Television series

Tell Me a Story

Tell Me a Story darkly reimagines classic fairy tales as psychological thrillers in modern New York. It weaves three concurrent narratives—versions of The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, and Hansel and Gretel—into an interconnected drama about broken people driven to violence by greed, betrayal, and obsession. It's tense, occasionally heavy-handed, aimed at viewers who enjoy twisty ensemble dramas.

TVMaze rating3.1

If you liked this

The Sinner2017

A psychologically complex crime drama where ordinary people commit extraordinary acts. Each season peels back layers of trauma and motive with genuine intelligence, anchored by exceptional performances and real moral weight.

But It can be bleak and claustrophobic for sustained periods. Some plot revelations rely on contrivance rather than character inevitability.

The Sinner poster

Killing Eve2018

A darkly funny cat-and-mouse thriller where a brilliant psychopath and an obsessed MI6 agent stalk each other across Europe. Addictive, stylish, and genuinely unpredictable—the kind of show that makes you stay up too late.

But The fourth season stumbles badly and feels like it's coasting. Some viewers find the constant tonal shifts between horror and comedy grating rather than clever.

Killing Eve poster

The Fall2013

A methodical, character-driven thriller about a serial killer and the detective pursuing him through Belfast. Stella Gibson is one of television's great performances, and the show respects its audience's intelligence about psychology and procedure.

But It moves slowly and deliberately—there's less plot momentum than psychological observation. The third season feels like it's running on fumes.

The Fall poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Tell Me a Story

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Penny Dreadful2014

Both take beloved stories from tradition and recast them as dark psychological explorations of damaged people, using the fairy-tale structure as a skeleton for contemporary anxieties about power and survival.

Like Tell Me a Story but better executed: classic literary characters—Dracula, Frankenstein's creature, Dorian Gray—collide in Victorian London. It's gorgeously gothic, genuinely scary, and finds real pathos in archetypes. A masterwork of adaptation that respects its sources while reinventing them.

But The first season is uneven before finding its footing. Some episodes swing for baroque atmosphere over plot momentum, which will bore viewers who need constant forward motion.

Penny Dreadful poster
More like this (7)

MINDHUNTER2017

Based on real FBI profilers, it follows the men inventing modern criminal psychology in the 1970s. Meticulous, thoughtful, and genuinely fascinating—the procedural details are as gripping as any fabricated tension could be.

But There's no season three and may never be. Even the existing seasons move at an academic pace that some find suffocating rather than immersive.

MINDHUNTER poster

American Crime Story2016

A masterclass in ensemble storytelling about a real trial that fractured America. Every performance is perfectly calibrated, and the writing finds genuine complexity in what could have been a simple narrative.

But It's heavy and grim throughout. If you want catharsis or clear moral lines, you won't find them—intentionally.

American Crime Story poster

Sharp Objects2018

A murder mystery where the real investigation happens in the protagonist's own fractured psyche. Brilliantly constructed, moody, and anchored by Renée Zellweger's vulnerable performance in a role that demands real acting.

But It's a complete limited series—one season only. Some plot elements feel slightly underbaked, and it's more interested in mood than resolution.

Sharp Objects poster

Flesh and Bone2015

A dark psychological drama about a young ballet dancer tangled with exploitation, family trauma, and her own complicity. Visually stunning and genuinely uncomfortable in the best way—it earns its darkness.

But The sexual violence and abuse are depicted unflinchingly. It was cancelled after one season, leaving you wanting more than you'll get.

Flesh and Bone poster

The Haunting of Hill House2018

A supernatural drama that uses ghosts as metaphor for family trauma, grief, and inherited pain. Gorgeously shot, emotionally devastating, and structured as a mystery you'll piece together across ten episodes.

But The scares are effective but occasionally rely on jump cuts. If you're expecting pure horror rather than character tragedy, the balance will feel off.

The Haunting of Hill House poster

Godless2017

A Western miniseries set in a town run by women, built on secrets and moral compromise. It's visually distinctive and genuinely strange in a way that rewards patience—a show that swings for the fences.

But It's only six episodes and ends inconclusively. The pacing stumbles in the middle, and the mythology doesn't always cohere.

Godless poster

Yellowjackets2021

Like Tell Me a Story, it's about ordinary people driven to extraordinary acts by circumstance and psychology, using a fractured narrative structure where you assemble truth from multiple perspectives. Both make you question who's reliable and what really happened.

A miniseries about plane-crash survivors told in parallel timelines—their rescue and its aftermath, years later. It's aggressively weird, genuinely surprising, and structured as a mystery where you don't fully understand the rules until late. Compulsive viewing.

But The mythology feels overcomplicated and sometimes half-baked. Season two loses some momentum, and the show hasn't resolved what it's actually about thematically, which frustrates viewers who want clarity.

Yellowjackets poster

People

Cast

Writing

Production

Recommended by