Best tv shows like Ray Donovan
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Set in the sprawling mecca of the rich and famous, Ray Donovan does the dirty work for LA's top power players, and makes their problems disappear. His father's unexpected release from prison sets off a chain of events that shakes the Donovan family to its core.
IMDB Rating: 8.3
IMDB Votes: 92000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: serious, captivating, clever, tense, stylized, realistic, crime drama, erotic, neo noir, dramatic
Best tv shows and movies like Ray Donovan (2013):
Similar in 87%
King & Maxwell (2013)
Plot Summary:
Sean King and Michelle Maxwell aren't your typical pair of private investigators. As discredited Secret Service agents, their unique skills often give them a leg up on suspects and conventional law enforcement. He's charming and always one step ahead of the game; she's a fearless force to be reckoned with. As a team, they're unstoppable.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: exciting, realistic, cliffhanger, captivating, tense, detective, serious, suspenseful
Similar in 84%
The Client List (2011)
Plot Summary:
Riley Parks delicately balances two starkly different lives -- one as a single mom in a conservative town struggling to provide for her family and the other as a savvy and ambitious businesswoman working with a rowdy, sexy and unpredictable group of women.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 42 min
Plot tags: sexy, sentimental, touching, serious, erotic, captivating, suspense, sexual, sitcom, realistic
Similar in 80%
Ray Donovan: The Movie (2022)
Plot Summary:
A showdown decades in the making brings the Donovan family legacy full circle. As the events that made Ray who he is today finally come to light, the Donovans find themselves drawn back to Boston to face the past. Each of them struggles to overcome their violent upbringing, but destiny dies hard, and only their fierce love for each other keeps them in the fight.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, disturbing, psychological, neo noir, psychological thriller, psycho film
Similar in 77%
Red Widow (2013)
Plot Summary:
When Marta Walraven's mob husband is brutally murdered, she takes on gangsters and the FBI to unveil the truth about his death. As she digs into this dark underworld, she'll test her own strength, relying on her resourcefulness, determination and family ties like never before. To get out of this mob, she needs to beat the bad guys at their own deadly game.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: serious, tense, suspenseful, realistic, captivating, exciting
Similar in 86%
Kingdom (2014)
Plot Summary:
A raw family drama set against the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in Venice, California. Alvey Kulina owns Navy St. MMA with the help of his girlfriend Lisa Prince. He is willing to go through extraordinary means to make sure his fighters are taken care of, but all of this responsibility comes at a steep price. He has complicated relationships with both of his sons, Jay and Nate, who are both struggling with their own identities and places within Alvey’s life and gym.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: rough, serious, exciting, captivating, realistic, erotic, dramatic, crime drama, sensual, bleak
Similar in 83%
Boss (2011)
Plot Summary:
Boss is an American political drama television serial created by Farhad Safinia. The series stars Kelsey Grammer as Tom Kane, the mayor of Chicago, who has recently been diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies, a degenerative neurological disorder.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 56 min
Plot tags: rough, serious, clever, captivating, political, cynical, realistic, erotic, psychological thriller, dramatic
Similar in 80%
Spotless (2015)
Plot Summary:
Set in London, SPOTLESS is the story of a troubled crime scene cleaner, Jean, whose tidy life is turned upside down when his outlaw brother Martin crash lands into his world, entangling them in the deadly dynamics of organized crime.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: UK, France
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, rough, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 76%
Southland (2009)
Plot Summary:
Since premiering in 2009, Southland has redefined the police drama with its raw, authentic look at the lives and work of Los Angeles detectives and beat cops. The show centers on four main characters: Officer John Cooper (Cudlitz), a seasoned cop who will have to prove himself again after recovering from surgery; Officer Ben Sherman (McKenzie), who still has much to learn after recently completing his training rotation; Detective Lydia Adams (King), whose unending caseload hits closer to home; and Sammy Bryant (Hatosy), a former detective who decided to go back to being a uniform cop after the traumatic death of his partner.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 29000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 42 min
Plot tags: detective, captivating, serious, rough, realistic, suspenseful, exciting, epic, anime, thrilling
Similar in 77%
Dirty Sexy Money (2007)
Plot Summary:
The Darling family's obscene wealth and enormous power makes them easy targets for their rivals, enemies, and the tabloids. Patriarch Tripp uses his money and influence to shield his five adult children from the prying eyes of the world. As the Darlings' reluctant personal lawyer, Nick George has barely begun to discover the legal - and illegal - needs of the family. Blackmail threats. Questionable deals. Illegitimate children. Illicit affairs. It will take every trick he can think of to keep them out of the tabloids - and out of jail. But if he can solve his father's mysterious death, it might be worth the hassle. Enter a seductive world of glamorous people, exclusive parties and delicious intrigue.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: sexy, realistic, serious, talky, stylized, sexual
Similar in 78%
Scandal (2012)
Plot Summary:
Everyone has secrets and Olivia Pope has dedicated her life to protecting and defending the public images of the elite by keeping those secrets under wraps. Pope and her team are at the top of their game when it comes to getting the job done for their clients, but it becomes apparent that these "gladiators in suits," who specialize in fixing the lives of other people, have trouble fixing those closest at hand -- their own.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 79000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: political thriller, serious, political, realistic, clever, bleak, erotic, sexy, sad, soap opera
Similar in 86%
Bosch (2014)
Plot Summary:
Based on Michael Connelly's best-selling novels, these are the stories of relentless LAPD homicide Detective Harry Bosch who pursues justice at all costs. But behind his tireless momentum is a man who is haunted by his past and struggles to remain loyal to his personal code: “Everybody counts or nobody counts.”.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 81000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 51 min
Plot tags: realistic, serious, exciting, detective, neo noir, tense, crime drama, mind blowing, crime thriller, gloomy
Similar in 88%
Sneaky Pete (2015)
Plot Summary:
A con man on the run from a vicious gangster takes cover from his past by assuming the identity of his prison cellmate, Pete, “reuniting” with Pete’s estranged family, a colorful, dysfunctional group that threatens to drag him into a world just as dangerous as the one he’s trying to escape - and, just maybe, give him a taste of the loving family he’s never had.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 40000
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: captivating, ironic, melancholic, suspenseful, entertaining, dark, independent film, psychological thriller, interesting, psycho film
Similar in 88%
Weeds (2005)
Plot Summary:
Weeds is an American dark comedy-drama series created by Jenji Kohan. The central character is Nancy Botwin, a widowed mother of two boys who begins selling cannabis to support her family after her husband dies suddenly of a heart attack. Over the course of the show, she and her family become increasingly entangled in illegal activities.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 116000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 28 min
Plot tags: humorous, dark comedy, sitcom, witty, realistic, cynical, erotic, funny, offbeat, explicit
Similar in 86%
White Collar (2009)
Plot Summary:
Neal Caffrey, a con man, forger and thief, is captured after a three-year game of cat and mouse with the FBI. With only months left serving a four-year sentence, he escapes to look for Kate, his girlfriend. Peter Burke, the FBI agent who initially captured Caffrey, finds and returns him to prison. This time, Caffrey proposes a deal with the FBI, as part of a work-release program. After some hesitation, Burke agrees, and thus begins this unconventional arrangement where Caffrey helps Burke apprehend white collar criminals.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 139000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 40 min
Plot tags: exciting, captivating, light, serious, intellectual, entertaining, suspenseful, realistic, detective, thought provoking
Similar in 88%
The Americans (2013)
Plot Summary:
Set during the Cold War period in the 1980s, The Americans is the story of Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, two Soviet KGB officers posing as an American married couple in the suburbs of Washington D.C. and their neighbor, Stan Beeman, an FBI Counterintelligence agent.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 109000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: exciting, realistic, captivating, atmospheric, suspenseful, dramatic, sexy, neo noir, political, dark
Similar in 81%
House of Cards (2013)
Plot Summary:
Set in present day Washington, D.C., House of Cards is the story of Frank Underwood, a ruthless and cunning politician, and his wife Claire who will stop at nothing to conquer everything. This wicked political drama penetrates the shadowy world of greed, sex and corruption in modern D.C. House of Cards is an adaptation of a previous BBC miniseries of the same name, which is based on the novel by Michael Dobbs.
IMDB Rating: 8.6
IMDB Votes: 524000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 3804 min
Plot tags: political, serious, clever, captivating, tense, talky, postmodern, cynical, intellectual, exciting
Similar in 90%
The Borgias (2011)
Plot Summary:
Set in 15th century Italy at the height of the Renaissance, The Borgias chronicles the corrupt rise of patriarch Rodrigo Borgia to the papacy, where he proceeds to commit every sin in the book to amass and retain power, influence and enormous wealth for himself and his family.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 53000
Genere: Crime, Drama, History, Romance
Country: USA, Hungary, Ireland, Canada
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: serious, clever, captivating, epic, costume drama, historical drama, realistic, stylized, political, period piece
Similar in 77%
The Black Donnellys (2007)
Plot Summary:
Meet the Donnelly brothers: Tommy, Jimmy, Kevin and Sean. There is nothing these four Irish brothers wouldn't do to protect each other, and for them that means lying, cheating, stealing and, occasionally, calling the cops. Narrated by wannabe gangster Joey "Ice Cream," this gritty series bears witness to the Donnelly brothers' sudden involvement in organized crime, focusing on how they go from boys to mobsters, and showing how their new life affects their relationships with friends, family and lovers.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: rough, captivating, realistic, suspenseful, serious, erotic, exciting, dramatic, anime, thrilling
Similar in 81%
Magic City (2012)
Plot Summary:
Set in 1959 Miami, Florida shortly after the Cuban Revolution, Magic City tells the story of Ike Evans, the owner of Miami's most glamorous hotel, the Miramar Playa. Evans is forced to make an ill-fated deal with Miami mob boss Ben Diamond to ensure the success of his glitzy establishment.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: tense, atmospheric, serious, stylized, erotic, sexy, dramatic, anime, sensual, realistic
Similar in 87%
The Sopranos (1999)
Plot Summary:
The Sopranos is an American television drama created by David Chase. The series revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads. Those difficulties are often highlighted through his ongoing professional relationship with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi. The show features Tony's family members and Mafia associates in prominent roles and story arcs, most notably his wife Carmela and his cousin and protégé Christopher Moltisanti.
IMDB Rating: 9.2
IMDB Votes: 450000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 55 min
Plot tags: serious, cynical, captivating, clever, rough, dramatic, psychological, realistic, stylized, neo noir
Similar in 86%
Boardwalk Empire (2010)
Plot Summary:
Boardwalk Empire is a period drama focusing on Enoch "Nucky" Thompson (based on the historical Enoch L. Johnson), a political figure who rose to prominence and controlled Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition period of the 1920s and 1930s. Nucky interacts with several historical figures in both his personal and political life, including mobsters, politicians, government agents, and the common folk who look up to him. The federal government also takes an interest in the bootlegging and other illegal activities in the area, sending agents to investigate possible mob connections but also looking at Nucky's lifestyle—expensive and lavish for a county political figure. Primetime Emmy Award-winning screenwriter and producer Terence Winter adapted the show from Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City, a book by Nelson Johnson about historical criminal kingpin Enoch L. Johnson.
IMDB Rating: 8.6
IMDB Votes: 200000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 55 min
Plot tags: serious, costume drama, atmospheric, captivating, suspenseful, tense, rough, clever, realistic, stylized
Similar in 90%
Brotherhood (2006)
Plot Summary:
A working-class Irish family rules a city built on loyalty and corruption. The Caffee brothers, Tommy, a rising politician desperate for reelection, and Michael, a hardened criminal returning from seven years on the run and eager to reclaim his turf, fight for survival on opposite sides of the law. In their ruthless quest for power, the entire Caffee family is driven to lies, betrayal and infidelity -- threatening to tear them and the city of Providence, RI apart.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: realistic, atmospheric, serious, suspenseful, political, dramatic, captivating, erotic, dark drama, clever
Similar in 84%
Animal Kingdom (2016)
Plot Summary:
The series centers on 17-year-old Joshua "J" Cody, who moves in with his freewheeling relatives in their Southern California beach town after his mother dies of a heroin overdose. Headed by boot-tough matriarch Janine "Smurf" Cody and her right-hand Baz, who runs the business and calls the shots, the clan also consists of Pope, the oldest and most dangerous of the Cody boys; Craig, the tough and fearless middle son; and Deran, the troubled, suspicious "baby" of the family.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 43000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: exciting, tense, captivating, erotic, sexy, anime, sensual, crime thriller
Similar in 85%
Sons of Anarchy (2008)
Plot Summary:
An adrenalized drama with darkly comedic undertones that explores a notorious outlaw motorcycle club’s (MC) desire to protect its livelihood while ensuring that their simple, sheltered town of Charming, California remains exactly that, charming. The MC must confront threats from drug dealers, corporate developers, and overzealous law officers. Behind the MC’s familial lifestyle and legally thriving automotive shop is a ruthless and illegal arms business driven by the seduction of money, power, and blood.
IMDB Rating: 8.6
IMDB Votes: 317000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: tense, exciting, serious, suspenseful, rough, dramatic, epic, erotic, christian film, atmospheric
Similar in 81%
True Detective (2014)
Plot Summary:
An American anthology police detective series utilizing multiple timelines in which investigations seem to unearth personal and professional secrets of those involved, both within or outside the law.
IMDB Rating: 8.9
IMDB Votes: 618000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 55 min
Plot tags: neo noir, serious, atmospheric, anthology, gloomy, realistic, southern gothic, clever, stylized, captivating
Similar in 85%
Breaking Bad (2008)
Plot Summary:
When Walter White, a New Mexico chemistry teacher, is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of only two years left to live, he becomes filled with a sense of fearlessness and an unrelenting desire to secure his family's financial future at any cost as he enters the dangerous world of drugs and crime.
IMDB Rating: 9.5
IMDB Votes: 21000000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 3030 min
Plot tags: serious, captivating, tense, psychological, rough, cynical, neo noir, clever, dramatic, bleak
Similar in 83%
Better Call Saul (2015)
Plot Summary:
Six years before Saul Goodman meets Walter White. We meet him when the man who will become Saul Goodman is known as Jimmy McGill, a small-time lawyer searching for his destiny, and, more immediately, hustling to make ends meet. Working alongside, and, often, against Jimmy, is “fixer” Mike Erhmantraut. The series will track Jimmy's transformation into Saul Goodman, the man who puts “criminal” in “criminal lawyer".
IMDB Rating: 9.0
IMDB Votes: 620000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 3154 min
Plot tags: witty, stylized, tense, realistic, captivating, psychological, crime drama, dark comedy, neo noir, semi serious
Similar in 75%
Dexter (2006)
Plot Summary:
Dexter is an American television drama series. The series centers on Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter pattern analyst for 'Miami Metro Police Department' who also leads a secret life as a serial killer, hunting down criminals who have slipped through the cracks of justice.
IMDB Rating: 8.7
IMDB Votes: 753000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 5076 min
Plot tags: captivating, clever, serious, stylized, tense, atmospheric, disturbing, bloody, suspenseful, offbeat
Similar in 75%
Peaky Blinders (2013)
Plot Summary:
A gangster family epic set in 1919 Birmingham, England and centered on a gang who sew razor blades in the peaks of their caps, and their fierce boss Tommy Shelby, who means to move up in the world.
IMDB Rating: 8.8
IMDB Votes: 621000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 2109 min
Plot tags: serious, atmospheric, tense, stylized, captivating, clever, suspenseful, rough, historical drama, realistic
Similar in 80%
Power (2014)
Plot Summary:
James “Ghost” St. Patrick has it all: a beautiful wife, a gorgeous Manhattan penthouse, and the hottest, up-and-coming new nightclub in New York. His club, Truth, caters to the elite: the famous and infamous boldface names that run the city that never sleeps. As its success grows, so do Ghost’s plans to build an empire. However, Truth hides an ugly reality. It’s a front for Ghost’s criminal underworld; a lucrative drug network, serving only the wealthy and powerful. As Ghost is seduced by the prospect of a legitimate life, everything precious to him becomes unknowingly threatened. Once you're in, can you ever get out?.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 51000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, realistic, captivating, erotic, entertaining, anime, crime drama, sensual, independent film