7 thriller shows on Peacock that will keep you glued to your seats 

Thriller shows on Peacock | Images via Peacock
Thriller shows on Peacock | Images via Peacock

Over the past few years, Peacock has also found itself as the home of some of the most riveting mystery and thriller series. Each series has a unique, suspenseful style that keeps viewers hooked to the screens with strong characters and unexpected plotlines. The evil side of medicine, the menace of contemporary technology, dangerous cults, and supernatural gateways are just a few of the destinations that the viewers trek to explore with the protagonists of these series.

While some of the series are also inspired by or based on real-life cases, others combine crime with black humor or hard-boiled detective narratives. Their ability to hold your interest and keep you on the edge of your seat, wondering what might happen next, is probably the common underlying thread between all the listed shows. The list is a testament that Peacoco is capable of writing crisp mysteries and thrillers.

Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. Reader's discretion is advised.


Here is the list of 7 thriller shows on Peacock that will keep you glued to your seats:

7. The Girl in the Woods (2021)

The Girl in the Woods - A Peacock TV series | Image via Peacock
The Girl in the Woods - A Peacock TV series | Image via Peacock

The Girl in the Woods is a supernatural mystery thriller series on Peacock that revolves around a group of kids who discover a secret door that is guarded by a cult. Opening the door brings dark forces into the picture and changes everything permanently. Carrie, a runaway teen from a cult-like Colony, escapes to West Pine to start afresh and makes some new friends, Nolan and Tasha.

The air of intrigue around her identity as a former cult member and upbringing in The Colony drives the plot as she struggles to keep herself and the mining town of West Pine safe. From the very first episode, the viewer is dropped with Carriem in a difficult and unpredictable position. The fact that Carrie ends up leaving the lifestyle of The Colony to live a simple and ordinary life in West Pine leaves the audience impatient to discover her past and the secrets she is concealing.


6. The Capture (2019)

The Capture - A Peacock TV series | Image via Peacock
The Capture - A Peacock TV series | Image via Peacock

The Capture is a captivating mystery thriller on Peacock that explores how powerful forces can distort video evidence. The story tells the story of a former British soldier who is accused of murder after footage captured on CCTV cameras seems to have depicted him assaulting a lawyer.

Season 1, Episode 1, Det. Rachel Carey looks at CCTV footage, which seemingly clears the soldier. Then the screen goes dark and shifts to show him committing violence. The glitch is impossible and terrifying.

This moment holds you tight because it blows your trust in what you see. You feel the shock and the danger of unreliable evidence. The show extends to the nature of surveillance and its ability to be manipulated. Every camera has the potential to lie. You cannot trust your own eyes. That scene makes you lean forward and question what is real. It's a harsh twist that makes you uneasy as you watch and consider how technology can be easily used against the truth.


5. A Friend of the Family (2022)

A Friend of the Family - A Peacock TV show | Image via Peacock
A Friend of the Family - A Peacock TV show | Image via Peacock

A Friend of the Family is a true crime mystery thriller on Peacock based on real events from the 1970s. A man the family trusts kidnaps their daughter not once but twice while he slowly breaks their minds. The horrific real-life tale of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was abducted several times throughout the 1970s by a flamboyant, devoted family "friend."

I was glued to my seat at this point because the evil was so subtle and personal. The series highlights how the most terrible threat might come from someone who seems like a family member. The show uses the genre of mystery thrillers to investigate deception and trust. It is the quiet power of betrayal that makes the scene hit deep. You cannot look away because fear is personal and universal.


4. Dr. Death (2021)

Dr. Death | Image via Peacock
Dr. Death | Image via Peacock

Dr. Death is an anthology medical mystery thriller series on Peacock about real-life doctors who have harmed several patients. The show follows two doctors and a prosecutor as they try to stop the surgeon before he injures more people.

The first season revolves around Christopher Duntsch. Episode 2 of Season 1 focuses on Dr. Henderson and Dr. Kirby's growing suspicions as they investigate Duntsch's previous medical catastrophes. Flashbacks to Duntsch's early years are also used to set the scene for his later acts by illustrating his collegiate football playing days. The second season revolves around Swiss surgeon Paolo Macchiarini.

Adapted from a true crime podcast, the series is a combination of medical thriller and procedural drama, keeping viewers captivated. The horror of the story is that it is based on true stories and involves trusted doctors who were the enemies all along. Such an intriguing premise piques the interest of the audience as the inquiry unfolds, leaving them wondering how much ineptitude could take so long.

Flashbacks enrich the character study and introduce a psychological dimension to the horrifying suspense.


3. Based on a True Story (2023)

Based on a True Story | Image via Peacock
Based on a True Story | Image via Peacock

Based on a True Story is a dark comedy mystery thriller on Peacock about a realtor, a former tennis star, and a plumber who latch onto America’s true crime obsession. Ava and Nathan find fresh murders surrounding them, and the show remains wild and weird.

Season 1, Episode 1, revolves around the depiction of a young woman, Chloe Lake (Natalia Dyer), who is brutally stabbed to death by a masked person in an apartment. It is this murder that ultimately leads the main characters of the show to start their own true crime podcast.

The scene grabs your attention right away. You go from calm to tense in seconds, and want to know who killed the person and why. Based on a True Story combines mystery thrillers with suspense and dark comedy. The combination of real fear with odd comedic timing pulls you in and makes you lean forward in your seat. You hang on to every next beat to see what might happen next in this strange and twisted ride.


2. Long Bright River (2025)

Long Bright River - A Peacock Original | Image via Peacock
Long Bright River - A Peacock Original | Image via Peacock

Long Bright River is a dark mystery thriller on Peacock set in Philadelphia's tough neighborhoods. Amanda Seyfried stars as a detective searching for a killer while also seeking her missing sister, blending crime, tragedy, and anguish.

A compelling, unforgettable moment in the series occurs when she locates a woman who resembles her sister amidst the crimes. In that one moment, her world lurches. Her awe, sadness, and optimism are all simultaneously palpable. You sit up straight because the peril feels real and immediate. That one little instant has great personal significance, and it pounds away inside your heart. It illustrates the weight of the mystery thriller. This scene is basic but potent. You become aware of how much is at stake. There is more to solve than just crimes. It is rescuing someone who meant more than anyone else.

I was unable to move, constantly holding my breath as I watched and waited to see if she would eventually find her sister.


1. Poker Face (2023)

Poker Face - A Peacock Original | Image via Peacock
Poker Face - A Peacock Original | Image via Peacock

Poker Face is a slick mystery thriller on Peacock about Charlie Cale, who can always tell when people lie. From Nevada to Texas, to New Mexico, Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale solves a new case each episode, as she hops from place to place all across the United States. The performance is a mixture of witty and dramatic suspense.

As a viewer, you see how clever Charlie is and how quickly she pieces together the puzzle. You feel her calm focus and urgency. The series amalgamates an old-school sense of intrigue and thrill with a contemporary edge, reimagining the case-of-the-week setup with a compelling lead and new vigor.


These Peacock mystery thrillers present us with numerous premises, all underlining a thread of suspense. Escapes and adventures provide a rush of butterflies as well as goosebumps, plots that tread on eggshells, and maybe sometimes taken a tad bit far, the list has it all. Each episode of each show leaves the heart racing and the head guessing which way the plot might twist next.

While some of the stories incorporated humor to balance fear, others depend on raw emotion, and the remaining on real-world events. The series tends to stick with the viewer, blending fear and intrigue, making the watching experience unforgettable.

Edited by IRMA