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Anja Djuricic was born in Belgrade, Serbia, in 1992. Her first interest in film started very early, as she learned to speak English by watching Disney animated movies (and many, many reruns). Anja soon became inspired to learn more foreign languages to understand more movies, so she entered the Japanese language and literature Bachelor Studies at the University of Belgrade.
Anja is also one of the founders of the DJ duo Vazda Garant, specializing in underground electronic music influenced by various electronic genres.
Anja loves to do puzzles in her spare time, pet cats wherever she meets them, and play The Sims. Anja's Letterboxd four includes Memories of Murder, Parasite, Nope, and The Road to El Dorado.
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Everyone can call their favorite crime show a masterpiece—and they'll probably be right. Yet, there are some universally acclaimed shows that both critics and audiences love, which must be considered masterpieces, regardless of trends and opinions. These are shows that have stood the test of time, and find themselves at the very top of the crime genre, unmatched in their greatness and unbothered about being dethroned.
From some classics to newer, more underrated and underseen shows, there's plenty to watch and enjoy. Here are the ten crime shows that can be called masterpieces, ranked by their Rotten Tomatoes scores from "lowest" to highest-rated.
12 'Boardwalk Empire' (2010–2014)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
Image via HBOBoardwalk Empire isn't talked about enough, but it's one of the greatest crime shows of the 21st century. It often falls behind some more obvious choices, like Breaking Bad or The Sopranos, but this period drama about real-life criminals who took over America during Prohibition is a masterpiece in its own lane. It's one of the shows that delves into the history of violence and crime in the US, showing how they made its humble beginnings a lot more volatile and corrupt. With characters like Lucky Luciano, Arnold Rothstein, "Chalky" White, and Al Capone, Boardwalk Empire shows how the progress from the Wild West into industrialization never really rooted out the essential American Dream.
Boardwalk Empire focuses on Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi), an Atlantic City gangster, bootlegger, and hopeful politician, who smuggled alcohol into the city during The Prohibition. The show follows his private life and collaborations with some of history's most notorious criminals, including some fictional characters and amalgamations of several into one. The performances in Boardwalk Empire are bar-none: Buscemi doesn't play around, and guest stars like Bobby Cannavale, Gretchen Mol, and Stephen Graham complete one of HBO's greatest crime dramas of all time.
11 'Homicide: Life on the Street' (1993–1999)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
Image via NBCBehind The Wire is its creator, lauded crime journalist and writer, David Simon. Simon, however, created The Wire—history's greatest crime show—with a former Baltimore detective, Ed Burns. Simon and Burns met while Simon shadowed detectives in Baltimore's Homicide Department for his non-fiction book, Homicide: Life on the Killing Streets. The book was developed into a series starring Yaphet Kotto and Andre Braugher, and the rest is history. Burns' partner, Harry Edgerton, was the basis for Braugher's character, and Braugher won an Emmy for his role in 1998; this was, however, one of the very few accolades for Homicide, which deserved so, so, so much more.
Homicide: Life on the Street is about the detectives of the Homicide Department in Baltimore, and it's truly an ensemble effort. The show follows them solving new cases and how they balance their private lives with the increasing workload and emotional toll of the nature of their jobs. Every episode highlights a different detective working on their case, and while Braugher stands out, Richard Belzer turned out to be the most memorable as John Munch, a character who crossed over into various detective shows over the years. This show is a classic, grim, and meticulous police procedural, but it's worth the time and its 92% RT score.
10 'The Sopranos' (1999–2007)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
Obviously, the best crime drama of all time is The Sopranos, not just because of the relevance it continues to hold in popular culture, but because of its boundary-shattering nature; it was one of the first (next to Oz) shows on network TV to not cross the line, but erase it and move it further in terms of what's allowed to be said, seen, and done in a one-hour drama. The Sopranos' creator, David Chase, introduced the world to characters that feel relatable, but also like people you never want to meet in real life, or have a high chance of knowing yourself—they're all around us, human, flawed, and indulgent in their worst behavior.
The Sopranos follows Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a mafia boss based in New Jersey who must run his crime family, take care of his real family, and deal with frequent panic attacks by visiting a psychiatrist. Balancing a tightrope of duty, self-preservation, and survival, Tony is distant from most people around him, but still present enough to show everyone who's boss. To see a mafioso in therapy was unheard of until then, and the show has such a deeply developed lore that people analyze it to this day. Combined with some dark and often silly humor, The Sopranos is the GOAT of crime shows—yet a 92% on RT.
9 'Fargo' (2014–2024)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
Image via FXNoah Hawley continues to prove he's got an incredible knack for adapting movies and comics into TV shows; starting with Fargo and moving on to Legion and Alien: Earth, it's rare to find a writer/creator with such a strong portfolio. Rumor has it Hawley will be adapting the video game Far Cry for TV, and with a proven track record, he might just do this really well, too. Going back to the show that started it all, Fargo, Hawley took the renowned Coen Brothers' film and turned it into an exceptional anthology series. Fargo has had five seasons so far, and it might be over, but it offers endlessly rewatchable content.
Fargo Season 1 follows the events of the movie somewhat closely, introducing a Minnesota-based insurance seller who meets a charismatic and manipulative serial killer. Further seasons stray a bit from the film inspiration, going back and forth in time, until Season 5, which gives a chilling homage to the movie and the show's beginnings. Each season boasts a different cast, and each ensemble seems to be better than the previous; from Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Hamm to Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons, some of the biggest stars in Hollywood contributed to Fargo being among the greatest crime shows of all time.
8 'Mr InBetween' (2018–2021)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
Image via FXMr InBetween is a wild card on this list, but its 95% RT score (and 98% audience score) reflects its quality better than most words could. Created by Scott Ryan, an Australian writer/director and generally a recluse with a magnificent writing talent, Mr InBetween is one of the most unexpected shows to win you over with its intelligence, wit, charm, humor, and darkness. Ryan also stars as the lead in the series, while all the episodes were directed by Nash Edgerton; the show has three seasons that are truly some of the best television you'll ever see.
Mr InBetween follows Ray Shoesmith (Ryan), a divorced father to a pre-teen girl, whose line of work is best described as a crime enforcer. He's also a hitman and has no problem with killing people who deserve it, and Ray's life is constantly a balance of the trauma that diminishes his empathy and the search for the very same empathy through caring for his family and friends. It's incredible how well Ryan's script embodies the multiple facets of a person in Ray, and how every character surrounding him lives their own life rather than serving a purpose for Ray's development only. Mr InBetween is one of the best-written, funniest, darkest shows that will stay with you for a long time.
7 'The Wire' (2002–2008)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
Image via HBODavid Simon was already mentioned, and he worked with former Baltimore detective Ed Burns on writing and creating The Wire, a show often deemed the GOAT of the crime and police genre. However, while it's effortless to recommend The Wire as a must-watch to someone, it's harder to sit with it because of how serious and literal it can sometimes be, not in a bad way, just in a very real way. The Wire takes a particular ecosystem of crime and justice and weaves a tale as old as time, and it's brilliant because of how much of it still applies, which also makes it tough to chew at times.
The Wire follows various participants in the crime and drug scene in Baltimore—the detectives and state attorney, such as Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West) and Rhonda Pearlman (Deirdre Lovejoy); the dealers, like Stringer Bell (Idris Elba) and Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris); the street criminals, like Omar Little (Michael K. Williams); and the users, like "Bubbles" Cousins (Andre Royo). Each season has different antagonists and an overarching story involving Stringer, Avon, and Omar, depicting the change in dynamics in the criminal scene as time goes on. It's interesting and very immersive, which justifies its high RT score.
6 'Line of Duty' (2012–)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
Image via BBCA staple of British crime TV, Line of Duty is often the blueprint for all newer police procedurals hailing from Great Britain. This crime drama is captivating and breathtaking because of how easy and fast it gets you to invest your entire hour, day, and being into watching it. It's also compelling because of how it delivers outstanding plots and twists, almost as easily as discussing the weather; without too much pomp or circumstance, you'll get to the bottom of things together with the protagonists in the most unexpected and shattering ways. This makes Line of Duty so good, well, this and its incredibly high RT score.
Line of Duty follows the detectives of a London-based fictional Anti Corruption unit, AC-12. Rogue detectives across the London Police can't escape the sharp wit and keen eyes of Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and Steve Arnott (Martin Compston), and their Superintendent, Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar). The show weaves an overarching plot about an elusive inside man called "H," but the reveal felt somewhat underwhelming compared to the show's immense quality. With Line of Duty getting another season sometime soon, maybe creator Jed Mercurio wishes to correct the "H" storyline, or the show is returning because of how loved and captivating it is, and people just can't stop asking for more.
5 'Breaking Bad' (2008–2013)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
Can you imagine Breaking Bad isn't the highest-scored crime masterpiece on Rotten Tomatoes? A lot of the ratings are a total average of individual season scores, and Breaking Bad's average is at 96%, which is still very close to perfection. Vince Gilligan worked with some amazing writers and directors to make the show that good, and the entire Breaking Bad universe is a force to be reckoned with in terms of writing, quality, and world-building. Bryan Cranston as Walter White is the greatest performance of the 2010s, especially as his character arc turns more villainous and ambitious; the show sparked a spin-off, a feature film continuation, a video game, a talk show, and even a Colombian remake.
Breaking Bad is about a high school chemistry teacher, Walter White (Cranston), who, after learning he has cancer, decides to make more money for his family by using his chemistry knowledge to cook methamphetamine. He joins forces with his former student, drug addict Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), starting a toxic mentorship and friendship with him. The better they get, the more Walter aggrandizes himself, making this rise of an unexpected drug kingpin a character drama reaching Shakespearean levels. It's as good as everyone says it is; you just have to get through its first few episodes to get truly immersed.
4 'Mindhunter' (2017–2019)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
Image via NetflixThe idea of Mindhunter potentially getting a Season 3 reignites excitement for the show and its already massive popularity. After years of David Fincher being asked about it, the man has probably had enough, and reportedly, he's down to filming it again. But, we can't celebrate yet—things are still hypothetical. However, the excitement is reasonable for fans, as Mindhunter is truly one of the greatest crime shows of all time. This true crime drama creates tension that could be cut with a knife; a lot of it is based on reality, which makes it even more entertaining and disturbing, though Fincher's touch, including stunning visuals and cinematography, is the biggest contributor to such an atmosphere.
Mindhunter was based on the experiences of FBI agent John E. Douglas, who wrote a book about profiling numerous serial killers throughout the 1970s to establish a killer's profile. Jonathan Groff plays an FBI agent inspired by Douglas named Holden Ford (like two car engines), and he's joined by Holt McCallany as agent Bill Tench; the two travel across the country, interviewing jailed serial killers to get into their mindsets, which helps them create a guidebook for future agents and police. The show doesn't just name-drop some of history's vilest men, but it also shows the emotional and psychological impact on Ford and Tench, weaving together a story about the heaviness of a job such as theirs.
3 'Justified' (2010–2015)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
Image via FXJustified is a rare crime series that has the ability to transport you to its setting. It creates characters that already feel familiar and lived-in, allowing viewers to just jump into Harlan County and stay there until Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) decides it's time to go. Justified is one of the best-written crime shows out there, and it has a distinct network TV feel; it'll transport you not just to Kentucky, but to simpler times, when prestige TV looked like Justified. Its 97% RT score aligns with the impressions of Elmore Leonard, the creator of the novels the show was based on; his consistent praise and approval felt like the finishing touch on an already perfect product.
Justified follows US Marshal Raylan Givens, a Kentucky-born man who loves to dress and live like a cowboy—following justice of the Old West kind, such as standoffs, and having a loose trigger finger that finds "eye-for-an-eye" to be retribution enough. However, the modern world calls out to Raylan, and his supervisors can't always put up with his antics. Justified is, more than anything, iconic for Raylan's rivalry and relationship with local criminal Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins), giving us some of TV's most iconic characters and brilliant arcs.
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