Two of our favourite genre of TV shows are romantic dramas and tense thrillers. So what do you get when you combine the two? Arguably some of the best series on TV. There's something deeply watchable when romance series are shaken and stirred with a few thrills. So, we're here to bring you the romantic thrillers that we consider to be genuinely brilliant.
From Robin Wright's star turn as a mother suspicious of her son's new partner in The Girlfriend, to a Richard Armitage must-watch. So, sit back and relax, as these are the 10 best romance thrillers to watch now on Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video and more.
The best romantic thrillers
You
If you've never watched You, consider this your sign. On first impressions, You's central character, Joe Goldberg (Penn Badley), is a catch. He's sensitive, smart and funny, plus he worships every woman he dates. Which sounds great, right? Wrong. Obsessive is not strong enough a word to describe Joe Goldberg. Determined to make whichever woman he's interested in, he does anything he can to remove any obstacles – or people – out of the way. There's 50 episodes of You to enjoy, spread across five series, with the finale ready and waiting. Should be enough to get us through the weekend. You is available to watch on Netflix.
His & Hers
Based on Alice Feeney’s book of the same name, Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal lead His & Hers as Anna Andrews and Jack Harper, estranged spouses with an intriguing connection to a shocking murder. Anna lives in haunted reclusion, having drifted away from friends and her career as a news anchor, but when she overhears talk about the murder in Dahlonega - the sleepy north Georgia town where she grew up - she takes it up on herself to investigate the case. This comes as a troubling shock to Jack, who happens to be the actual detective leading the investigation. Expect a seriously shocking finale. His & Hers is available to watch now on Netflix.
Behind Her Eyes
Be warned, Behind Her Eyes is the kind of show that will make you shout at your TV. Louise (Simona Brown) is a single mum to a young boy and works part time at a psychiatry. Life if going well for Louise, until she begins an affair with her boss, Dr David Ferguson (Tom Bateman). To make it even more complex, she can't help but strike up a friendship with his wife, Adele (Eve Hewson). Obsessed, Louise then starts researching their relationship, trying to dig up dirt. Expect a 5/5 twisty watch. Behind Her Eyes is available to watch now on Netflix.
56 Days
This is a classic story of meet-cute ending in murder. In 56 Days Oliver Kennedy (Avan Jogia) and Ciara Wyse (Dove Cameron) bump into each other at a supermarket and instantly hit it off, embarking on a passionate and intense relationship. But when a body is later found, police suspect Oliver and Ciara's budding romance spells something much darker. 56 Days is available to watch now on Prime Video.
Tell Me Lies
If you want to watch a beyond toxic 'will they, won't they' Tell Me Lies is the show for you. The romantic thriller starts with the blossoming relationship between college students, Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White) and follows them over the course of eight years in two alternating timelines. But it's far from smooth sailing and along the way, you can expect lies, emotional manipulation and shocking betrayal. Tell Me Lies is available to watch now on Disney+
Missing You
Over a decade ago, detective Kat Donovan's (Rosalind Eleazar) fiancé Josh (Ashley Walters) disappeared, and yet one day - completely out of the blue - she discovers him on her dating app and everything she thought she knew about him is called into question. Adapted from the novel of the same name by the undisputed king of crime thrillers, Harlan Coben, the series is packed secrets and thrills. Missing You is available to watch now on Netflix.
The Couple Next Door
In The Couple Next Door's first series, we're introduced to couple, Evie (Eleanor Tomlinson) and Pete (Alfred Enoch), who find themselves in a world of curtain twitching and status anxiety when they move into an upscale neighbourhood. Things start to improve when they befriend their next-door neighbours, fellow couple Danny (Sam Heughan) and his wife, Becka (Jessica De Gouw), but on one fateful night, they become entangled in a way that will change their lives forever. Series 2 stars a new main couple, heart surgeon Charlotte (Annabel Scholey) and anaesthetist Jacob (Sam Palladio) - and it's just as explosive. This one might well be better than The Affair. The Couple Next Door is available to watch now on Channel 4.
The Girlfriend
Want to talk about mummy issues? Watch The Girlfriend. When Daniel (Laurie Davidson) takes his new girlfriend, Cherry (Olivia Cooke), home to meet his mother Laura (Robin Wright) for the first time, she senses something is off. But rather than let her son make his own mistakes, and live his own life, she of course starts to meddle in his relationship. Naturally, it doesn't go down well with Daniel, whose attempts to set boundaries are ignored by his mother. As Laura starts investigating who Cherry really is and gets further to the truth, things take a very dark - and very dramatic - turn. The Girlfriend is available to watch now on Prime Video.
Obsession
Richard Armitage takes a break from Harlan Coben thrillers to star in another Netflix blockbuster - this time in the form of romance thriller, Obsession. He plays William, renowned brain surgeon, who leads a charmed life with his wife and adult children. But trouble starts after he meets his son’s girlfriend, Anna (Charlie Murphy), and sparks fly. Throwing caution to the wind, they begin an ill-advised and passionate affair, but is the sizeable collateral damage worth it? Obsession is available to watch now on Netflix.
The Perfect Couple
This brilliantly escapist series introduces us to Amelia Sacks (Eve Hewson), who’s about to marry into one of Nantucket’s wealthiest families – in a high-society wedding funded by the groom’s mother, Greer Garrison Winbury (Nicole Kidman), no less. But, when a dead body appears on the beach, things take a devastating turn – and pre-wedding joy is quickly replaced by suspicion. The Perfect Couple is available to watch now on Netflix.
