10 Shows Like Criminal Minds You Must See

Created by Jeff Davis, ‘Criminal Minds’ follows an elite squad of profilers who work at the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI. Their role is to investigate the mindset of the unknown perpetrators of crime and identify suspects. By figuring out the motivation of dubious characters and pinpointing their emotional triggers, the officers anticipate the next moves and stop further crimes from taking place. The police procedural crime drama series gets deeper than the superficial understanding of how crimes happen. Rather, it elaborates on the background incidents that culminate in people committing unlawful acts. If the long-running series has you hooked, here is a list of shows similar to ‘Criminal Minds’ for you to further explore the genre.

10. Bones (2005-2017)

‘Bones’ by Hart Hanson stars Emily Deschanel as Temperance “Bones” Brennan, a forensic anthropologist who works at the Jeffersonian Institute in Washington. Loosely based on the life and novels of real-life professional Kathy Reichs, Bones is seen working with FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz). She examines the corpses of suspected murder victims and helps move the investigation forward with her findings. An empiricist and an atheist, Bones puts her faith in data, facts, and evidence above everything else. The show’s episodes, like ‘Criminal Minds,’ culminate in the FBI catching up with criminals.

9. Castle (2009-2016)

‘Castle’ stars Nathan Fillion as best-selling crime fiction writer Richard Castle, who starts working with the NYPD after a serial killer carries out murders from his books in real life. His insight into the minds of criminals, which he gathered while researching his books, allows Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) to apprehend the perpetrator. Enjoying his time at the precinct, and with Kate in particular, Castle uses his connections to the Mayor to make the situation permanent. While Kate and her team of detectives follow procedural investigations, it is Castle’s unique perspectives that often help them crack cases. The approach taken by the writer in the Andrew W. Marlowe creation is similar to what is observed in ‘Criminal Minds.’

8. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999-)

Helmed by Dick Wolf, ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ centers around an elite squad of the 16th precinct of the NYPD that investigates and prevents sensitive crimes such as assault, abuse and trafficking. The team also deals with cases that involve children, the disabled, and the elderly, where specialists are required to interact with the people involved in the incidents. Highlighting the socio-political climate and personal issues linked with such crimes, the show goes beyond the conventional police procedural dynamic, much like ‘Criminal Minds.’

7. NCIS (2003-)

‘NCIS’ stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Service, with the show following a fictional team of federal agents called the Major Case Response Team. Based at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., the team investigates crimes related to the US Navy and Marine Corps, as well as other branches of the federal government. The military police procedural show created by Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill goes beyond the regular “whodunnit” mystery, similar to ‘Criminal Minds.’ The team is presently led by Supervisory Special Agent Alden Parker (Gary Cole), a former special agent with the FBI.

6. The Blacklist (2013-2023)

From the mind of Jon Bokenkamp, ‘The Blacklist’ is about former US Naval Intelligence officer-turned-FBI’s most wanted fugitive Raymond Reddington (James Spader), who surrenders himself to the authorities and declares he wishes to help the Bureau in bringing down other notorious criminals. In return, he wants immunity from prosecution, and rookie FBI Special Agent Elizabeth Keen on his task force. While suspicious of his motives, the department agrees, and Raymond gets to work bringing people he has associated with for two decades to justice. Like the agents on ‘Criminal Minds,’ Raymond uses his knowledge of the criminal psyche to deliver his results.

5. Motive (2013-2016)

Set in Vancouver, ‘Motive’ by Daniel Cerone depicts the investigative journey of Detective Angie Flynn (Kristin Lehman), who is also a working-class single mother. The killer and victim are revealed at the start of each episode, and the rest of the episode unpacks the investigation led by Angie, exploring the personal circumstances and psychological motivations that led to the crime. In the end, it leads to a complete picture of why the crime occurred. Much like ‘Criminal Minds,’ the show focuses on the motives of the killer, and understanding it not only from their perspective but from Angie’s as well.

4. Luther (2010-2019)

‘Luther’ by Neil Cross stars Idris Elba as the titular character, Detective Chief Inspector John Luther. A dedicated but sometimes obsessive and violent police officer on the Serious Crime Unit, he engages the killers he hunts in a psychological warfare before bringing them in. At the start of the series, Luther comes across psychopathic murderer Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson), whom he fails to take into custody due to lack of evidence. Over time, she becomes his nemesis-turned-companion. Luther’s habit of engaging with criminals on a psychological level makes the show comparable to ‘Criminal Minds.’

3. Lie to Me (2009-2011)

Helmed by Samuel Baum, ‘Lie to Me’ revolves around The Lightman Group, a private company that serves as an independent contractor helping law enforcement agencies investigate with applied psychology. Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth), an expert on microexpressions, is the founder and leader of the company, whose methods include the use of the Facial Action Coding System, as well as reading body language to determine whether or not a person is telling the truth. The working of the Behavioral Analysis Unit in ‘Criminal Minds’ seemingly overlaps with that of The Lightman Group in ‘Lie to Me.’

2. Mindhunter (2017-2019)

Based on the true crime book ‘Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit’ by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker, Joe Penhall’s ‘Mindhunter’ chronicles the early days of criminal psychology and criminal profiling at the Bureau. The Behavioral Science Unit at the FBI Academy in Quantico is operated by agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany), along with psychologist Wendy Carr (Anna Torv). Together, they launch the research project of interviewing incarcerated serial killers to better understand how their minds work and apply the knowledge to solve ongoing cases. The project of ‘Mindhunter’ can therefore be considered a spiritual precursor of ‘Criminal Minds.’

1. The Mentalist (2008-2015)

Created by Bruno Heller, ‘The Mentalist’ follows Patrick Jane (Simon Baker), an independent consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation. Using his superior observational skills, Patrick seemingly reads people’s minds to uncover homicide perpetrators. Prior to his association with law enforcement, he was a celebrated psychic who outed himself as a fraud following the death of his wife and child at the hands of a serial killer, whom he secretly hunts at present. The methods used by Patrick greatly overlap with those used by FBI agents of the Behavioral Analysis Unit in ‘Criminal Minds.’ Their willingness to see beyond the cold crime scene and into the minds of the humans involved is yet another parallel that can be drawn between the two shows.