24 Dark TV Shows on Netflix That You Definitely Shouldn't Watch Before Bed

It's one of the most acclaimed anti-hero dramas of the past decade. Cancer-stricken chemistry teacher Walter White starts cooking meth to leave money behind for his family, but soon gets pulled deeper and deeper into the violent drug underworld.

Watch Breaking Bad on Netflix.

The murder of a boy in a small coastal town leads to the unraveling of everyone's secrets in this dark, devastating British drama.

Watch Broadchurch on Netflix.

The latest version of Sabrina puts a dark spin on our favourite teenage witch. Gone is wise-cracking Salem and the colourful, goofy Other Realm — instead, we've got the Church of Satan, dark rituals, and seriously spooky happenings.

Watch Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix.

It's all there in the premise. The crime procedural focuses on a specific law enforcement unit tasked with understanding the minds of the most twisted criminals out there.

Watch Criminal Minds on Netflix.

A former mining town has more secrets than just the ones buried beneath the ground. The horror series slowly reveals the true nature of the town's residents in a deeply creepy way.

Watch Hemlock Grove on Netflix.

Set centuries ago, this gritty historical drama focuses on the warring lords in what would eventually become England as they battle for birthrights and land. Think more Vikings, less The Sword in the Stone.

Watch The Last Kingdom on Netflix.

Based on a novel by horror maestro Stephen King, this drama follows the residents of a small town that is covered by a mysterious fog — and that's not all that's haunting their town.

Watch The Mist on Netflix.

This definitely isn't your mom's Archie. In this neo-noir adaptation, Riverdale is the site of eerie cults, violent gangs, and even murder.

Watch Riverdale on Netflix.

If you remember getting spooked as a kid by Lemony Snicket's creepy-quirky books about three orphans and a scheming baddie, you'll love the Netflix adaptation, which goes back and forth between genuinely dark and hilariously tongue-in-cheek.

Watch A Series of Unfortunate Events on Netflix.

It's a darker take on the classic detective stories than you're used to. Holmes and Watson solve crimes in contemporary London, crossing paths with the criminal underworld and at least one genuinely terrifying, omniscient villain.

Watch Sherlock on Netflix.

The long-running fantasy drama centres on literal purveyors of darkness: demons from hell. Fortunately, the Winchester brothers and their allies are there to save the day, but even they can't keep evil at bay forever.

Watch Supernatural on Netflix.

A drama about teenagers going through abuse, violence, assault, and suicide? Doesn't get much darker than that.

Watch 13 Reasons Why on Netflix.

The tense, creepy thriller follows a young man as he stalks the woman he's obsessed with. It's psychologically horrifying and a deep, dark dive into someone's creepy psyche.

Watch You on Netflix.

In a twisty sci-fi anthology, several different stories examine the relationship between humanity and technology and explore what happens when the darkest elements of each collide in the not-so-distant future.

Watch Black Mirror on Netflix.

What begins as a political thriller about an ex-soldier and the politician he's assigned to protect quickly takes a dark turn when a deadly conspiracy is revealed and he finds himself in the crosshairs.

Watch Bodyguard on Netflix.

The first foray for Marvel and Netflix proved that this was definitely a superhero show for grown-ups. Blind lawyer Matt Murdoch deals with criminals — in violent fashion — and his own heavy guilt.

Watch Daredevil on Netflix.

The blood-spatter-analyst-turned-serial killer is one of the TV icons of the modern age. Over eight seasons, his chilling psychological descent just gets creepier with time.

Watch Dexter on Netflix.

In this gritty post-Civil War drama, a former Confederate soldier seeks out his wife's killer. The show digs into the darkest corners of post-war America, complete with crime, conspiracy, and more.

Watch Hell on Wheels on Netfix.

The Marvel superheroine's story is dark in more than just aesthetics: the first season, with a horrifying villain with mind control powers, is the stuff of psychological nightmares.

Watch Jessica Jones on Netflix.

In a rural crime thriller, a Wyoming sheriff tries to rebuild his life and career after a personal tragedy, but there's a lot more dark stuff happening in this town than he expects.

Watch Longmire on Netflix.

None of Netflix's Marvel shows are exactly light and cheery, and Luke Cage is no exception. The near-indestructible superhero has to confront his own past demons when he's pulled into a battle for his city.

Watch Luke Cage on Netflix.

This dark drama is based on real-life events surrounding the infamous and violent drug cartels of Colombia and the agents who work to stop them.

Watch Narcos on Netflix.

A seemingly ordinary family's life is turned upside down when the patriarch moves them to rural Missouri, where he is forced to launder money to appease a drug boss and instead winds up making everything even worse for everyone.

Watch Ozark on Netflix.

Netflix's signature original series goes down some pretty dark paths at times. When a portal between our world and a horrifying underworld gets opened by an accident at a sinister government facility, monsters creep through and attempt a hostile takeover — and the only thing standing in their way is a mismatched team of kids, teens, and a few very exhausted adults.

Watch Stranger Things on Netflix.