously dark, morally ambiguous moments. I’d love another Luther series, or at the very least, another film. In 2024, Screen Rant reported that Elba thought there was a good chance of another film, and that’s something I’ll have to cling to.
2
Vigil
Watch Vigil on Peacock
Vigil takes the classic police thriller format and places it in one of the most claustrophobic settings imaginable: a nuclear submarine. When a sailor’s mysterious death puts DCI Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) on board to investigate, she finds herself navigating not just a crime scene but also military secrecy, Cold War politics, and the ever-present danger of being trapped underwater.
It felt dark and dingy, constantly cold, and like every turn is a new trap, waiting to happen. It evokes a strong sense of atmosphere that strongly contributes to Vigil’s suspense, which only builds. As Silva digs deeper, she uncovers a conspiracy that reaches far beyond the submarine, connecting to national security and political interests back on land, ending in a dramatic tying of tales to give you some closure.
But then, Vigil returned with a second series, this time focusing on the Royal Air Force rather than the Royal Navy. It can be difficult for a series to keep the same pacing and style and maintain its intrigue, but Vigil pulls it off well. What I like is that some of the headline moments from Vigil feel like they could come straight from the front page of a newspaper on a given day, giving the show some real modern relevance in this complicated world.
1
Dept. Q
Watch Dept. Q on Netflix
The newest British thriller on the list is Dept. Q, an adaptation of a series of Danish novels written by Jussi Adler-Olsen.
Set in Edinburgh (instead of Copenhagen), it introduces us to DCI Carl Mørck (Matthew Goode), a detective reeling from a traumatic shooting that left one colleague dead and another paralyzed. As a form of damage control, he’s assigned to Department Q, a newly formed unit tasked with solving long-cold cases. What begins as a desk job quickly spirals into something much darker as Carl discovers that some of these forgotten cases are very much alive.
The British public loves a Scandi-noir crossover, and Dept. Q duly delivers, melding the dark storytelling with the pacing and style of a classic British thriller. Mørck is a complex character, haunted and abrasive, but unwilling to let victims be forgotten (in this, he reminds me a little of Bosch in some ways). He’s paired with Akram Salim (Alexej Manvelov), a newcomer who brings both cultural clashes and fresh energy to the department.
With its mix of personal trauma, unsolved mysteries, and conspiracies that refuse to stay buried, Dept. Q feels like the perfect next step after Hostage. It’s dark, layered, and addictive, with enough twists to keep even seasoned thriller fans on edge—and with a second season already confirmed, it’s only getting started.
British thrillers will keep you wanting more
I’m obviously biased, being from England, but British thrillers are some of the best TV you can watch. The balance of grit, tension, and intelligence makes it some of the best TV in the world, and with suspense built through character, dialogue, and a sense of realism, every twist hits harder.
Of course, there are plenty more British thrillers that could have (and maybe should have!) made this list. Bodyguard is one of the best in recent years, and really sets the standards high, while Marcella takes it a different direction with an unpredictable lead detective.
Then there are each of Netflix’s dramatizations of Harlan Coben’s books, which now stands at 11 and counting. It’s hard enough pinning down the best of those, let alone among other thrilling TV shows.
That’s the beauty of British thrillers: there’s always another gem waiting to be discovered—and whichever one you choose next, you’re in for a ride.
