Sometimes we love to hate serial killers, and sometimes we just kinda love 'em—a charming, sexy killer seems to be a contrast that's too juicy and entertaining for us to pass up. Late-stage capitalism, the climate crisis, and the insurance industry are far more likely to kill us, which is probably why we'd rather face the statistically less-likely threat of a cute and cunning murderer like Penn Badgley's Joe Goldberg in You, which came to a planned conclusion after five seasons in 2025. But he's not the only one! Here, we're on the hunt for series leads who are at least morally ambiguous, if not downright evil.

The Fall (2013 – 2016)

Jamie Dornan's sexy young serial killer Paul Spector isn't the protagonist of The Fall, strictly speaking, but he co-leads with Gillian Anderson's police Superintendent DSU Stella Gibson across all three seasons of this crime drama. Much like Joe, Paul is, outwardly, a normal guy, and a family man, whom you might not suspect of being a stalker and a serial killer of professional women in Belfast. DSU Gibson is sent from London to help with a stalled investigation that leads her on a hunt for the clever Spector through physical dangers, mind-fuckery, and bureaucratic complications. Stream The Fall on Peacock and Prime Video.

The Fall (2013 – 2016)

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Chloe (2022)

Erin Doherty is Becky Green, a complete nobody (at least in her own mind), who becomes obsessed with her estranged childhood friend Chloe, who died, seemingly, by suicide. Lonely Becky comes up with a completely new identity with which to infiltrate Chloe's friend group, finding her life far more fulfilling than back when she was boring ol' Becky—even kicking off an affair with Chloe's widowed husband. Turns out, though, that there was more to Chloe's life and death than most people knew, and husband Elliot might just be keeping some secrets. Stream Chloe on Prime Video.

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Chloe (2022)

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Ripley (2024)

The Patricia Highsmith Tom Ripley novels have an impressive record of successful adaptations going back to the '50s, from René Clément's Purple Noon to Anthony Minghella's The Talented Mr. Ripley—which itself inspired Tommy Wiseau's cult "classic" The Room. Andrew Scott is perfectly cast in this series that doesn't reinvent the narrative, but gives it room to breathe over eight hours of deliberately paced neo-noir, in sumptuous monochrome, as poor, orphaned, but ambitious, Tom ingratiates himself with the wealthy Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn) and his girlfriend, Marge (Dakota Fanning). His obsession with the good life soon becomes indistinguishable from his obsession with Marge and Dickie themselves, his studied nonchalance always ready to give way to everything boiling under the surface. Stream Ripley on Netflix.

Ripley (2024)

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Dexter (2006 – 2013)

The show that dares to ask: What if a serial killer were kind of a nice guy who mostly wants to be helpful? Michael C. Hall stars as Dexter Morgan, a Miami-based forensic technician with bloody, murderous impulses. Fortunately (usually), he's learned to focus those impulses on dismembering baddies rather than the more sympathetic innocents who typically wind up in the crosshairs of this type of killer (looking at you, Joe Goldberg). So lovable is our Dexter that he led eight seasons of this show, popping up again in New Blood, Original Sin, and the ongoing Dexter: Resurrection. Stream Dexter on Paramount+.

Dexter (2006 – 2013)

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Hannibal (2013 - 2015)

By 2013, it really felt as though we'd seen more than enough of Hannibal Lecter and co., a series of Silence of the Lambs spin-offs and sequels having become increasingly tiresome. Still, producer Bryan Fuller went back to the source material here, once again adapting Thomas Harris's first Lecter novel with grand, operatic style and a visual flair unmatched on network television (you're still unlikely to find more gorgeously constructed scenes of carnage). What's more, the deeper, sexier relationship between the Doctor (Mads Mikkelsen) and profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) adds some brilliant subtext as the two work together to hunt serial killers. It ended a bit too early, but the three seasons still make for a satisfying meal. Stream Hannibal on Prime Video.

Hannibal (2013 - 2015)

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The Glory (2022)

There are at least a couple of different levels to The Glory, a justifiably well-received South Korean import, rather remarkably holding together despite some wild shifts in tone. Most obviously, it's a revenge drama, with a relatively simple set-up: Song Hye-kyo plays Moon Dong-eun, an elementary school homeroom teacher who's playing a very, very long game: her school bullies are grown up now, a

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