CBS has just released Based on a novel, the movie centers on a cannibal serial killer named Hannibal Lecter and a young FBI cadet named Clarice Starling.
At the end of the film, Starling graduates from the FBI academy. The new series, however, takes place a year after the events of the movie. Now, Clarice is a full-time investigator who specializes in analyzing and tracking down serial killers. If you like Clarice, here are some similar shows to watch.
FBI (2018 - )
This crime procedural also comes from CBS and it centers on some FBI agents who are operating out of the bureau’s New York office. Among the show’s main characters are partners Maggie Bell (Missy Peregrym) and Omar Zidan (Zeeko Zaki, who go out in the field to question people and ultimately, catch suspects.
The cast also includes Sela Ward, Jeremy Sisto, John Boyd, and Alana de la Garza. Though not always the case, the team sometimes deals with serial killers, including one that was recently featured in the show’s third season.
Mindhunter (2017 - 2019)
Just like Clarice, this Netflix series also centers around FBI agents who deal with serial killers. In fact, much like in the movie, the FBI agents end up interviewing serial killers in the hope of solving some open cases.
That said, the show is set in the 1970s instead of the '90s. Mindhunter ran for two seasons, receiving two Emmy nods during its relatively brief run. And in case anyone is interested, the series is still available for streaming on Netflix.
Criminal Minds (2005 - 2020)
Criminal Minds was a CBS show that is centered around a team of FBI profilers whose ultimate goal is to catch some of the most horrific killers around. The central characters work similarly to Clarice, who also examines cases from a behavioral science perspective.
In this series, the unknown suspect that the team is building a profile on is referred to as an "unsub," which is short for "unknown subject." Chances are that if Clarice knew about this term, she would add it to her regular work lingo too.
Perfume (2018)
In this series, the murders are as gruesome as they are bewildering. When a singer is found dead, detectives work to solve the case by ing her friends. Throughout the series, the investigative team deals with other mind-boggling and often brutal cases, but instead of being handled by the FBI, however, the ones in charge here are the German authorities, as this is a German series.
Over the course of the show’s six episodes, the show eventually zeroes in on a suspect after a similar victim is found. The conclusion that follows is shocking and worth the wait.
The Ripper (2020)
This Netflix true-crime series focuses on the police’s desperate hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper during the late '70s. The man police have been looking for shares some resemblance to Jack the Ripper, another real-life criminal that has inspired several films and TV shows over the years.
Throughout the mini-series’ four episodes, the audience meets the investigators who devoted their lives to catching this man. At the same time, the show also features interviews from victims who lived to tell their story. Meanwhile, in the series’ final episode, the audience learns who the Yorkshire Ripper really is, after finally getting caught.
Chicago P.D. (2014 - )
In this NBC crime drama, we get up close and personal with of Chicago P.D.’s Intelligence Unit, which is led by Hank Voight, a man with a questionable track record. Regularly, the team goes after some of the sickest criminals around. These include drug traffickers, murderers, organized crime bosses and many other suspects that have purely bad intentions.
In some cases, the team has also dealt with serial killers, including a character named Gregory Yates (Dallas Roberts), who is said to be loosely based on the real-life serial killer, Ted Bundy.
Slasher (2016 - 2019)
This horror TV series centers around different murders that become the focus of a particular season (the series has three seasons). The first season revolves around Sarah Bennett, who decides to return to a small town where her parents were brutally murdered years ago. Unfortunately, not soon after she comes back, a new series of murders take place.
The second season focuses on a group of camp counselors who return to the spot where they had murdered a woman five years earlier. Finally, the third season focuses on a killer known as The Druid.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999 - )
This NBC show has the honor of being one of the longest-running shows of all time, having been on the air since 1999. The show centers on the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit, which deals with cases involving domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault.
In one of its episodes, the department’s detectives (headed by Mariska Hargitay’s Capt. Olivia Benson) interview Chicago P.D. suspect Gregory Yates after a body with a similar M.O. turns up. At some point, the two shows also do a crossover episode.
FBI: Most Wanted (2020 - )
This CBS show is a spinoff of FBI, mentioned above. This time, the focus is on the bureau’s Fugitive Task Force, whose mission is to track and apprehend the most notorious criminals that are specified on the agency’s Most Wanted list. These include bank robbers, cyberstalkers, and even a couple who seem to enjoy killing for sport.
The show also boasts some familiar faces, including Nip/Tuck’s Julian McMahon and Twilight’s Kellan Lutz. While FBI: Most Wanted was picked up last year for a second season, it’s unclear if there will be a third.
The Valhalla Murders (2020 - )
This 2020 crime series centers on an Oslo detective who decides to return to his native Iceland in order to help police search for a serial killer. At some point, authorities also realize that the murders are linked to Valhalla, an abandoned institution for boys.
Although not exactly based on a true story, the show is inspired by a case that series creator Thordur Palsson became familiar with. In addition, the inspiration for Valhalla itself is said to be a real-life institution for boys that ran in the 1940s, which was notorious for abusing children under its care.
