Here Are 19 Series To Watch If You Just Finished "Ozark"

It wouldn't be right if we didn't recommend Breaking Bad.

Ozark has returned for its fourth season! Blue hues and methodically escalating drama is what many of us have been craving.

Netflix

Last season cemented it as one of TV's greats, and it's super rewarding for those of us who saw its potential!

If you’ve already binged the fourth season, here are some shows we think you’d like if you love Ozark!

1. Breaking Bad (2008 – 2013)

Sony Pictures Television

Middle-aged family man and chemistry teacher Walter White has cancer and needs to pay his medical bills. Running into a troubled old student of his, he has an opportunity; make, and somehow sell, the purest meth the US drug market has ever seen.   

Fans of Ozark will love it because: Breaking Bad was the blueprint. I know comparing them annoys fans of both shows, but the two share many elements and plot points. But it's pretty amazing that both shows end up being to be so distinct.

Starring: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn. 

Where to watch: Netflix (UK/US)

Sony Pictures Television

2. True Detective – Season 3 (2019)

Warner Bros. Television Distribution

A murdered boy and his missing sister – a case that wasn't closed properly in the eyes of detective Wayne Hays. Struggling to retain his memory, detective Hays must open old wounds, as his guilt is laid bare when he takes part in a true-crime documentary being made on the crimes that traumatised his town.  

Fans of Ozark will love it because: It's set across three time periods in the Ozarks (!), and also like its first season, it's a dark, emotionally complex and a completely stand-alone series. 

Starring: Mahershala Ali, Stephen Dorff, Carmen Ejogo.  

Where to watch: NOW TV (UK), HBO Max (US)

Warner Bros. Television Distribution

3. Succession (2018)

Warner Bros. Television Distribution

The "Waystar RoyCo" conglomerate is a media juggernaut, and Logan Roy is its head. Logan’s also the patriarch of the Roy family, and is due to step back from his leadership position, handing the reigns to one of his family members. Despite serious health concerns, he doesn't – and his family all want control. 

Fans of Ozark will love it because: Money and family are at the heart of this show, and the absurd wealth is the source of the pettiest and most hilarious characters on TV. 

Starring: Brian Cox, Sarah Snook, Jeremy Strong.  

Where to watch: NOW TV (UK), HBO Max (US)

Warner Bros. Television Distribution

4. Sneaky Pete (2015 – 2019)

Amazon Studios

Marius Josipović is a recently released convict, but he's far from free. Immediately set upon by a criminal he owes money to, there’s no way he’s escaping his past life. His best option – change his identity. Assuming the identity of Pete Murphy, his former cellmate, Marius tracks down Pete's family. The family runs a bail bond business, and the new "Pete" is going to need it. 

Fans of Ozark will love it because: The family have never actually met the real Pete; he spoke about them, despite being estranged. The scenario gives it a surprising amount of comedy, and you can definitely notice the influence of showrunner Bryan Cranston in this. 

Starring: Giovanni Ribisi, Libe Barer, Bryan Cranston 

Where to watch: Prime Video (UK/US)

Amazon Studios

5. Better Call Saul (2015 – 2022)

Sony Pictures Television

Jimmy McGill, a struggling lawyer in Albuquerque, can't carry his law firm like his brother could, a very talented and respected man in the business who is unlikely to return to work anytime soon. We see how Jimmy becomes "Saul", someone with honest ambitions to a lawyer criminals use. 

Fans of Ozark will love it because: If you've seen Breaking Bad, you'll know Saul Goodman, the lawyer who becomes integral for Walter White's business. Many of us didn't expect a show that surpassed Breaking Bad, but that's what we got here. 

Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seahorn, Johnathan Banks. 

Where to watch: Netflix (UK/US)

Netflix

6. The Wire (2002 – 2008)

Warner Bros. Television Distribution

It's 2002; the war on drugs isn't working. In the city of Baltimore, detective James McNulty thinks he can break the cycle between the police and the low-level players of the drug business. He wants to go after those really responsible, but he and his colleagues are just as corrupt.  

Fans of Ozark will love it because: Aside from being just as detailed as it is dramatic, neither the law nor the drug kingpins are glamourised, something TV shows still struggle with today.

Starring: Dominic West, Michael Kenneth Williams, Idris Elba. 

Where to watch: NOW TV (UK), HBO Max (US) 

Warner Bros. Television Distribution

7. The Sopranos (1999 – 2007)

Warner Bros. Television Distribution

Tony Soprano is the head of the organised crime business in New Jersey, and his duties in this role and as a father is a constant and uneven balance. 

Fans of Ozark will love: It's violent, darkly funny, genuinely challenging, and it's still proof a mainstream TV show could indulge in a long-running story and character arcs. 

Starring: James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli.

Where to watch: NOW TV (UK), HBO Max (US)

Warner Bros. Television Distribution

8. Fargo (2014)

Disney–ABC Domestic Television

Set in lovely Minnesota (like the film!), an eccentric and very dangerous stranger, Lorne Malvo, comes to the town. This "complicates" the life of the nice and unassuming insurance man, Lester Nygaard, because Lorne is a killer. 

Fans of Ozark will love it because: Just like the film, it's a dark comedy, with very ordinary people finding themselves in bizarre, and often incredibly violent events. If you like the first season, you're set to love the rest!

Starring: Billy Bob Thorton, Martin Freeman, Colin Hanks.

Where to watch: Netflix (UK), Hulu (US)

Disney–ABC Domestic Television

9. Bloodline (2015 – 2017)

Netflix

The Rayburn family each has respectable careers and responsibilities. All except Danny Rayburn. The outcast and less "successful" member of the family has decided to return. Danny's return sets in motion a devastating chain of events that unravel the buried secrets and guilt of the Rayburns. 

Fans of Ozark will love it because: The journey this show takes you on is worth it for the absolutely stacked cast and their incredible performances, even if the ending is contentious for some fans.

Starring: Kyle Chandler, Linda Cardellini, Sissy Spacek. 

Where to watch: Netflix (UK/US) 

Netflix

10. Arrested Development (2003 – 2019)

Netflix

The Bluth family are spoilt and wealthy, owing to their real estate business in California. The dysfunctional family's wealth comes crashing down when Michael Bluth's dad is jailed. Stuck with a family who can’t handle this sudden change, and are kind of awful people, Michael finds himself unwittingly solving crisis after crisis.  

Fans of Ozark will love it because: Well, I had one friend call it the comedy version of Ozark. It was cancelled and then picked up years later by Netflix, went through a rough patch, but ultimately found its footing again. 

Starring: Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Jessica Walter.  

Where to watch: Netflix (UK/US) 

Netflix

11. Narcos (2015)

Netflix

Pablo Escobar is a household name. But many don't know the details of his rise in the Colombian drug trade. Narcos goes into just that, with its mix of pure fiction and real details. 

Fans of Ozark will love it because: These aren't loveable characters, and you won't find them endearing, but that's not the point. These characters are so interesting, and the narration by the character Steve Murphy (a real DEA agent who was literally involved with the case against Escobar) helps ground the events.

Starring: Pedro Pascal, Boyd Holbrook, Wagner Moura.  

Where to watch: Netflix (UK/US) 

Netflix

12. Animal Kingdom (2016)

Warner Bros. Television Distribution

Joshua Cody witnesses his mum overdose. Still a teenager with nowhere to go, he turns to the family his mum had kept him away from. In California, he meets his dangerous uncles, and Janine Cody, aka Smurf. His grandmother might seem like a caring mum, but she rules her house with aggressive and chaotic unpredictability. The moment Joshua is in, his uncles already have him on a job with them, committing armed robbery. 

Fans of Ozark will love it because:: Animal Kingdom gives us a look into a family that thrives on unorganised crime, with a matriarch at the head that revels in her manipulation. Janine is such an incredible character, it's worth watching the show for her alone. 

Starring: Ellen Barkin, Finn Cole, Ben Robson.  

Where to watch: Prime Video (UK/US)

Warner Bros. Television Distribution

13. The Americans (2013 – 2018)

Disney+

It's the height of the Cold War, and the Jennings family are the picture of a nuclear family living in America. But Philip and Elizabeth Jennings are anything but patriots. They're long-running KGB spies in an arranged marriage working for the USSR. 

Fans of Ozark will love it because:: It wouldn't be a great political drama if things went well for them. Their kids are completely unaware of their parent's true identity, and an FBI agent has just moved in next door. It portrays the time period and the politics in a really nuanced way.

Starring: Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Julia Garner. 

Where to watch: Disney+ (UK), Prime Video (US)

Disney+

14. Big Little Lies (2017 – 2019)

Warner Bros. Television Distribution

Someone's murdered at a school fundraiser event – something very alien for the well-to-do residents of Monterey. But the show resets the clock, back to before the murder. The crime gives us an insight into the lives of the town, more specifically the three mothers whose point of view we see the events from. 

Fans of Ozark will love it because: Celeste, Jane, and Madeline are different in many ways. But what so many people love about this show is the surprising depth characters get. Every time you think you've figured out a character, your assumptions are challenged.

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley. 

Where to watch: Virgin TV GO (UK), HBO Max (US) 

Warner Bros. Television Distribution

15. Mindhunter (2017)

Netflix

With the help of psychologist Wendy Carr, FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench are at the forefront of the agencies new program into finding out what exactly makes the serial killers tick. It's all done to help with future cases, but understanding the monsters they are after requires getting close to them, and the effects can be hard to shake off.  

Fans of Ozark will love it because: The show has as much of an obsession with the details of a scene as much as it does the characters. It's no surprise the showrunner was the director of The Zodiac Killer. 

Starring: Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, Anna Torv. 

Where to watch: Netflix (UK/US)

Netflix

16. Maid (2021)

Netflix

In the middle of the night, Alex Russell makes a brave decision – to take her two-year-old daughter and flee her abusive boyfriend. With little money and a complicated family situation, Alex must work as a house cleaner to survive and ensure her daughter's safety, all the while she holds onto her dream of being a writer. 

Fans of Ozark will love it because:: Maid is an honest look at how people deal with various manifestations of domestic abuse. It doesn't shy from how the working-class are treated, as Alex does her best to overcome a society that makes her fight for basic necessities. 

Starring: Margaret Qualley, Andie MacDowell, Nick Robinson. 

Where to watch: Netflix (UK/US) 

Netflix

17. The Outsider (2020)

HBO

In Georgia, a boy is murdered, and the crime is as shocking as it is gruesome. Detective Ralph Anderson has irrefutable evidence it was the boy's baseball coach, Terry Maitland. But there's a problem, Terry has equal proof that it wasn't him. With an overwhelming amount of conflicting evidence, Ralph must bring in outside investigator Holly Gibney, and without spoiling things, it begins to take a supernatural turn. 

Fans of Ozark will love it because:: Stephen King meets crime drama. Need I say more?

Starring: Jason Bateman, Ben Mendelsohn, Cynthia Erivo. 

Where to watch: SKY GO (UK), HBO Max (US) 

HBO

18. The Night Of (2016)

HBO

Naz is a student who needs a ride to a party, but it's all the way in Manhatten, and the only means of getting there is using his dad's taxi cab. His night takes a turn when a stranger – a beautiful woman – gets in the car. Enticed by where the night could go, Naz spends the evening with her. The next morning, she's dead and Naz has absolutely no idea what's happened. Attorney John Stone is the last thing between him and prison.

Fans of Ozark will love it because: The show manages to sustain intrigue and tension, which is impressive seeing as Naz finds himself on the cusp of his life being taken away at any point.

Starring: Riz Ahmed, John Turturro, Michael Kenneth Williams. 

Where to watch: NOW TV (UK), HBO Max (US)

HBO

19. Dopesick (2021)

Disney+

Purdue Pharma manufactures OxyContin, a painkiller that the manufacturer deemed non-addictive. Except as Dopesick shows, it certainly is, and the effects on people were and continue to be catastrophic. It's told from multiple perspectives, as they confront for-profit pharmaceuticals, with their lives potentially ruined by those who don't want to be exposed. 

Fans of Ozark will love it because:  Dopesick isn't pulling any punches, aiming straight at tackling one of the biggest issues in America – the opioid crisis. It's impressive the show even got made, given that it's based on very recent history. 

Starring: Michael Keaton, Will Poulter, Rosario Dawson. 

Where to watch: Disney+ (UK), Hulu (US) 

Disney+

Let me know in the comments what shows you recommend!