Thrillers and True Crime: What We’re Watching This Spring 2023

This spring brings a ton of new mystery and thriller movies and TV series to watch, whether you’re planning to head to the theater or get cozy at home. Fans of true crime, espionage, psychological thrillers, and slashers all have something exciting to check out in the next few months. Here’s what we plan to be watching.

 

 You

The fourth season of Netflix’s psychological thriller series finds serial killer Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) living in London, working as a university professor under yet another assumed name. Of course he has a new romantic obsession fueling his homicidal tendencies, but events and figures from his past continue to catch up with him, as he tries to outrun his own murderous history. All 10 episodes of You’s fourth season are now streaming on Netflix. If you like this show, read this book.

Triptych

This Mexican thriller series is full of twists as a police forensics specialist discovers that she has two identical sisters she never knew about. That revelation opens up a whole conspiracy involving corporate intrigue, secret experiments, and possible assassinations. Maite Perroni plays all three sisters, differentiating their personalities via subtle shifts in performance. The show combines telenovela-style cliffhangers with suspense and intrigue. All eight episodes are now streaming on Netflix. If you like this show, read this book.

Scream VI

After the meta-horror franchise was revived with last year’s fifth installment, Scream VI moves the slasher action to New York City. Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, and Jenna Ortega return from the previous movie, along with longtime series star Courteney Cox and Scream 4’s Hayden Panettiere. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who took over for the late Wes Craven, are back as well. See masked killer Ghostface slashes his way through the Big Apple March 10 in theaters. If you like this movie, read this book.

Boston Strangler

In the tradition of journalism procedurals like All the President’s Men and Spotlight, this true-crime drama stars Keira Knightley and Carrie Coon as the journalists who broke the story of the Boston Strangler serial killer in 1963. The reporters risk their lives to find the man who’s murdering women in Boston, and they face extra challenges getting the story out thanks to institutional sexism and governmental inaction. The movie premieres on Hulu March 17. If you like this show, read this book.

Yellowjackets

The highly anticipated second season of Yellowjackets is poised to answer some burning questions about both time periods depicted in this dark thriller series, while undoubtedly raising many more. There are still plenty of mysteries about what horrific experiences the main characters underwent as teenagers while stranded in the wilderness, and how they’ll respond to those experiences coming back to haunt them decades later. Unlock the second season’s secrets starting March 26 on Showtime. If you like this show, read this book.

The Last Thing He Told Me

Author Laura Dave adapts her own bestselling thriller novel into this limited series starring Jennifer Garner. Garner plays Hannah, whose husband Owen (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) disappears suddenly, leaving her to piece together the truth about his mysterious background. To discover what’s really going on, she must connect with her teenage stepdaughter Bailey (Angourie Rice), potentially placing both of them in harm’s way. The first two episodes of the seven-part series debut April 14 on Apple TV+. If you like this show, read this book.

Citadel

Blockbuster filmmakers Anthony and Joe Russo are behind this big-budget espionage thriller, the starting point for a forthcoming connected universe. The franchise begins with the story of a pair of amnesiac secret agents played by Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who are reactivated by their handler (Stanley Tucci). It all connects back to Citadel, an ultra-covert agency not beholden to any government. Enter the world of Citadel when the first two episodes premiere April 28 on Amazon Prime Video. If you like this show, read this book.

The Mother

Jennifer Lopez makes her return to thrillers as the title character in this movie co-starring Joseph Fiennes and Gael Garcia Bernal. Lopez plays an assassin living off the grid who re-emerges when nefarious forces threaten her estranged daughter. The Mother could give Lopez her Taken moment, as she ruthlessly takes out squadrons of bad guys who dare to endanger her family. Catch all the action on Netflix May 12. If you like this movie, read this book.

Josh Bell is a freelance writer and movie/TV critic based in Las Vegas. He’s the former film editor of Las Vegas Weekly and the former TV comedies guide for About.com. He has written about movies, TV, and pop culture for Vulture, Polygon, CBR, Inverse, Crooked Marquee, and more. With comedian Jason Harris, he co-hosts the podcast Awesome Movie Year.