10 Best TV Shows Like ‘Smoke'

The Review Geek

14-07-2025

Fiery Thrillers For You
Smoke is a gritty crime drama set deep in the Pacific Northwest. Dave Gudsen is an arson investigator with a haunted past and a flair for storytelling. He's working on a novel, but it's the fires that won't leave him alone.
Alongside no-nonsense detective Michelle Calderone, the pair wind up investigating two serial arsonists. As the pair dig deeper, personal baggage starts to surface.
If you've finished watching this and are looking for alternate series, fret not! We've combed through the archives and saved you the hassle of having to try and find something similar with our top 10 picks for alternate viewing.
To keep things simple for skim-readers we've added what similarities these have.
Of course for all the shows we've reviewed, we've also added a handy link so you can check out our full thoughts on that series and see if it's something you want to invest your time with.
So without further ado, we present 10 TV shows that should whet the appetite when you've finished streaming Smoke on Apple TV+!
Burning Body
Similarities – Investigation & Crime
Set against the backdrop of Barcelona, Burning Body is a sultry, slow-burning crime drama based on real events. The show opens with a charred corpse found in a torched car, and from there unspools a tangled web of obsession, betrayal, and psychological control.
At the heart of the mystery is Rosa, a complex police officer whose relationships with her colleagues — including the victim — blur the lines between professional and personal. As investigators dig deeper, the story becomes less about who committed the crime and more about why, peeling back layers of manipulation, power dynamics, and hidden motives.
Stylish, moody, and laced with tension, Burning Body works well as a study of toxic desire and control — a show that lingers long after the final spark fades.
Mr. Mercedes
Similarities – Cat & Mouse Chase
Based on Stephen King's trilogy sporting the same name, Mr. Mercedes is a gripping, slow-burn thriller that explores obsession, guilt, and the long shadow cast by unresolved crimes. The story follows retired detective Bill Hodges, who is forced back into the field again when the perpetrator of a mass murder—a man who drive a stolen Mercedes into a crowd of people —begins taunting him through his computer.
Unlike typical King adaptations, Mr. Mercedes is more grounded and procedural in nature. This is very much a character-driven story, anchored by Brendan Gleeson's phenomenal performance as the jaded yet determined Hodges. Opposite him is Harry Treadaway's Brady Hartsfield, a chillingly believable sociopath whose mind games drive the narrative tension.
What makes Mr. Mercedes stand out is its dual narrative. It's not just a psychological crime drama but also a tragic character study. While the later seasons do dive deeper into the supernatural elements, the first season in particular delves into themes of depression and revenge with a deft hand.
This is a dark, introspective, and emotionally resonant series – exactly what you'd want in a high-stakes crime series.
You can read our thoughts on Mr Mercedes in our full season review here!
Mindhunter
Similarities – Dark Drama & Psychological Thriller
Smartly written, brilliantly acted and technically sound, Mindhunter is a rare breed of TV show and an absolute must-watch.
The concept here is simple. Set in the late 1970s, Mindhunter offers a cerebral deep dive into the formation of the FBI's Behavioural Science Unit, chronicling how early profilers began studying the minds of serial killers to catch them more efficiently.
The two agents are that of Holden Ford and Bill Tench, who work together to conduct unsettling interviews with real-life killers while trying to apply psychological insights to ongoing investigations.
Instead of flashy violence or over-the-top dramatics, Mindhunter instead leans into uncomfortable silences, eerie tension, and unveiling the true faces of evil. The performances are absolutely stellar, with Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany portraying the professional and emotional strain of confronting human darkness head-on.
Director David Fincher's signature style is all over this too, making it a must-watch for fans of intelligent, character-driven crime drama.
You can read our thoughts on Mindhunter in our full season review here!
Mare of Easttown
Similarities – Small Town Mystery
Set in a tightly-knit Pennsylvania town, Mare of Easttown blends investigative crime drama with a deeper character study. At the center of this is Kate Winslet, who delivers a career-best performance as Mare Sheehan, a weary detective investigating a local girl's murder while grappling with her own personal traumas and community pressure.
What makes Mare stand out isn't just its central mystery, but instead the lived-in realism of its setting and characters. Every person in Easttown feels three-dimensional, from the grieving mother to Mare's own troubled family. The show captures the emotional burden of small-town life here in such a raw and intimate way. Everyone knows each other—and everyone has secrets.
Beautifully acted, subtly directed, and rich with emotional complexity, Mare of Easttown is a show about grief, resilience, and how people navigate the messiness of real life, all whilst delivering a moreish whodunit.
You can read our thoughts on Mare Of Easttown in our episode recaps here!
Broadchurch
Similarities – Mystery & Crime Drama
Set in a quiet coastal town rocked by the sudden and shocking death of a young boy, Broadchurch is a gut-wrenching, slow-burn mystery that focuses as much on community grief and trust as it does on solving the central case.
At the heart of this is DI Alec Hardy and DS Ellie Miller, a mismatched pair of detectives forced to work together to track down the killer. David Tennant and Olivia Colman are phenomenal in their roles, and their performances carry an emotional weight that lingers well beyond the finale.
Across three seasons, the story moves from murder mystery to courtroom drama, exploring the deeper toll of trauma and justice, all whilst retaining its grounded, character-first focus. Broadchurch is an essential watch for anyone who values character over spectacle.
You can read our thoughts on Broadchurch in our full season reviews here!
The Outsider
Similarities – Mystery & Possessions
Stephen King adaptations can be hit or miss, but The Outsider lands firmly in the former category. This is a chilling, slow-burn thriller that grips from the very first episode. While not without its flaws, the show weaves a compelling mystery that blends grounded detective work with creeping supernatural horror.
The story begins with an unthinkable crime and a suspect who seems both unquestionably guilty and impossibly innocent. As the investigation unfolds, logic begins to unravel, and a deeper, more unsettling force seems to be at play. What truly sets The Outsider apart is its richly drawn characters and the bleak, choking atmosphere clinging to this one.
If you're in the mood for a cerebral thriller with just a whisper of the otherworldly, this one delivers that in spades.
You can read our full season review for The Outsider here!
Under The Banner Of Heaven
Similarities – Small Town Mystery
Under the Banner of Heaven is a haunting true-crime drama that blends fact with fiction, exposing the dark undercurrents of religious extremism in a quiet Mormon town.
Set in Utah, the series follows Detective Jeb Pyre, a devout member of the LDS Church whose world begins to unravel after the brutal murder of Brenda Wright Lafferty and her baby daughter. As Pyre investigates alongside his partner Bill Taba, he uncovers a chilling network of fanaticism, patriarchy, and control that forces him to question everything he believes.
Gripping, atmospheric, and deeply unsettling, Under the Banner of Heaven doesn't shy away from confronting the institutional and cultural forces that allowed such violence to flourish.
Beyond Evil
Similarities – Haunted Protagonist
This psychological thriller expertly blurs the line between good and evil, delivering an excellent example of how to take a simple concept and absolutely run with it.
Set in a quiet town rocked by a series of gruesome murders, the story centers on two detectives—Lee Dong-sik, a formerly disgraced officer who's haunted by the death of his sister Yu-yeon 20 years prior.
His counterpart is Han Joo-won, a young, ambitious investigator who suspects Dong-Sik killed Yu-yeon and sets to work piecing together evidence to incriminate him.
As they dig into the past together, he soon comes to learn that those at Manyang substation are a tight-knit family and watch out for one another – no matter what.
The pacing is deliberate but never dull, peeling back layers of trauma, guilt, and mistrust with every episode. Each character is morally grey, which gives the narrative an edge of unpredictability and emotional complexity. The chemistry between the leads is absolutely electric, and their evolving dynamic becomes just as gripping as the mystery itself.
You can read our thoughts on Beyond Evil in our full season review here!
Sharp Objects
Similarities – Mystery & Characters
Psychologically charged and gorgeously crafted, Sharp Objects is as emotionally unsettling as it is technically masterful. From its meticulous editing to haunting sound design, every detail is finely tuned to draw viewers into a gripping, slow-burn mystery.
The story follows Camille Preaker, a troubled reporter reluctantly sent back to her hometown of Wind Gap to cover the brutal murder of a young girl. Battling her own inner demons and childhood trauma, Camille finds herself increasingly isolated from the adults in town — and disturbingly drawn toward the girls who may be the killer's next targets.
What sets Sharp Objects apart is its commitment to character. This is a show less about solving a crime and more about excavating buried pain. It's a must-watch for fans of dark, emotionally layered mysteries that linger long after the credits roll.
You can read our thoughts on Sharp Objects in our full season review here!
Chimera
Similarities – Crime & Characters
Set across dual timelines, Chimera is a dark, atmospheric thriller that blends investigative crime drama with a haunting sense of psychological unease. At the heart of the series is a decades-old serial murder case known as the Chimera case. With the killer using explosives to kill, a new string of murders reawaken in the present day pointing to a killer once thought buried in the past.
The central characters — including a profiler haunted by the past, a determined detective, and a surgeon with secrets of his own — are all shaped by a fire they can't seem to outrun.
Stylishly shot and methodically paced, Chimera is less about jump scares and more about slow-burning tension. It's a show that simmers with dread, pulling you deeper into a world where science, revenge, and memory blur together in unsettling ways. If you're after an exciting, thrilling K-drama, this one should whet the appetite.
So there we have it, our 10 TV show picks to check out when you're finished with Smoke on Apple TV+!
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!