5 Best Series About Amateur Detectives if You Finished Only Murders in the Building Season 4
Mysterious murders of all kinds, solved by ordinary people.
When it comes to the genre of complex investigations, Sherlock Holmes, Poirot, Columbo come to the fore. But sometimes the cinema forces amateurs, random passers-by or relatives of the victim to take on the task of restoring justice.
We tell you about five series in which criminals are identified by amateurs.
1. The Resort, 2022
Emma and Noah take on the investigation: the couple is celebrating their wedding anniversary at a luxurious hotel in the Mayan Riviera. Several years ago, young tourists from a nearby hotel disappeared around Christmas; the first clue was a cell phone Emma found in the jungle during an excursion.
The showrunner of The Resort is Andy Siara, the screenwriter of the sci-fi rom-com Palm Springs, and so it is fair to expect not a dashingly twisted intrigue from the series, but interruptions in chronology and metaphysical musings about memory, experiencing loss and longing for loved ones.
2. Paranormal, 2020
Paranormal is Netflix's first Egyptian original project: the script is based on the novels of Ahmed Khaled Tawfik, and the main "criminal" is a ghost girl from the childhood of the main character, Refaat.
An aging professor has dedicated his life to not believing in the supernatural, but the otherworldly keeps knocking on the door. The old-fashioned retro detective deftly navigates between the genre's nooks and crannies – from mystical investigations to sentimental passages about feelings, from romance to Dr. Refaat's biting humor.
3. Poker Face, 2023-...
Poker Face is a procedural that has gone the way of howcatchem: the viewer has seen the killer, the protagonist just has to catch the villain. Charlie Cale takes on the task of tracking down the dishonest. The woman has an innate talent for sniffing out lies, so it will not be easy to fool Charlie.
Poker Face was an instant hit: the warm breeze of a road movie, dangerous showdowns with casino owners, and the bottomless charm of Natasha Lyonne. If you haven't opened that door yet, it's time to hit the road with Charlie.
4. The Essex Serpent, 2022
After becoming a widow, Cora goes to the village in search of a mysterious serpent that is terrifying the locals. A person of science, Cora studies the fossilized remains of ancient reptiles, hoping to encounter a prehistoric creature.
The scientist is opposed by the local priest Will – he considers the mysterious creature an invention of the superstitious neighbors. When it seems that The Essex Serpent has turned away from any mysteries about the origin of the mystical creature, the show presents a new surprise, and discussions about theology, faith and evolution are interrupted by an unexpected incident.
5. Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer, 2019
We will conclude the list with amateurs who influenced the outcome of a very real case, even though the investigation later ended up in the hands of professionals.
Don't F**k with Cats is a true crime series about enthusiasts who stumbled upon a video of someone killing kittens. Unable to bear the level of cruelty, ordinary people began to search for the sadist.
Background music, furniture, an online trail of a sadist – the forum of Internet detectives functioned for more than a year before the police got involved. The series clearly shows how an online crime is solved through the Internet: not by instant insights, but by the painstaking work and patience of people seeking justice in their spare time.