10 TV shows about surreal crimes that border on the absurd

Crime Dramas typically do everything they can to distract the audience from the mystery of the story, and sometimes supernatural or surreal elements come into play because of this. Making the audience question what is real and what is imagined is a great way to build unreliable narrators and a sense of dread throughout the episodes. Sometimes these aspects of the plot can get so strange that the series becomes almost absurd. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing as it sets the program apart from the competition. There’s no shortage of supernatural series and crime dramas out there.

There are many underrated recent detective TV shows that use these elements to make their stories unforgettable, as a surreal tone sets a thriller series apart. TV is flooded with true crime dramas and documentaries that terrify audiences through realism. However, Using surrealism to communicate the horrors people are capable of can be just as effective, if not more. There’s something uniquely terrifying and compelling about exploring the unknown and using metaphors to create another layer of the crime genre. These TV shows prove that there are many paths to crafting an iconic series.

10

True Detective (2014)

Time and reality are bent to create intriguing crime and character studies

It is undeniable that True Detective Season 1 is the best installment of the series and features some of the best uses of surrealism. However, each season has something to offer in this regard, such as The essential themes of the series center on philosophical and ethical issues of investigating crimes and how personal issues cloud the character’s judgment. Additionally, the criminals the characters chase often experience the world through a distinctly supernatural lens.

In the first season, Matthew McConaughey’s Rust is the character who is most in touch with the supernatural and with the exploration of what exists beyond the physical plane. The dichotomy between Rust and Marty (Woody Harrelson) exposes the need for intuition and concrete detective work, as the pair works better together, even if they are irritated by the other’s investigative style. True Detective requires its characters to enter the minds of criminals and play with the narrative through intersecting timelines.

9

Hap and Leonard (2016–2018)

This period crime drama explores mysterious territory through two unlikely friends

James Purefoy and Michael Kenneth Williams lead Hap and Leonard like the unexpected pair who turn out to be the perfect partner. Mad Men Christina Hendricks joins the actors in season one as she leads her friends through a den of treasure and intrigue. Based on the novels by Joe R. Lansdale Hap and Leonard present the two protagonists as complete opposites, but this ends up being the perfect catalyst for an incredible crime-fighting duo that is one of the best detective duos on TV crime shows.

Hap and Leonard isn’t afraid to poke fun at the tropes and pitfalls of the detective genre and plays with the 1980s setting to make fun visual and aesthetic choices. While the series isn’t afraid to get serious and show moments of violence, there’s an undeniable sense of humor at the heart of the story that influences some of the unbelievable turns of events. Like the great film noirs the TV show speaks to, Hap and Leonard tells a twisted story each season and leaves the audience guessing.

8

Top of the Lake (2013–2017)

Elisabeth Moss leads this powerful and emotional drama

Jane Campion is one of the writers and creator of Top of the Lake, which stars Elisabeth Moss as the central investigator of the show’s dark and tragic occurrences. Moss’ character, Robin Griffin, is pulled back into an investigation in her New Zealand hometown and is haunted by the traumas of her past. This clouds her judgment, but it also gives her special insight into the case, as she feels a special empathy and drive to uncover the truth on behalf of the people she can help.

Although Top of the Lake the second season was not as acclaimed as the first, It’s still a strong sequel and explores how Robin can move on and continue being a detective after the first season’s horrible ending. Part of the reason the first season was so powerful was the way Robin’s psyche was explored. The surreal atmosphere that permeated each scene of the series immersed the audience in the dynamics of the city. Every scene in Top of the Lake works to develop the overarching mystery of the past and present.

7

Twin Peaks (1990–1991)

David Lynch’s crime drama is the definitive work of his career

Twin Peaks has often been referred to as David Lynch’s masterpiece, as the writer-director is defined by his surreal style and use of the supernatural to communicate his deeper themes and messages. Kyle MacLachlan stars as Agent Dale Cooper, who arrives in the town of Twin Peaks following the murder of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee). This investigation drives the first two seasons of Twin Peaksas Cooper delves deeper into the town’s web of lies and secrets and realizes there is something even more sinister behind Laura’s death.

Every aspect of Twin Peaks works to create the absurd atmosphere of the series. The over-the-top, stilted interactions between the town’s residents are strange enough in their own right, and this element is elevated by the story being punctuated by scenes in the Red Room and other intense dream sequences. Twin Peaks was unlike any other crime drama on TV at the time and was highly influential in the way thriller series infuse supernatural aspects into their plots today.

6

Aníbal (2013-2015)

One of the best adaptations of the story of the iconic serial killer

Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen became known as two of the best actors to play the roles of FBI agent Will Graham and notorious serial killer Hannibal Lecter. The series plays with Will’s ability to enter the mind of a killer and uses chilling visuals to represent how he leaves his body and inhabits the desires of a killer. In the series, Hannibal believes this means Will has the potential to be a killer and uses his position as Will’s therapist in the first season to manipulate him into killing.

Unfortunately, Hannibal is a canceled TV show that ended on a cliffhanger, leaving audiences forever wondering what the future could have held for Will and Hannibal. As the show progressed, it seamlessly evolved from a more episodic crime procedural into a true character study of the two intertwined men. The line between right and wrong and Will’s torn loyalties and desires heighten the tension and uncertainty of what is real.

5

Fringe (2008–2013)

The impossible is very real in this sci-fi crime drama

However Fringe made comparisons with The X-Files upon its initial release, the series soon stood out as its own entity, as it dealt more directly with science fiction and the supernatural. In Fringeunexpected and seemingly impossible events become reality, as the character’s branch of the FBI is tasked with investigating strange occurrences. The existence of unlikely technology that causes bizarre situations is a recurring theme in Fringewhich caused many viewers to consider the program almost absurd.

Over the years, Fringe increased in acclaim and notoriety as he became less concerned with following the traditional procedural formula. Season 5 went so far as to incorporate a time jump and force its central characters to navigate the future. It turns out that fully embracing the unusual and surreal is the best thing that could have happened Fringeas the series rose to prominence when it stopped trying to be a typical thriller drama.

4

Mindhunter (2017–2019)

Netflix’s psychological crime show is one of the streamer’s best series

David Fincher’s crime TV show Mindhunter dramatizes the development of behavioral analysis of criminals within the FBI and explores how this affected the people who worked on the project. Jonathan Groff’s character, Holden, is particularly impacted and fascinated by his interviews with some of the most notorious serial killers of the time. This makes him struggle with his grip on reality, and the series makes him start to question his abilities to solve these heinous crimes and maintain some semblance of a normal life.

Many audience members still hold out hope that Mindhunter could return for season three, but everything Fincher has stated about the series makes that unlikely. However, both seasons of the series received praise from critics and audiences by how well the viewer is immersed in the minds and logic of the most bloodthirsty criminals. Through the visual style and the many intense interviews the show employs, it can be difficult for the characters and the audience to remember where the line is.

3

Dollhouse (2009–2010)

This short-lived series combined science fiction and crime to incredible results

Eliza Dushku stars Dollhouse as Echo, one of the people who is given different personalities and given assignments for wealthy clients through an underground organization. Because the series was cut short, the show’s finale abruptly ends the overarching plot of Dollhouse, But that doesn’t change how exciting the road to get there is. Watching how the company abuses its power over the people under its control and the race to stop the spread of technology explores many ethical questions.

However Dollhouse takes on an episodic format, the show incorporates its overarching issues into the new personalities that Echo and the other “dolls” are programmed with each episode. The criminal element is developed through the FBI agent who investigates the company and Echo, which he believes is being controlled. Part of the reason Dollhouse received mixed reviews was because of how complex the series was and how science fiction and surrealism were incorporated to make the premise believable.

2

The Observer (2022)

This true crime series isn’t afraid to step into the unknown

Ryan Murphy series The Observer is loosely based on real events, but the show takes a lot of liberties with the source material. After a family moves into what they believe to be their dream home, they are tormented by ominous letters from an anonymous source, and each of them is left unraveled by events. Throughout the season, it is unclear who the Watcher, the person behind the letters, is, but the family and the public begin to suspect everyone they come into contact with.

Although it seemed The Observer was on its way to having a second season, The Observer 2nd season It doesn’t look like that’s going to happen anytime soon. However, there is enough drama, intrigue and unlikely situations in the first part to satisfy any viewer. The many twists and turns that The Observer employs to keep the audience guessing are sometimes so strange that they are impossible to believe. However, The Observer it’s enjoyable when the viewer suspends their disbelief.

1

Yellowjackets (2021 – Present)

Each season of Yellowjackets has seen an increase in the supernatural

The double deadlines for Yellow Jackets inherently lend themselves to a surrealist tone, and the second season upped the ante on the supernatural elements as the women search for answers about their past in the woods. As more is revealed about what the girls had to do to survive the many months they were trapped, it becomes clear that there is something going on behind the scenes. Whether this is real or imaginary has yet to be determined, but the strange visuals and hallucinations the series uses raise more questions than they answer.

It will be interesting to see how Yellow Jackets the third season will continue to weave in the crime and investigative elements of the story as the women delve deeper into the mystery of the forest. Two characters who are more in tune with the absurd and the supernatural in Yellow Jackets they are Taissa and Lottie, who have otherworldly visions and experiences that they hug or try to hide. Their connection to the forest could be a central theme of the next season.