On the lookout for a New Zealand crime drama? – We’ve overed many differnt crime dramas before here, making sure to give you lists from all different parts of the world, and give you some of the best crime dramas there are. Well, this time, were heading over the pacific, where want to give you the top 10 crime drama set in New Zealand to watch in 2024.
Most of these are available to watch online for free, but a few have only just released, so it will be hard to find places to watch them for free. Included in this list are both Movies and TV shows.
10. Westside
Being a prequel to the Kiwi comedy drama Outrageous Fortune, this crime drama series set in New Zealand follows Rita, who after coming back from prison, discovers that the West family’s home is falling apart.
As the story progresses, Ted’s crew schemes to rob a group of South Africans in New Zealand, thwarting their plans to purchase land. At the same time, Rita is plotting her own heist, targeting property developer Evan Lace.
9. Dark City: The Cleaner
This New Zealand crime drama follows a manleading a quiet life of a woman called Joe who works as a janitor at the police station during the day.
However, when night falls, he assumes a darker role as a serial killer known as The Christchurch Carver. When the police investigate the murder of a woman in her home, they suspect The Carver is responsible, but Joe knows he’s not the one who did it.
https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-4474055489327117 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Based on the bestselling book series by Paul Cleave, this is certianly one of the more unknown crime drama TV series around at the moment, but with a great original plot to delve into, this is one you won’t want to miss.
8. Far North
In the Arctic, a shaman proclaims at Saiva’s (Michelle Yeoh) birth that she is cursed and destined to bring misfortune to anyone who crosses her path.
As a result, she is banished from her herding tribe and grows up as a nomad, raising a young girl named Anja (Michelle Krusiec) whom she adopts as a baby.
Their secluded life is disrupted when Loki (Sean Bean), a wounded and famished soldier, finds his way to them. Though the women tend to him, betrayal, violence, and tragedy soon follow.
7. Harry (2013)
While one of the more lesser known New Zealand crime drama’s, Harry still boasts and interesting and gripping story, as well as a feature from Sam Neill, who appeared as Chief Inspector Chester Campbell in Peaky Blinders.
So what is it about? Detective Harry Anglesea, still mourning his loss, returns to Auckland’s Major Crime Unit. However, his reckless actions reveal that he may not be as prepared to resume his duties as he believes.
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6. Underbelly NZ: Land of the Long Green Cloud
Spanning the years 1972 to 1980, this crime drama TV series follows Johnstone’s rise from petty criminal to a lavish lifestyle as a global drug kingpin, ultimately orchestrating his own downfall.
https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-4474055489327117 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Taking us back to the 70s and 80s, this inset certainly offers a different type of drama compared to the others on this list which set’s it apart. However, if you’re willing to give this a shot, then you may be pleasently surprised.
5. The Bad Seed
The Bad Seed is a 2019 crime drama series set in New Zealand centered on the Lampton family, whose seemingly perfect suburban life is thrown into chaos after their neighbor, Julia Stevens, is murdered. Simon Lampton, a respected obstetrician, becomes a prime suspect, while his troubled past resurfaces, further complicating the situation.
The series stars Matt Minto and Dean O’Gorman, with performances by Madeleine Sami, Jodie Hillock, Xavier Horan, and Chelsie Preston Crayford.
Co-written by Sarah-Kate Lynch, Joss King, and Michael Beran, and directed by Helena Brooks, Caroline Bell-Booth, and Mike Smith, the show is based on Charlotte Grimshaw’s best-selling novels The Night Book and Soon.
4. The Gulf
Not to be confused with the war that took place in Kuwait, or that area in general, this crime drama series set in New Zealand follows a Detective Jess Savage (Kate Elliott), who is involved in a tragic car accident.
Her life takes a dark turn as both her personal and professional worlds begin to fall apart. Struggling with memory loss from the crash, she juggles solving crimes on New Zealand’s Waiheke Island while seeking answers about her husband’s death, which happened in the same accident.
Despite the gaps in her memory, Jess is driven to uncover the truth and bring the responsible party to justice. The series has been dubbed New Zealand’s take on “scandi-noir
3. One Lane Bridge
Taking place on the beautiful island of Queenstown, this high-stakes crime drama is certyainly one of the better ones on this list, and most likely the reason you’ve stayed. So what’s aabout?
In the first season of One Lane Bridge, a young detective named Ariki Davis is assigned to investigate a murder at a notorious bridge in Queenstown, New Zealand.
As the case unfolds, he unknowingly taps into a dormant spiritual ability, putting both the investigation and his own life at risk, while jeopardizing his career. With 3 seasons and another maybe on the horizon, it might be time to take a look at this popular crime drama from New Zealand.
2. The Brokenwood Mysteries
The Brokenwood Mysteries is a New Zealand television series centered on Detective Inspector Mike Shepherd, who arrives in the quaint town of Brokenwood to probe a homicide.
Dispatched from Auckland, Shepherd is tasked with investigating the death of a local police officer, and as the investigation unfolds, he uncovers potential connections to a broader murder case, placing him at the forefront of the inquiry.
1. Top of the Lake
For the final New Zealand crime drama, were giving this sport to Top of the Lake, a very popular series which first came out in 2013 and ran all the way till 2017.
In a remote New Zealand town, detective Robin Griffin investigates the case of Tui Mitcham, a pregnant 12-year-old girl found in a freezing lake. Tui, daughter of a local drug lord, vanishes again, forcing Robin to confront her own past while navigating small-town secrets.
In “Top of the Lake: China Girl,” four years later in Sydney, Robin tries to rebuild her life after a traumatic experience. Her world is upended when the body of an Asian girl washes up at Bondi Beach, leading Robin into the city’s criminal underbelly as she uncovers dark secrets about the victim and herself.
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