Apple TV+ is a relatively young streaming service in comparison with its peers – such as Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ – yet it has rapidly garnered a reputation for extremely high quality original programming.
Many would perhaps know it best for Ted Lasso, considering that iconic show broke into the mainstream, but there are plenty of other top-notch series worth exploring too.
Not least Slow Horses.
The MI5 drama has four seasons under its belt already, with no sign of slowing down (pardon the pun). However, considering they are quite short and it's easy to binge your way through them, what else can you watch while waiting for season 5?
Here are my three choices of crime dramas on Apple TV+ that are equally as gripping.
Black Bird
Black Bird is a prime example of a show that isn't just a crime drama, it's also been criminally ignored – a surprise considering it's a high budget serial killer drama with a Hollywood level cast and studio behind it.
Taron Egerton plays Jimmy Keene, a mid-level drug dealer who is sentenced to 10 years without parole in a minimum security US prison. However, his only option for an early release is if he swaps his cushy surroundings for a facility for the criminally insane and manages to convince a suspected serial to disclose the locations of his victims' bodies. Only through this will Jimmy stand a chance of a fresh start.
With the usual high levels of talent within the cast, lavish production values and seemingly no limit to location work, Black Bird is actually based on a true story. It is also a tense and immersive glimpse into the mind of serial killer Larry Hall and the growing desperation of Jimmy Keene.
Egerton puts in the performance of his career but as per usual, it is Paul Walter Hauser as Hall who steals every scene. As an actor he is simply mesmerising and can switch between pathetic and weak to absolutely chilling in seconds.
Black Bird is absolutely worthy of a binge watch.
Criminal Record
Some casting choices are simple affairs. If you need a serious and creepy main character that at no point seems trustworthy then you just give Peter Capaldi a call. He has made a fine career out of exactly this, and Criminal Record is a fine addition to that CV.
A story of police corruption, historical crime, cover up and conflicting investigations, this Apple TV+ crime drama seems to have been completely ignored by the majority, despite being outstanding in every way.
The show has the usual high production levels associated with Apple's shows, with a solid British cast and great use of London as its backdrop. Performances are all top notch, the script is mature and well written, while pacing is just about right for the shows episodes. Even the cinematography excels in painting the capital in a mix of almost hyper realised blurred neon at night and a washed out palette during the day.
If you've finished Slow Horses and are craving more UK-based heavy crime dramas with plenty of twists and turns, Criminal Record is waiting for you now. There's a second season in production too, so more is to come.
Presumed Innocent
Based on the classic 1987 Scott Turow novel and the 1990 film adaptation starring Harrison Ford, Presumed Innocent is the story of a horrific murder tied to the Chicago District Attorney's office and one of its most prominent officers. A classic whodunit with massively high production levels and an all star cast, it contains enough twists and turns to mark the show as one of the best of its type. There are also enough swerves from its source material to make it fresh.
Jake Gyllenhaal gives yet another solid performance as protagonist Rusty Sabich, who claims his innocence. And the show is a perfect example of peak television.
It looks great, has a razor sharp script, stellar cast, and the pacing is absolutely perfect – the story builds gradually towards a genuinely satisfying finale. Bold, well structured and gripping.
Better than the 90s film version by far and has 80% less running and pointing. Which is no bad thing.
