From gritty true crime to stylish Nordic noir, from reimagined classics to bold new originals, crime storytelling continued to dominate the global content market. At MIPCOM 2025, some of the genre’s most anticipated series and documentaries took the international stage.
This year’s line-up captured the full spectrum of crime storytelling, from adaptations of cult novels by iconic authors and ambitious international co-productions to detectives deeply rooted in their cities and gripping true-crime stories. Crime remained one of the world’s most dynamic and sought-after genres.
In this feature, we spotlight the crime and true crime stories that sparked conversation at MIPCOM 2025, and may still become tomorrow’s global hits.
This article was featured in 221B Magazine’s MIPCOM 2025 issue.
Movistar Plus+ International
The Anatomy of a Moment
Adapted from Javier Cercas’ acclaimed book, The Anatomy of a Moment revisits one of Spain’s most pivotal events: the failed coup attempt of February 23, 1981, known as “23-F.” When Antonio Tejero stormed the Congress chamber with armed forces, the fate of Spanish democracy hung in the balance. Cercas’ narrative focuses on the three parliamentarians: Adolfo Suárez, Manuel Gutiérrez Mellado, and Santiago Carrillo, who remained seated as others fled, capturing a moment of defiance that shaped modern Spain.
Set to premiere on November 20, the miniseries is directed by Alberto Rodríguez (Marshland) and written by Rafa Cobos and Fran Araújo. Starring Álvaro Morte, Eduard Fernández, and Manolo Solo, it unfolds across just four tightly woven episodes, combining cinematic tension with historical fidelity to offer an incisive portrait of courage, politics, and national identity
The Nameless
Based on the unsettling novel by Ramsey Campbell, The Nameless (Los sin nombre) brings noir-inflected horror to Spanish television. The series follows Claudia (Miren Ibarguren), a grieving mother who lost her daughter seven years earlier, until she receives a chilling phone call: “Mom, it’s me. Come and save me.” Convinced her child may still be alive, Claudia enlists the help of ex-policeman Salazar (Rodrigo de la Serna), embarking on a desperate search that forces her to confront buried traumas and dangerous truths.
Created by Pol Cortecans and directed by Pau Freixas, the show also stars Milena Smit as Laura, adding emotional depth to the layered mystery. Combining family tragedy, psychological horror, and investigative suspense, The Nameless is a haunting new entry in Spain’s growing roster of internationally resonant crime dramas.
The Center
The Center is a high-stakes espionage drama set in the present day, but with Cold War echoes. When a murder uncovers an international operation by Russian intelligence services, a group of CNI agents are sent in a race against time to dismantle the threat while also confronting the terrifying reality that a mole may be hiding among them.
Starring Juan Diego Botto, Tristán Ulloa, Clara Segura, and Elisabet Casanovas, the first season consist of six episodes, offering a bold, emotionally charged exploration of the spy genre. With its tense atmosphere and nuanced performances, The Center positions itself as one of the most provocative espionage series of the year. The series made its debut on October 9.
Banijay Rights
Maigret
Chief Inspector Jules Maigret, created by former crime reporter turned bestselling author Georges Simenon, inhabits a vividly realized Paris rarely seen on screen. From the glitzy world of luxury hotels and private mansions to the smoky bistros of the bourgeoisie and the underground haunts of professional criminals, this adaptation explores the city in all its contrasts.
The series reframes Maigret as an unconventional young detective with something to prove, a rising star in the Police Judiciaire. Relentless in his investigations, Maigret demonstrates an uncanny ability to get under the skin of criminals while displaying matchless knowledge of Paris and its people. Lovingly devoted to his wife, Madame Maigret, he also leads La Crim, the elite police unit tasked with solving the city’s most serious crimes.
Wallander
In this bold new Swedish-language adaptation, Kurt Wallander is portrayed at his most vulnerable. Newly separated after two decades of marriage and estranged from his daughter, he is a man on the edge. He is drinking too much, sleeping too little, and weighed down by every unsolved case. This raw and contemporary retelling explores Wallander’s personal unraveling alongside highstakes investigations, offering viewers the most intimate look yet at one of crime fiction’s most complex characters. The first season draws on three of Henning Mankell’s most celebrated novels: One Step Behind, Sidetracked, and Faceless Killers. Directed by Molly Hartleb (Riding in Darkness, Top Dog) alongside Pella Kågerman & Hugo Lilja (Egghead Republic), the scripts are written by Antonia Pyk, Josefin Johansson, and Jörgen Bergmark.
Disenchanted
Set in the French coastal town of Bouville-surMer, this drama begins with the mysterious disappearance of 15-year-old Sarah Leroy, a case that shocked the nation. Although a suspect was quickly arrested, unanswered questions and rumors continued to haunt the story. Two decades later, journalist Fanny returns to confront the tragedy that shaped her youth. As she digs deeper, she uncovers buried memories and connections linking Sarah’s fate to her own past, her sister Angélique, and a circle of friends once known as “les Désenchantées.”
Federation International
Reckless
When high-powered lawyer June and her hapless brother Charlie accidentally kill an old man in a hit-and-run, they make a split-second decision to cover it up. But their lives spiral as the victim’s niece begins investigating and a nosy neighbor refuses to stay silent. As guilt festers and suspicion mounts, old wounds resurface and the siblings’ bond reaches a breaking point.
June becomes trapped in her own web of lies as she struggles to protect what’s left of her former life, while Charlie finds himself torn between family loyalty and a dangerous new romance. With the truth threatening to explode at every turn, the siblings must face just how far they’re willing to go to get away with murder, and whether they can survive each other in the process.
Skin Deep
Plastic surgeon Mathieu Belmont is found murdered in his clinic’s parking lot, a case that strikes painfully close to home for Captain Santoni, as Belmont was the person who reconstructed her face after a brutal assault. Suspicion quickly falls on Jessica, an wannabe influencer disfigured during one of Belmont’s operations, and the case attracts intense media coverage.
Investigative journalist Gabrielle Pasquier seizes the story, plunging into the fascinating yet controversial world of ‘fake beauty’, where image is everything and truth is anything but skin-deep. Skin Deep explores the collision of beauty, identity, and crime in a gripping, character-driven thriller.
Sherlock & Daughter
In this imaginative new take on the classic detective, we meet an aging, grumpy Sherlock Holmes who finds himself mysteriously unable to investigate a sinister case without risking those closest to him. Enter Amelia, a witty young American who claims to be his daughter.
After her mother’s shocking murder, Amelia uncovers clues that suggest her missing father is none other than the legendary detective. Despite their wildly different backgrounds, Holmes and Amelia must work together to solve her mother’s murder, unravel a global conspiracy, and confront the truth of Amelia’s own origins. Instinct and experience collide in this lively, inventive reimagining of Holmes for a new generation.
ITV Studios
Frauds
Set against the sweeping hills of southern Spain, Frauds stars BAFTA winner Suranne Jones as a terminally ill conwoman recently released from prison, alongside RTS Award winner Jodie Whittaker as her loyal best friend. Together, they set out to pull off one final highstakes art theft.
Blending survival, deception, and revenge, the series dives into the dark criminal underworld lurking beneath the Costa del Sol’s glossy surface. With biting humor, complex characters, and unexpected twists, Frauds keeps audiences guessing until its final moments.
Cold Water
Andrew Lincoln makes his long-awaited return to British drama in this chilling psychological thriller. Lincoln plays John, a middle-aged stayat-home father whose quiet desperation boils over after he fails to intervene in a violent playground assault. Hoping for a fresh start, John moves his family to the seemingly idyllic village of Coldwater.
There he befriends Tommy (Ewen Bremner), a charismatic neighbor who soon reveals far darker secrets. As John’s long-repressed rage surfaces, he finds himself dangerously indebted to Tommy. From award-winning production company SISTER (Chernobyl, This is Going to Hurt), Cold Water explores masculinity, repression, and the terrifying fragility of ordinary lives.
A Taste for Murder
Adapted from Matt Baker’s novel of the same name, this drama transports audiences to the sun-soaked landscapes of Italy. Following his wife’s death, London detective Joe Mottram (Warren Brown) visits his in-laws’ family taverna on a remote island, hoping to heal with his young daughter. But when a body washes ashore and a relative is accused of murder, Joe is pulled back into police work. Partnering with Inspector Lara Sarrancino, Joe unravels a chain of deaths tied to family feuds, forbidden love, and organized crime. Starring Warren Brown, Phyllis Logan, and Beau Gadsdon, A Taste for Murder is created by Matt Baker, directed by Jon Jones and co-produced by ITV Studios through Eagle Eye Drama and BritBox.
ZDF Studios
The Puzzle Lady
In the quaint market town of Bakerbury, the discovery of a body with a crossword puzzle clue left behind sets the police scrambling. Enter Cora Felton, known nationwide as “The Puzzle Lady” thanks to her popular crossword column and biscuit brand. But behind the façade of a gentle older woman lies something entirely different: Cora is a chain-smoking, sharp-tongued fraud, with her brilliant niece Sherry secretly creating the puzzles that made her famous. Despite her lack of expertise, Cora’s curiosity and irreverent streak lead her into the heart of the murder investigation, much to the dismay of Detective Chief Inspector Hooper. Though he initially resents her interference, Hooper soon realizes that Cora’s unconventional approach may be exactly what his small, overstretched police force needs. What begins as one puzzling case reveals something darker about Bakerbury, as Cora discovers she has a knack not just for crosswords, but for solving murders
The Lady Grace Mysteries
Set in the dazzling court of Elizabeth I, The Lady Grace Mysteries introduces viewers to Lady Grace Cavendish, the world’s first teenage girl spy. Orphaned but fearless, Grace has spent her youth dodging palace guards, resisting the confines of life as a lady-in-waiting, and sharpening her wits. When her godmother, the Queen herself, enlists her as an undercover agent, Grace is plunged into a world of high-stakes intrigue, assassination attempts, and ruthless betrayal.
Alongside her loyal friends Ellie and Masou, and the enigmatic Lord Osborne, Grace uncovers plots involving stolen crowns, vanished falcons, and even the ghost of Henry VIII. The series reimagines Tudor history as a fast-paced, lavishly produced adventure-visually spectacular yet modern in tone-offering a bold, youthful twist on one of history’s most treacherous courts.
The Markovič Method
This gripping six-part miniseries explores the chilling career of Jiří Markovič, one of Czechoslovakia’s most legendary detectives, as he relentlessly hunts sadistic criminals during the bleak “normalisation” era of the 1980s. The drama centers on Markovič’s pursuit and eventual capture of Ladislav Hojer, a notorious sexual predator and murderer whose reign of terror cast a shadow over Prague.
The series doesn’t just recount one case, but threads together closed files from across Markovič’s career, showing how his unorthodox methods and fierce determination forged his reputation. Against a backdrop of drab streets, empty shops, and authoritarian conformity, The Markovič Method presents not just a portrait of a terrifying killer, but of the detective whose name became synonymous with justice in a hostile era.
Cineflix Rights
Hildur
Based on Satu Rämö’s bestselling trilogy, Hildur is a haunting Nordic crime drama set in Iceland’s remote Westfjords. As a child, police officer Hildur Rúnarsdóttir suffered the devastating loss of her two younger sisters, who vanished on their way home from school. More than twenty years later, she returns to her hometown of Ísafjörður, a picturesque village surrounded by icy seas and towering mountains, only to be drawn into a brutal new murder case.
Partnered with Jakob, an ambitious Finnish trainee, and Florian, a well-meaning but inexperienced German recruit, Hildur follows a trail of disturbing clues that not only lead toward a calculating serial killer but also force her to confront the secrets of her own past. Atmospheric and deeply emotional, Hildur combines breathtaking Icelandic landscapes with the darkness of human tragedy, offering a story where personal grief collides with the hunt for justice.
On Trial: The Idaho College Killer
One of the most shocking true crime cases in modern America is laid bare in On Trial: The Idaho College Killer. When four university students were savagely murdered in their off-campus home in November 2022, the crime captured global attention. The manhunt eventually led to an unexpected suspect: Bryan Kohberger, a criminology PhD student with no apparent ties to the victims.
This documentary traces the entire story, weaving together never-before-seen bodycam footage, interviews with those closest to the victims, and courtroom revelations. It highlights not only the brutality of the crime but also the way it became an international media obsession. With Kohberger’s confession denying the families their full trial, the film asks the haunting question: why did he do it?
StudioCanal
A Prophet
This ambitious reimagining of Jacques Audiard’s BAFTA-winning and Academy Award–nominated film brings to television a raw, highstakes portrait of survival inside a brutal French prison. The series follows Malik, a young African immigrant sentenced for drug smuggling, who quickly realizes that he must navigate a violent hierarchy in order to survive.
Taken under the wing of Massoud, a powerful and manipulative inmate, Malik begins as a pawn in someone else’s game. But as he learns the rules of survival, he also learns how to play them, transforming himself from victim into power broker. Gritty, visceral, and unflinching, A Prophet is both a harrowing crime saga and a reflection on how modern societies treat their most vulnerable members.
This is Not a Murder Mystery
Brimming with surreal energy, This is Not a Murder Mystery offers a dazzling blend of art history and crime drama. It’s 1936, and a young René Magritte finds himself invited to a private art exhibition at an English estate, alongside Salvador Dalí, Lee Miller, Man Ray, and Max Ernst. But when Magritte wakes after a raucous night to find a young woman dead beside him, with no memory of the events leading up to her death, he is thrust into a nightmare of suspicion and danger.
As Scotland Yard arrives to investigate and more bodies fall, Magritte must clear his name while navigating a hall of mirrors where nothing is what it seems. This inventive thriller mixes historical figures with murder mystery conventions, offering a stylish, genre-bending take on the golden age of surrealism.
The Black Forest Murders
Set in a picturesque village near Germany’s fabled Black Forest, this dark drama begins with the shocking daylight assault and murder of a young jogger. Investigator Barbara Kramer leads a special commission tasked with solving the crime, but every lead seems to dissolve, every theory collapses, and public pressure intensifies as more women fall victim to a suspected serial killer.
The series follows Kramer and her team as they confront exhaustion, dead ends, and their own personal demons in the face of relentless violence. With its chilling atmosphere and painstakingly realistic police work, The Black Forest Murders captures both the terror of a community under siege and the toll such cases take on those sworn to deliver justice.
Sphere Abacus
Pierre
David Harewood (Sherwood, Homeland) stars as Pierre, a charismatic yet overextended duty solicitor in West London, balancing precarious finances, personal struggles, and a fragile sense of control. When one of his young Black clients dies under suspicious circumstances, Pierre begins challenging the police’s narrative-only to uncover a web of institutional corruption. As he risks his career, family, and reputation to pursue justice, Pierre is drawn ever deeper into a fight against a system designed to silence him. Co-written by BAFTA-winning Roy Williams OBE (Soon Gone: The Windrush Chronicles) and BAFTA-nominated John Donnelly (Summerwater), and directed by Sarmad Masud (You Don’t Know Me), Pierre is a gripping, socially charged legal drama that marries sharp courtroom tension with urgent political resonance.
Hunting Alice Bell
Fran Da Silva’s life collapses when an online mob accuses her of being Alice Bell, the former nurse and lover of a notorious anesthetist serial killer. As her world implodes, she discovers she’s not the only woman targeted this way. A group of women band together to clear their names-but what if one of them really is Alice Bell, hiding in plain sight? Hunting Alice Bell is a tense psychological thriller that explores misogyny, mob justice, and the devastating power of rumor in the digital age. Packed with cliffhangers and built around a central whodunnit, the series asks not only “Who is Alice Bell?” but also how far society will go to vilify women, guilty or not.
The Game
The Game follows Huw Miller (Jason Watkins, Coma, W1A) a retired detective haunted by the one case he never solved: a sadistic stalker who taunted and killed his victims, then vanished. When new neighbor Patrick Harbottle (Robson Green, Grantchester) moves in and casually uses the stalker’s old taunt “catch you later” Huw becomes convinced he has finally found his man.
What follows is a high stakes psychological chess match that threatens to destroy Huw’s already fragile world. As he risks everything to unearth the truth, the question looms: is Patrick truly the stalker, or has Huw’s obsession driven him past the point of reason? The Game is an intense, character-driven thriller that explores guilt, paranoia, and the fine line between justice and obsession.
Boat Rocker Studios
The Ridge
When Mia (Lauren Lyle) travels from Scotland to a remote New Zealand village for her sister’s wedding, only to find her sister dead. Struggling with grief and convinced the death wasn’t an accident, Mia begins pulling at threads that reveal a tangle of lies, betrayals, and buried secrets within the isolated mountain community.
Her investigation is complicated by an inquiry into her own professional misconduct back in Scotland and by a fraught attraction to Ewan (Jay Ryan), her late sister’s fiancé. Taut and atmospheric, The Ridge blends personal tragedy with a gripping whodunnit, set against the stark beauty and menace of New Zealand’s landscape. The series will make its premiere on 21 October.
Last Second
This tense thriller delves into the little-seen world of bomb disposal units. When a string of sophisticated bombs terrorizes a city, police sergeant Véronique, an expert explosives technician, finds herself personally and professionally shattered after one blast leaves her gravely injured and kills her partner.
Determined to stop the mysterious bomb maker known as “Matryoshka,” Véronique must rally her team while grappling with trauma, grief, and the high-wire dangers of her profession. Blending psychological intensity with procedural detail, Last Second immerses viewers in a high-stakes battle of wits between a relentless killer and those who risk their lives daily to protect others.
Mediterráneo – Mediaset
Vanished
A night of partying in the mountains ends in mystery when Jon, a young man, disappears without a trace, leaving behind only a viral social media video posted hours before. Was it a cruel prank, or has something far darker happened? His friends are devastated, though each harbors private resentments that could hint at hidden motives.
Led by the determined mother of one of the girls in Jon’s circle, the local police dig deeper into the case, uncovering layer upon layer of secrets. Vanished is a tense, character-driven thriller that taps into the anxieties of youth, friendship, and betrayal, capturing the uneasy intersection between digital fame and real-life consequences. The series is created by Xabi Zabaleta and Marta Grau and stars Gorka Otxoa, Itziar Atienza, Jon Lukas, Ane Rot, and Leire Martínez.
Detective Romi
Romi is a thirty-year-old private investigator with an extraordinary gift: born deaf, she has developed an unmatched acuity for reading lips, decoding micro-gestures, and connecting dots that others overlook. Her unorthodox methods often put her at odds with Bilbao’s head of criminal investigation-who also happens to be her mother, Alaia.
When Romi begins working on a case that stirs up the “accident” that killed her father and left her deaf, she must confront the possibility that the tragedy was no accident at all. With family loyalty clashing against hard truths, Detective Romi offers a fresh take on the crime drama, blending procedural intrigue with an intimate story of resilience, identity, and buried secrets.
Onza Distribution
Flowers Over the Inferno
Based on Ilaria Tuti’s internationally bestselling saga, this Italian thriller introduces Teresa Battaglia, a seasoned criminologist leading a team in the Friulian Alps while privately battling Alzheimer’s. When a string of murders intertwines with a mysterious long-lost painting, The Sleeping Nymph, created with human blood, Teresa must confront not only dangerous criminals but her own fading memory. In the new season, the investigation intensifies after the suspicious death of a young police officer probing her father’s past. Balancing haunting atmosphere with psychological depth, Flowers Over the Inferno offers both a chilling procedural and an intimate portrait of resilience in the face of decline.
Neuer
Set in Bratislava, Neuer chronicles the daily battles of a regional homicide unit facing violent crimes that push them to their physical and psychological limits. Each episode is inspired by a real homicide case, weaving in adaptations of bestsellers rooted in true crime. As officers confront the darkness on the streets, they also grapple with the corrosive effects of violence on their personal lives.
Based on Václav Neuer’s best-selling novels, the series combines gritty realism and moral complexity, capturing both the relentless fight against crime and the hidden toll it exacts on those tasked with confronting it.
ALL3 Media International
Ellis
In this crime drama, Sharon D. Clarke stars as DCI Ellis, a tenacious detective called in to salvage failing investigations. Each feature-length episode sees Ellis and her trusted DS Harper (Andrew Gower, The Winter King) arrive at a new police station, facing skepticism from local officers as they attempt to untangle seemingly unsolvable cases.
As a Black woman in a male-dominated field, Ellis often finds herself dismissed or overlooked, yet her instinct and compassion make her a formidable investigator. Ellis combines gripping mysteries with a strong character study, offering viewers a detective series that’s both classic in form and contemporary in voice.
Fremantle
Hotel Costiera
Set against the sun-drenched beauty of the Amalfi Coast, Hotel Costiera blends glamour, danger, and intrigue in equal measure. Daniel de Luca, a former U.S. Marine forced to leave his career in intelligence, retreats to the Italian coast, the only place he’s ever felt at home. Living rent-free at a luxury hotel, Daniel repays his host by solving problems for elite guests, from mysterious disappearances to urgent crises.
But Daniel’s true mission is far more personal: to uncover the truth about Alice, the hotelier’s missing daughter. As he searches, he finds himself entangled in a web of deceit, simmering family secrets, and crimes hidden behind the idyllic façade of one of Europe’s most glamorous destinations. Directed by Emmy award winner Adam Bernstein (Breaking Bad, Fargo, Orange Is the New Black), Hotel Costiera stars Jesse Williams and Jordan Alexandra.
Viaplay Content Distribution
Dead Man Running
This gripping documentary unravels the astonishing story of Kim Avis, an eccentric street performer from Inverness who became one of Scotland’s most wanted fugitives. In 2019, Avis was presumed drowned after vanishing from California’s infamous “Mortuary Beach.” But the truth was darker: he had staged his own death to escape prosecution for horrific sexual abuse crimes in Scotland.
Spanning continents and decades, Dead Man Running follows the international manhunt and the survivors whose courage brought him to justice. Written by investigative journalist Myles Bonnar and produced by Calum McKay for BBC Scotland, the film weaves together exclusive interviews, survivor testimony, and never-before-seen evidence. Executive produced by Shelley Jofre, known for Trumped and Matched with a Predator, this documentary is both a chilling crime story and a powerful testament to resilience.
