Nick Santora’s Reacher is, without a doubt, one of the biggest small-screen hits of our time. Inspired by Lee Child’s beloved Jack Reacher novels, the show follows the exploits of its titular hero (played by Alan Ritchson), bringing huge helpings of charisma and his particular brand of justice to various crimes and conspiracies across the country. It’s a fun, entertaining action series anchored by its larger-than-life protagonist, but it’s not exactly without equal.
Over the years, HBO has delivered several iconic action and thriller series, ranging from pulp to prestige, many of which rival and even surpass Prime Video’s Reacher on multiple fronts. After all, HBO has built a reputation for high-quality content, subverting mainstream expectations in favor of bold storytelling. Without further ado, here’s our handpicked selection of brilliant HBO shows that are even better than Reacher.
1
‘Banshee’ (2013–2016)
Created by Jonathan Tropper and David Schickler, Banshee is an action crime thriller series that follows a charismatic former conman who escapes to the titular town after swindling a powerful crime lord. Assuming the identity of Lucas Hood, the murdered sheriff of the town, he tries to reconcile with his former lover and accomplice, as he struggles with his new identity and gets into a conflict with the local mob. Antony Starr plays the leading role of Lucas Hood, with Ivana Miličević, Ulrich Thomsen, Hoon Lee, Frankie Faison, and Ben Cross in other main roles.
One of Cinemax’s first original series since the ’90s, Banshee is a stylish and inventive crime thriller that fans of Reacher are sure to find entertaining. Banshee is fast-paced, with more visceral action and stronger character development, forgoing the traditional case-of-the-week, procedural structure that most popular crime shows tend to follow. But despite earning increasingly wider viewership and ratings across its four seasons and winning a Primetime Creative Emmy Award for the visual effects, Banshee has remained a very underrated thriller series.
2
‘The Wire’ (2002–2008)
An award-winning crime drama created and written by David Simon, The Wire explores law, order, and crime in the city of Baltimore, where a maverick police officer, Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West), starts investigating a dangerous drug lord and his business partner. As McNulty wages a risky war, it sparks off a series of events involving the city government, port authority, education department, and local media. The show also features Idris Elba, Lance Reddick, Wood Harris, Wendell Pierce, Michael K. Williams, and Andre Royo in lead roles.
A multi-award-winning crime drama, The Wire is an HBO landmark that continues to earn praise for its complex, gritty narrative and powerhouse performances, which launched the careers of several of its stars. Unlike most crime shows of its time and the present day, The Wire thrives on slow-burning storytelling, forgoing fast-paced action in favor of a more realistic, almost journalistic exploration of the dysfunction of public systems.
3
‘Mare of Easttown’ (2021)
Created by Brad Ingelsby and starring Kate Winslet as the titular character, Mare of Easttown follows Marianne “Mare” Sheehan, a local police detective in a small town outside Philadelphia, who investigates the murder of a teenager. Having failed to solve a similar case a year earlier, Mare grapples with the guilt and pressure of her diminished reputation, her complicated emotions, and a crumbling personal life as she seeks the truth. The crime drama thriller also stars Julianne Nicholson, Jean Smart, Angourie Rice, Guy Pearce, and Evan Peters in significant roles.
Mare of Easttown was an instant success on its release, earning critical acclaim for its realistic storytelling, powerful characters, and deeply emotional arcs. The series is anchored by Kate Winslet’s award-winning performance, which has been hailed as one of her best. Unlike most popular crime shows, Mare of Easttown proves that swapping fun, physical action for atmospheric staging and nuanced characterizations can bring more gravitas to crime stories, leaving a truly lasting impression on the audience.
4
‘The Last of Us’ (2023–Present)
Created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, The Last of Us is HBO’s series adaptation of the postapocalyptic video game series, set in a world where a deadly parasitic virus turns its human hosts into zombie-like creatures. The series stars Pedro Pascal as Joel, a hardened smuggler who is tasked with transporting an immune 14-year-old girl named Ellie (Bella Ramsay) across the country to help save mankind. The show also features Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, Melanie Lynskey, John Hannah, Nick Offerman, and more in supporting roles.
Since its premiere, The Last of Us has been celebrated as one of the best video game adaptations of all time. For three seasons and counting, the postapocalyptic series has garnered critical acclaim and massive viewership with its high-stakes drama, emotional depth, and well-acted characters, surpassing several other shows of the genre. A class above its original game plot, The Last of Us successfully combines slow-burn horror and apocalyptic adventure to explore how trauma, grief, and loss shape human connection amid absolute devastation.
5
‘Tokyo Vice’ (2022–2024)
Created by J.T. Rogers and produced by Michael Mann, Tokyo Vice is a crime drama thriller based on American journalist Jake Adelstein’s memoir Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan, following a dramatized take on his experiences as a young reporter in 1990s Tokyo. Starring Ansel Elgort, the series follows Jake as he navigates the dark and dangerous underbellies of the capital with relentless journalistic determination and hunger for truth and justice, teaming up with a veteran detective. Besides Elgort, the show also stars Ken Watanabe, Rachel Keller, Ella Rumpf, Rinko Kikuchi, Hideaki Itō, and Show Kasamatsu in main roles.
Tokyo Vice is very unlike its genre contemporaries in that, while it’s not devoid of action, the show’s best features are its atmospheric neo-noir settings and character-driven narrative that elevate the viewing experience. A gritty and gripping coming-of-age story about an ambitious reporter, the series perfectly captures the turn-of-the-millennium, neon-soaked energy of Tokyo through the eyes of a young and inexperienced man. Though the series was sadly canceled after two seasons, Tokyo Vice earned a positive reception on its release, with critical acclaim for the storytelling, production, and intriguing exploration of ’90s Japan.
6
‘Warrior’ (2019–2023)
Based on an original concept and treatment by Bruce Lee, Warrior is a period martial arts crime drama series developed by Jonathan Tropper and executive produced by Lee’s daughter, Shannon Lee. Set in 1870s San Francisco during the Tong Wars, the series stars Andrew Koji as Ah Sahm, a martial arts prodigy from China who comes to the city searching for his sister, only to get recruited by one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Chinatown. Besides Koji, the series features Olivia Cheng, Jason Tobin, Dianne Doan, Dean Jagger, Joe Taslim, and more in notable roles.
With its thrilling energy, slick action choreography, and impeccable period aesthetics, Warrior is a well-crafted blend of classic martial arts cinema and revisionist Westerns that is entertaining, hard-hitting, and exciting all at once. A layered exploration of a less-discussed chapter of history, it successfully depicts the volatile and violent criminal, racial, and political landscape of late 19th-century America. Balancing intense violence with character-driven personal and political narratives, Warrior surpasses many popular action and crime shows in quality and style, but it’s still a criminally underrated genre gem.
7
‘The Penguin’ (2024)
Developed by Lauren LeFranc and based on the iconic DC Comics character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, The Penguin is a spin-off of the 2022 film The Batman. Following the events of the film, the series stars Colin Farrell as Oswald “Oz” Cobb, aka The Penguin, charting his rise from a former underling of Gotham crime boss Carmine Falcone to a criminal kingpin in his own right, until Carmine’s daughter, Sofia (Cristin Milioti), returns to claim her rights. The show also features Deirdre O’Connell, Rhenzy Feliz, Mark Strong, Michael Kelly, and more in key roles.
The Penguin deviates significantly from the original comic-book depiction of the supervillain, taking a grounded gangster-drama approach to the story that has drawn favorable comparisons to shows like The Sopranos. Farrell brings a Tony Soprano-like persona to Oz Cobb, adding gravitas and grittiness to the DC legend, as well as to the show’s narrative, while Milioti steals the screen as the ambitious, ruthless, and tragic Sofia. The Penguin has been widely praised for its rich character work and the more humanized take on Oz Cobb, which sets it apart from previous adaptations.
8
‘Watchmen’ (2019)
Created by Damon Lindelof and inspired by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ 1986 DC Comics series, HBO’s Watchmen is a sequel to the classic comics set in the same alternate history, where vigilantes and superheroes have been outlawed since the late 20th century. The series picks up 34 years after the events of the comics and follows a series of escalating racial tensions in present-day Tulsa, Oklahoma, where local detective Angela Abar investigates a white supremacist group and a decades-spanning conspiracy. Regina King leads the all-star cast as Angela Abar, with Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Andrew Howard, Louis Gossett Jr., Jeremy Irons, Jean Smart, and Hong Chau in key roles.
With its mature themes, strong socio-political narrative, and compelling characters, Watchmen is a fantastic reimagination of the legendary DC characters and one of the most masterfully made miniseries of the 21st century. The gripping mystery, strong characters, and well-choreographed action sequences make for a highly entertaining crime thriller that would appeal equally to DC devotees and newcomers. During its original broadcast, Watchmen earned universal critical acclaim for its writing, performances, and production, going on to win 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, including one for King’s lead performance and one for Abdul-Mateen’s supporting role.
Watchmen
- Release Date
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2019 – 2019-00-00
- Network
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HBO
