Hooked on “The Beast In Me”? These psychological thrillers will keep your pulse racing

This year has been defined by psychological thrillers for me. It started with the Danish series Secrets We Keep, which I discussed with Serbian actress and lead star Danica Ćurčić, continued with the controversial The Girlfriend, and led all the way to the recent The Beast In Me. I am still replaying the scenes with Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys in my mind. The most watched shows on streaming platforms from Netflix to HBO in 2025 belonged to this very subgenre that distorts reality and builds tension not through action, but through unexpected or misunderstood perspectives and complex mental states. If you are running low on personal plot twists, these series will transport you into someone else’s neighborhood, into idyllic landscapes and interiors filled with a mysterious atmosphere, and among characters who seem one dimensional until you scratch beneath the surface. So if you want to avoid Christmas movies or classic feel good holiday rom coms this season, here are eight psychological thrillers that deserve a place on your must watch list.

Related: I watched the most popular series on Netflix right now, a show that forces us to confront our own demons

The Undoing (2020)

Based on the novel You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz, the HBO series The Undoing follows the wealthy Fraser family. It centers on renowned psychologist Grace Fraser (Nicole Kidman), her husband Jonathan Fraser (Hugh Grant), and their son Henry Fraser (Noah Jupe). Their lives are thrown into chaos when Grace discovers that her husband has disappeared and realizes he is connected to a murder. In this psychological crime drama created by David E. Kelley, the story revolves around a mother’s attempt at redemption as she tries to save her son and herself.

Anatomy of a Scandal (2022)

Anatomy of a Scandal dives into the privileged world of the British elite and exposes a scandal tied to sexual consent and the women affected by it. James Whitehouse (Rupert Friend), a minister in Parliament, and his wife Sophie Whitehouse (Sienna Miller) live what appears to be an idyllic life, with his political future looking bright. Everything spirals when secrets emerge about his affair with Olivia Lytton (Naomi Scott). As he and his family face the fallout, barrister Kate Woodcroft (Michelle Dockery) steps in as the prosecutor. Based on the novel by Sarah Vaughan, this Netflix thriller mirrors The Beast in Me through its exploration of marital strain, hidden truths, and distorted personalities.

The Girl Before (2021)

The HBO Max series The Girl Before follows Jane Cavendish (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who gets the chance to rent an ultra minimalist house designed by Edward Monkford (David Oyelowo), a mysterious architect. The offer comes with one condition. She must follow a strict set of rules. Soon after moving in, she uncovers the story of the previous tenant, Emma Matthews (Jessica Plummer), who lost her life while living in the same house. This discovery pushes Jane into a web of secrets while she struggles to stay grounded. Based on the novel by J. P. Delaney, this British thriller explores themes of fear and obsession in a way that echoes The Beast In Me.

The Girlfriend (2025)

Most mothers want to welcome their son’s new girlfriend with open arms, but that is certainly not the case in The Girlfriend. When wealthy art gallery owner Laura (Robin Wright) meets Cherry (Olivia Cooke), the newest partner of her son Daniel (Laurie Davidson), she immediately senses that something is deeply wrong. Instead of pretending to be polite, Laura makes her feelings unmistakably clear, which drives a wedge between her and Daniel. Within this almost surreal love triangle, every relationship begins to fall apart and every perspective is called into question. Is Laura giving in to paranoia, or is her intuition about Cherry correct? Class differences, the blurry line between ambition and greed, need and desire, and the way emotions warp under pressure all shape the world of The Girlfriend.

The Stranger (2020)

The Netflix series The Stranger presents a gripping story about a family marked by deeply rooted trauma. It follows Adam Price (Richard Armitage), who is approached by a mysterious woman (Hannah John Kamen) claiming to know disturbing truths about his wife Corinne Price (Dervla Kirwan). This shocking revelation leads to Corinne’s disappearance, leaving Adam and their children searching for answers. Based on the novel by Harlan Coben, the series explores the turmoil a family faces as more secrets come to light. Much like The Beast in Me, this British thriller examines the cost of hidden truths within a family, with a missing woman at the heart of both narratives and a shared visual tone.

Fool Me Once (2024)

Fool Me Once follows Maya Stern (Michelle Keegan), a woman trying to protect her daughter after the murder of her husband Joe Burkett (Richard Armitage). This Netflix British thriller, developed by Daniel Brocklehurst, takes an unexpected turn when Maya is confronted with the possibility that her supposedly deceased husband may still be alive. This discovery pulls her into a complex search for the truth as she races against time. Based on the novel by Harlan Coben, the series connects to The Beast in Me through its focus on a missing family member and the secrets that rise to the surface. Both stories delve into themes of obsession and deception and share similar visual sensibilities.

Reservatet (2025)

Reservatet (titled Secret We Keep in English) follows the events unfolding in an affluent neighborhood north of Copenhagen, where the disappearance of a young maid named Ruby shakes the lives of several families. Cecilie (Marie Bach Hansen), a neighbor, refuses to believe that Ruby’s disappearance was an accident. Convinced that something sinister is behind it, she decides to search for the truth on her own. As she begins to investigate, secrets surface that shatter the façade of a perfect life, revealing hidden relationships, power, lies, and privilege. The series exposes class divisions and shows how far people will go to protect their status, while also questioning trust, privilege, and the cost of silence. Much like The Beast in Me, and perhaps even more intensely, it pulls you into a world where nothing is as it seems and every new clue heightens the tension.

Disclaimer (2024)

There is something compelling about writers stepping into the role of detective, as we saw in The Beast In Me. Disclaimer follows Catherine Ravenscroft (Cate Blanchett), a renowned documentary filmmaker who discovers that she is the central figure in a novel that claims to reveal a secret she has tried to hide. The book, written by Stephen Brigstocke (Kevin Kline), the father of a young man who died years earlier while saving Catherine’s son, is his calculated attempt at revenge. Stephen believes she is responsible for his son’s death and uses the novel to expose her secret to her husband Robert (Sacha Baron Cohen) and her son Nicholas (Kodi Smit McPhee). The series is written, directed, and conceived by Alfonso Cuarón and is based on the 2015 novel of the same name by Renée Knight.