Did you hear that? It’s the sound of Ryan Murphy coming through with another freaking television series.
On a real note, Ryan Murphy has become a staple in television and has produced some of the most popular shows, from Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story on Netflix to American Horror Story. The man is quite good at telling scary stories – which is what makes The Watcher such a...watchable show on Netflix. The series is based on the real-life events of a married couple who are suddenly harassed by letters that are sent to them from someone known as “The Watcher,” hence the name.
The series is a mystery thriller with true crime and plenty of dark humor to go along with it, which makes it a great show. But with there only being seven episodes, a viewer can get through that quite quickly. However, there are lots of other great options out there for you to watch. Here are nine other shows like The Watcher you’ll enjoy.
Under The Banner Of Heaven (Hulu)
In this Hulu original starring Andrew Garfield, Under the Banner of Heaven is a miniseries that tells the real story of the 1984 murder of Brenda Wright Lafferty and her daughter, and the events that lead up to it, showing that there is actually a connection to Mormonism.
I loved the heck out of this miniseries. For fans of The Watcher, it has plenty of that true crime aspect where the whole series is sort of a mystery as you’re trying to understand exactly what happened, but what really makes this series so good is the acting. Hands down, Andrew Garfield is at his best here and he gives it one hundred percent, but an actress I have to point out is Daisy Edgar-Jones, who shines as Brenda.
Stream Under the Banner of Heaven on Hulu.
The Act (Hulu)
Another Hulu miniseries we need to take a look at is The Act. Based on real-life events and starring Joey King and Patricia Arquette, The Act tells the tale of Gypsy Blanchard and how she was abused by her mother and tricked into thinking she had a disease for several years of her life, until she and her then online-boyfriend decide to kill her mother.
The Act is another great show that is based on true events, just like The Watcher. While this drama is a bit darker in tone, the story is truly captivating and one of the best true crime miniseries that the streaming platform has to offer. I was waiting at my computer every week for a new episode when this came out and would do it all over again.
True Detective (HBO Max)
If you’re looking for a great anthology series, be sure to check out True Detective. This HBO original series follows different mysteries each season with a completely new cast, following the wildest plotlines you could believe, from murders of politicians to missing children.
True Detective isn’t based on any real-life crimes like The Watcher – thankfully, to be honest, because some of the crimes featured in the show are crazy – but that doesn’t mean it’s not a great show and features mysteries that will have you on the edge of your seat trying to connect the dots. There’s even a Season 4 coming out that’s already added so many stars to its cast, so now is the time to watch the first three installments.
Stream True Detective on HBO Max.
Kevin Can F**k Himself (AMC)
If you are looking for additional series without a true crime element to it, check out Kevin Can F**K Himself. This black comedy stars Schitt’s Creek cast member Annie Murphy in the lead role, where she lives two lives – one that looks exactly like a normal sitcom where she’s the perfect wife to her husband, Kevin, and the other that looks like a TV drama, showing the secrets behind her marriage, and the struggles she faces.
While the premise sounds a bit strange, I promise the series is actually incredibly well-done and acted to perfection from Murphy. For fans of The Watcher, it has that dark comedy that you get from the series, but has deeper meanings about the stability of relationships and self-fulfillment. It’s so good.
Stream Kevin Can F**k Himself on AMC+ through Amazon Prime.
The Staircase (HBO Max)
Moving on to another miniseries, we take a look at a different drama base on true events, The Staircase. Starring Toni Collette and Colin Firth, this series documents the real-life story of Michael Peterson, a writer who is suddenly accused of murder when his wife is found dead at the bottom of their staircase, showing the events that lead up to it and what might have happened.
The Staircase is the perfect show for those like The Watcher. While the tone isn’t as light, the mystery of it is so meticulously well-crafted. For someone who doesn’t know the real-life case, it’s intriguing to watch it from the beginning to the end and see what happened, watching the case get broken down piece by piece. And don’t even get me started on The Staircase cast. Everyone is so damn talented.
Stream The Staircase on HBO Max.
The White Lotus (HBO Max)
If you want another anthology series, check out The White Lotus. This miniseries from HBO follows several different residents at a resort, showing that not everything is as it appears to be, and that no matter how perfect everything may seem, there’s something everyone is hiding.
The White Lotus actually started as a miniseries, but was so popular that it earned a second season. There are no stalkers or anything like that involved in here, but the dark humor is extremely funny and I found myself laughing several times during it. Also, one of the stars of The Watcher, Jennifer Coolidge, stars in both seasons, and she's always a win – she even won a Primetime Emmy for her performance.
Stream The White Lotus on HBO Max.
The Sinner (Netflix)
Back to crime dramas and mysteries, we take a look at The Sinner. In this USA Network show, Bill Pullman stars as Harry Ambrose, a police detective who gets involved in cases that change his life forever, from a young woman who stabbed a man to death, to a car accident that has a deeper cause behind it, and so much more.
The Sinner is almost like an anthology series, where Ambrose makes an appearance every season but the case and everyone else around him changes every season. For fans of The Watcher, the mysteries are great to follow, and Ambrose is genuinely a great character to watch. Four seasons round out the show, and you should most certainly check out all of them.
A Friend Of The Family (Peacock)
Moving onto a Peacock original, we take a look at A Friend of the Family. In this dramatic miniseries, we follow the story of a family with a close friend, Robert Berchtold, who looks completely normal to anyone else. But, he actually kidnaps Jan Broberg, the youngest of the family, twice.
Like The Watcher, this Peacock series is based on real events and will blow your mind the more that you watch, and it does so many things right. The cast is great and everyone does a fantastic job, but the actor who really shines out of everyone is Jake Lacy as Berchtold. He deserves a lot more praise for his performance in this show.
Stream A Friend of the Family on Peacock.
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (Netflix)
Last but not least, we have to bring up Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, or otherwise just known as Dahmer. The series, starring Evan Peters as the infamous serial killer, documents his story, from his earlier years as a child to how he began his brutal series of killings, mainly targeting young, Black gay men.
It's much darker in tone in comparison to The Watcher – as obviously this is about a real-life serial killer – but I believe this is another fitting pick for fans of Ryan Murphy’s work. It’s unsettling to watch Dahmer become the person he turned into, and Ryan Murphy does such a great job of telling the story through not only his eyes but from the p.o.v. of several other characters. Also, Evan Peters is outstanding in the leading role. He deserves an Emmy award next year for sure.
Stream Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story on Netflix.
There’s truly so much television to watch right now and hopefully, if you finish The Watcher in a day like I did, you’ll find a new show now to binge. Whatever the case, you’ll probably be theorizing throughout it all.
