12 international whodunnits worth watching
Let's take a whodunnit world tour!
Whether you're seeking escapism courtesy of a foreign locale or want to practice that language you're learning on Duolingo — or you've simply run out of U.S. shows to watch — there's a whole world of great TV to dive into. When it comes to mysteries, we've got you covered with our latest addition to Whodunnit Week: a list of twist-filled tales that deliver entertainment and culture in equal measure.
<i>Smother</i>
The Ahern family's troubles make for enticing television. Set in a small Irish town, Smother follows Val Ahern (Dervla Kirwan) as she tries to uncover what happened on the night of her husband's death. While their relationship was far from ideal, Val goes to far lengths to protect her family, even though she starts to believe they could have had something to do with his death. Smother moves the main action of a criminal investigation away from the authorities to a person without training, armed mainly with her determination to find the truth. What begins as an investigation of one mysterious death turns into a series of exposed secrets, massive lies and deep betrayals that threatens to tear Val's family apart.
Smother is available to stream on Peacock.
<i>Lady Voyeur</i>
Hacker Miranda (Débora Nascimento) is a complicated woman and that's what makes her the perfect character to put at the center of Brazilian erotic thriller Lady Voyeur. A typical day for her includes spying on her neighbor Cléo (Emanuelle Araújo) as she has sex with clients in her apartment. Life gets exponentially more complicated for Miranda when Cléo asks her to dog sit, and she ends up sleeping with Fernando (Nikolas Antunes), one of Cléo's clients, and accidentally killing another one after he tries to force himself on her. To repay Fernando for helping to cover up the death, Miranda offers to use her computer skills to help him. Miranda then ends up in serious danger after getting deeply involved in Fernando's troubling affairs and a complex criminal investigation. What follows is a series of melodramatic twists and complicated characters with nefarious agendas that results in a wild thrill ride.
Lady Voyeur is available to stream on Netflix.
<i>Woman of the Dead</i>
Undertaker Brunhilde Blum (Anna Maria Mühe) has always felt different, so she was happy to find an accepting partner in her husband Mark (Maximilian Krauss). After he is killed right in front of her, Brunhilde only has vengeance on her mind and begins to hunt down those responsible. Austrian thriller Woman of the Dead stands out because it's about what we will do for the ones we love. Taking matters into her own hands makes the investigation messier, both because of Brunhilde's lack of training and the violence that ensues as she hunts her prey. There's a lot of heart on Woman of the Dead, both figuratively and literally.
Woman of the Dead is available to stream on Netflix.
<i>My Life Is Murder </i>
Lucy Lawless brings us down under in the lighthearted procedural My Life Is Murder. The beloved actress plays the charming bread-baking P.I. Alexa Crowe. The former police officer fills her days in retirement by selling bread and helping the police with cases. The magic of My Life Is Murder lies in Crowe and her tech-savvy assistant Madison Feliciano (Ebony Vagulans) as a crime-fighting duo. The first season is set in Australia before heading to New Zealand, each location filled with eye candy, both in the detectives Alexa consults for and the men whose shops she sells bread in. Plus, you get some wonderful escapism from the comfort of your own home.
My Life is Murder is available to stream on Acorn TV.
<i>Signora Volpe</i>
Set in the beautiful Italian city of Umbria, Signora Volpe delivers both beautiful sights and enticing mysteries. MI6 agent Sylvia Fox (Emilia Fox) goes there for her niece's wedding after she becomes disillusioned with her work. What she finds there isn't just family, but trouble when the truth about her niece's future husband is revealed. The first season features movie-length episodes where Sylvia, affectionately known as Signora Volpe by the very handsome Capitano Riva (Giovanni Cirfiera), balances family and crime — with a dash of espionage.
Signora Volpe is available to stream on Acorn TV.
<i>Triptych</i>
Imagine walking up to a dead body and seeing your own face. That's what happens to forensics expert Becca (Maite Perroni) when she's called to the crime scene on Triptych. Based loosely on true events, the Mexican thriller centers on Becca and the two identical sisters she didn't know existed. Maite's work playing the trio is reminiscent of Orphan Black. Becca's investigation into her own past dives into geopolitical history, the debate around what limits should be put on experimentation, and the complicated lives of the three very different women.
Triptych is available to stream on Netflix.
<i>The Law According to Lidia Poët</i>
Lidia Poët (Matilda De Angelis) is here to make history! Inspired by the story of Italy's first female lawyer, The Law According to Lidia Poët follows Lidia, who loses her license to practice law because she's a woman and has to fight to overturn the court's decision. Lidia's determination to use her wit to solve crimes despite the official ruling is what makes her a character worth following. The cases aren't simply difficult, but Lidia has to navigate around massive obstacles to help other people and get to the bottom of mysteries. In a society that doesn't believe she is capable of doing what she dreams of, Lidia finds herself having to trick authorities and her lawyer brother to get them to even take a look at cases or suspects she finds.
The Law According to Lidia Poët is available to stream on Netflix.
<i>Shetland</i>
Jimmy Pérez (Douglas Henshall) is here to welcome you to Shetland. Set in the Scottish town the show is named after, this crime series follows D.I. Pérez and his team as they solve crimes. The series delivers a sense of community with the way Jimmy and his unit work hard to take care of the town. Of Pérez's team members, Allison O'Donnell's D.S. McIntosh is a standout. Known affectionately as Tosh, she is often given the heaviest storylines while also delivering moments of levity. The personal touch dials up the drama at times on Shetland, but it also pulls the viewer into the action.
Shetland is available to stream on BritBox.
<i>Vigil</i>
Vigil brings the action out to the deep blue sea! D.C.I. Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) has to find the truth when there's a death aboard a nuclear-powered submarine. On her own, she has to extract the details from the tight-knit crew that is keeping a slew of secrets, only some of which have to do with the death. Meanwhile, D.S. Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie), who has some unresolved personal issues with D.C.I. Silva, is on land following up on leads from the submarine. With both its central mystery and the personal relationships (between the two officers and aboard the submarine), Vigil is firing on all cylinders. Just hopefully none of its missiles.
Vigil is available to stream on Peacock.
<i>Recipes For Love and Murder</i>
South African dark comedy Recipes For Love and Murder serves up mystery with a side of delicious food. Culinary master and food writer Maria "Tannie Maria" Purvis (Maria Doyle Kennedy) takes on a new challenge at her paper as the newest advice columnist, but when one of the women writing to her is murdered, everything changes. Hiding her own complex history, Tannie Maria makes it her mission to discover what happened as their small community comes to terms with the murder. Recipes For Love and Murder is a delectable mix of light and dark as the harrowing crime gets investigated and Tannie Maria continues to care for her friends, and readers, through food.
Recipes For Love and Murder is available to stream on Acorn TV.
<i>Stranger</i>
Stranger's secret weapon is chemistry. The South Korean drama's duo made up of Hwang Si-mok (Cho Seung-woo), a talented prosecutor lacking social skills, and honest Police Lieutenant Han Yeo-jin (Bae Doona) is its heart and soul. Hwang Si-mok's seemingly impenetrable exterior is no match for Han Yeo-jin's dogged hunt for the truth. The pair works because of their chemistry even when they crash into one another in pursuit of the same answers. There's a complicated political conspiracy to contend with, which complements the hilarious human dynamic at the center of Stranger.
Stranger is available to stream on Acorn TV.
<i>Inspector Koo</i>
Koo Kyung-yi (Lee Young-ae) is content with her reclusive life and spending her days gaming when Na Je-hee (Kwak Sun-young) shows up. Inspired by Killing Eve, South Korean series Inspector Koo centers on a cat-and-mouse game between an insurance investigator and a serial killer. Na Je-hee is a wildly interesting character to follow as she tries to hunt the killer who is making her murders look like accidents. Inspector Koo has a very specific tone that may not work for everyone, but if you're into it, then you'll have a great time watching Na Je-hee and the elusive killer K circle one another.
Inspector Koo is available to stream on Netflix.
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