10 Shows Like Only Murders In The Building You Can Binge-Watch Now
Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building" brings together three strangers — Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), and Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin) — who live in the same apartment building in New York City. During what appears to be a fire alarm evacuation, these neighbors gather in a nearby restaurant and are surprised to find themselves bonding over a shared obsession with a true crime podcast. The trio return to their building to the shocking news that one resident, Tim Kono (Julian Cihi) has died of a what the police are dismissing as a suicide.
These amateur sleuths aren't buying the suicide story and embark on their own investigation with hopes of breaking into the true-crime podcast market. Their investigation reveals numerous secrets as they discover who Tim Kono was and who could have killed him. Mabel, Oliver, and Charles are all lost, lonely, and struggling in their lives. But despite their generational divide, they form a genuine and life-affirming friendship. The supporting cast of bizarre characters in the building all add color and conflict to the series.
The trio of actors at the center of the story have terrific comedic timing and their personality clashes create a terrific dynamic. This series is whip-smart and has a lot of heart, suggesting we are all connected in some fundamental way. If you love "Only Murders in the Building" and want more laughs, amateur sleuthing, and murder mysteries in your life, we have suggestions of what you can binge while you wait for new episodes to drop.
Bored To Death
HBO's "Bored to Death" follows novelist Jonathan Ames (Jason Schwartzman), who is struggling to write his second book. After his girlfriend leaves him when he won't quit drinking or smoking cannabis, Jonathan advertises his services as an unlicensed private investigator on Craigslist, intent upon moonlighting as a detective after being inspired by the pulp fiction he enjoys reading. The series is funny and off-beat and co-stars Zach Galifianakis as Ray, Jonathan's comic book artist best friend, and Ted Danson as George Christopher, Jonathan's editor.
"Bored to Death" is the perfect series to binge after "Only Murders in the Building." The characters in both series are quirky, and the shows find humor in bold personality clashes. Still, Jonathan, Ray, and George have a friendship despite their differences, which is an aspect of the show that's certainly echoed in Hulu's murder mystery series. Both series feature friendships that cross generational divides and give each show a heart underneath their darker story elements.
Both series also have a meta element to how they tell their stories. "Only Murders in the Building" uses true-crime podcasts as a narrative device, while "Bored to Death" combines parody and homage to noir fiction. Unfortunately, "Bored to Death" was cancelled after only three seasons, but as of this writing, you can binge the whole show on HBO Max. We promise you won't be bored.
Dead to Me
Netflix's "Dead to Me" is a hilarious web of secrets and lies. After Jen's (Christina Applegate) husband Ted dies in a hit-and-run accident, she is drowning in grief and anger. When Jen meets Judy (Linda Cardellini) in a grief support group, Jen feels like she found a friend. After letting Judy move into her pool house, Jen discovers Judy's complicated relationship with her ex, Steve (James Marsden), who just might have some indirect involvement with what happened to her husband. Before long, Jen learns things that change her view of their relationship entirely.
This dramedy, certainly one of the funnier shows about grief in recent memory, has excellent scores on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for five Emmys. Like "Only Murders in the Building," this series has a constantly twisting plot filled with surprises and secrets pertaining to everyone involved. Judy and Jen are an odd couple who become friends after an unfortunate event brings them together, much like Mabel, Charles, and Oliver. As of this writing, we're still waiting on "Dead to Me" Season 3, but you binge Seasons 1 and 2 in the meantime.
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
This BBC America series stars Elijah Wood as Todd Brotzman, a down-on-his-luck bellhop who becomes a person of interest in a murder investigation after discovering multiple dead bodies in his hotel's penthouse suite. Todd is promptly fired from his job and a series of curious circumstances leads to him joining forces with Dirk Gently (Samuel Barnett), an eccentric self-proclaimed "holistic detective." Somewhat reluctantly, Todd finds himself pulled into the mystery alongside the title character.
According to Dirk, a holistic detective solves crimes by following the clues left by fate and enlisting the help of others along the way. Through his investigations, Dirk must also evade a holistic assassin who is hot on his trail.
The series has a supernatural bent, making it a departure from "Only Murders in the Building" in one respect, but it has a similarly whimsical, unpredictable, and kooky vibe. Both seasons of "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" are absolutely bonkers.
Elementary
"Elementary" is a modern update of Arthur Conan Doyle's eccentric detective, Sherlock Holmes. This series is funny, smart, and set in New York City, just like "Only Murders in the Building." After Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) undergoes a stint in rehab, his wealthy father enlists Dr. Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) to assist with his re-entry into society as his sober companion. Holmes throws himself into his work as an NYPD consultant, and before long, Watson and Holmes team up to solve New York's most troublesome cases.
Miller is excellent as Holmes, and Liu brings an interesting backstory to Watson. She is a former surgeon who gave up the operating room after a patient died. At the beginning of the series, Watson has settled on contributing to society by helping addicts learn to live life sober. Miller and Liu have great comedic chemistry, with an irresistibly funny dynamic.
This long-running series is like "Only Murders" in a few respects; both stories feature oddballs solving crimes outside the purview of law enforcement tactics, but Holmes' theories tend to be more accurate than those formed by the "Only Murders" gang. There are seven seasons of "Elementary" out in the world, and the series has excellent scores on Rotten Tomatoes.
One of Us Is Lying
This teen mystery is "The Breakfast Club" meets "Clue" with the attitude of "Gossip Girl." Five students — Simon (Mark McKenna), Addy (Annalisa Cochrane), Cooper (Chibuikem Uche), Bronwyn (Marianly Tejada), and Nate (Cooper van Grootel) — go to detention at Bayview High on the first day of school, but only four walk out alive. Simon doesn't survive detention; incidentally, he was universally hated at his school due to his hobby of exposing his classmates' various indiscretions on the internet.
Once Simon is dead, these four other students are the prime suspects in his murder. While the cast is younger than the gang from "Only Murders," both series use internet-based media as an integral part of their plots. In "One of Us Is Lying" four acquaintances are forced to work together to solve a mystery and clear their names. Meanwhile, someone is apparently using Simon's laptop to continue to publish school secrets. This series has great ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and similarities to "Pretty Little Liars" with an unknown and all-knowing enemy pulling strings behind the scenes.
Pushing Daisies
"Pushing Daisies" follows a baker named Ned (Lee Pace) who can raise the dead with a single touch. The only problem is if he touches them again, they will be dead for good; if he doesn't, someone in the vicinity will die in their place. Ned solves crimes with a private investigator named Emerson (Chi McBride) and his childhood crush Charlotte "Chuck" Charles (Anna Friel) who he brings back to life.
The supernatural bent of this series is a departure from "Only Murders," but the shows have a similar vibe, with both series featuring unlikely sleuths brought together by happenstance. Also unlike "Only Murders," "Pushing Daisies" has a love story at its center with a decent amount of screentime devoted to Ned and Chuck's developing feelings for each other and their inability to touch. But "Pushing Daisies" and "Only Murders" have other aspects in common: both series use a narrator as a framing device, have characters who keep secrets about their past, and routinely make use of quirky, colorful side characters. As far as the aesthetics of the two series, both shows deploy a touch of the surreal, despite this stylized quality being more pronounced in "Pushing Daisies."
Search Party
HBO's "Search Party" is a dark comedy about a group of self-absorbed 20-something friends living in New York City who embark on an investigation after an acquaintance from college goes missing. Dory (Alia Shawkat) is feeling directionless in life and works officially as an assistant and unofficially as an emotional support employee for a rich housewife (Christine Taylor). When Dory learns that a college acquaintance named Chantal (Clare McNulty) has gone missing, she latches on to the case and quickly becomes obsessed with tracking down Chantal. Folks who are familiar with "Search Party" know the murder mystery premise really only lasts for the first season, but that doesn't make the series any less worth your time.
As long as we focus on Season 1, there are numerous similarities between "Search Party" and "Only Murders in the Building." In both series a group bands together to solve a mystery. In both series, the investigation takes over their lives, leading the characters into increasingly dangerous and bizarre situations. And just like "Only Murders," "Search Party" has excellent scores on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window
Netflix's domestic mystery parody "The Woman in the House Across the Street..." doesn't quite live up to its potential, but it certainly belongs on this list. The series stars Kristen Bell as Anna, a suburbanite drowning her sorrows in wine when her marriage falls apart after the death of her daughter. After an extended period of wallowing in depression and mixing her wine with psychiatric drugs, Anna cannot tell the difference between reality and her vivid hallucinations.
Anna develops a crush on a widower, Neil (Tom Riley), who has moved in across the street with his daughter, Emma (Samsara Leela Yett). Anna becomes disappointed when Neil's flight attendant girlfriend Lisa (Shelley Hennig) dashes Anna's hopes of a happy ending with her new neighbor. While spying on Neil's house, Anna believes she witnesses Lisa's murder, but the police don't believe her and suggest that too wine and pills are skewing her judgement. Anna is determined to solve the crime on her own, despite her uncertainty of her own perceptions.
Netflix's miniseries is based on a novel and obviously takes inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window" by building its mystery around a shut-in. "Only Murders" and "The Woman in the House Across the Street..." are both domestic mysteries that play with the tropes of their genre.
The Flight Attendant
HBO's "The Flight Attendant" is about Cassie Bowden (Kaley Cuoco), a flight attendant who meets a charming and handsome man (Michiel Huisman) on a flight. After a wild blackout night of drinking together in Bangkok, Thailand, Cassie wakes up in the man's hotel room, only to discover his dead body next to her.
As the show continues, Cassie tries to piece together what really happened, hoping to exonerate herself. But much like the investigative trio from "Only Murders," Cassie finds herself pulled deeper into a mystery that she might not be able to untangle herself from. Cassie has the help of her best friend, Annie (Zosia Mamet) who is a high-powered attorney, and her coworkers Megan (Rosie Perez) and Shane (Griffin Matthews), but it quickly becomes difficult for Cassie to know who she can trust as the conspiracy surrounding Alex's death expands.
Like "Only Murders," "The Flight Attendant" is both a murder mystery and comedy, blending the two genres while expertly eliciting laughs and suspense. The mysteries in both series are twisting and convoluted, but brilliantly explored and the ensemble casts are excellent. "The Flight Attendant" explores the characters' secrets and past in similar ways as "Only Murders" and keeps you on your toes. Also like "Only Murders," "The Flight Attendant" has the semi-official seal of approval of Rotten Tomatoes.
Veronica Mars
No list of series featuring independent sleuths would be complete if we didn't include "Veronica Mars," the millennial OG private investigator who is fluent in sarcasm. This series began in 2004 as a teen mystery series, and its rabid fanbase led to a subsequent crowd-funded movie in 2014 and a revival season on Hulu in 2019. The series follows Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) as she investigates the seedy underbelly of Neptune, California, with her father, private detective Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni).
Any series about a young woman growing up will be about her relationships and friendships, but this series also highlights crimes as well as Veronica's special friendship with her father, Keith. In this way, the series is like "Only Murders" because it features a relationship that transcends generations. Despite this series revolving around the crime world in Neptune, it is comedically rich in part because of the chemistry between Bell and Colantoni.
If you loved the genre-bending, murder-mystery-comedy in Hulu's "Only Murders" you will enjoy the sharp wit and complex mysteries in "Veronica Mars." This series has an excellent ensemble cast, and excellent scores on Rotten Tomatoes.