6 Binge-Ready Thrillers Even Better Than Netflix’s ‘Clickbait’
In 2021, Clickbait skyrocketed in popularity in both Australia and abroad on Netflix.
The eight-part series revolved around Nick, a father-of-two who is abducted then forced to film himself admitting to abusing and killing a woman. The video is uploaded and once it cracks five million views, the video’s creator warns that Nick will be killed.
While there’s no denying that Clickbait was addictive viewing, it’s also just… not great. The acting is inconsistent, the characters are annoying (cough, Pia, cough), the story is farfetched and often ridiculous, and that baffling ending is rife with plot holes.
That being said, I still binged the whole thing in two days. If you’re looking for your next thriller fix, then look no further that these TV shows to stream.
Here are six thrillers to binge that are similar to (but better than) Netflix’s Clickbait:
1. Cruel Summer
Amazon Prime
This teen series is as dark as it is twisted and you must binge immediately. Told from the perspectives of two teenage girls over three summers in the 1990s, the 10-episode show follows the events leading up to and in the aftermath of a girl going missing after being abducted. The missing girl in question is Kate, who started out as the most popular girl in her small Texas town, but after the abduction misfit Jeanette slithered in to steal her social status, her friend group, and her boyfriend.
Intrigued? Between the ’90s nostalgia and creepy vibes, this show just keeps getting better.
2. Behind Her Eyes
Netflix
Single mum, Louise, begins an affair with her boss, David, while starting up an unlikely friendship with his wife, Adele. Things get (even more) complicated when Louise learns about Adele’s dark past involving a missing friend named Rob. That’s all I’m going to say about that! If you’re not familiar with this show, I’d recommend not Googling it before watching to avoid spoilers — as this series features nonstop twists and turns.
3. Vigil
Binge
This new BBC series is already getting rave reviews. Set partly under the sea in a submarine, the show examines the mysterious disappearance of a Scottish fishing trawler while onboard submarine, HMS Vigil. The Royal Navy and British security services get involved, there’s a detective battling her own demons, and the panicked submarine scenes will be enough to make you never want to leave land again.
4. The Society
Netflix
I blame COVID for many things and among these things is robbing us of another season of The Society. While Season 2 was initially commissioned by Netflix, it was later cancelled as part of a slate of shows discontinued due to what the streaming platform described as coronavirus-related logistical issues.
This sucks as the 10-episode series was excellent, taking place in the days after a group of teenagers discovered that all the adults in town had disappeared. In their place was a dense forest that now surrounded the town and it appeared that the outside world no longer existed. The high schoolers had to learn how to coexist and develop rules to survive as a new society. It doesn’t go well!
5. Eden
Stan
A thriller with an Australian twist, Eden relays the devastating chain of events that followed the disappearance of a young woman. The series is centred around Scout, a 20-year-old who returns home after a year of studying abroad and upon reuniting with her best friend, Hedwig, she find that her former bestie has not only changed in the time she went away — she then goes missing. Set in an idyllic coastal town in NSW’s Northern Rivers, the show reveals that paradise sometimes hides a dark underbelly.
6. Tell Me Your Secrets
Amazon Prime
Tell Me Your Secrets revolves around a trio of characters, all with troubling pasts and harbouring… you guessed it… secrets. Firstly there’s Emma, the ex-girlfriend of a serial killer, who enters witness protection after being released from prison. Then there’s John, a former serial predator seeking redemption, and finally Mary is a grieving mother searching for her missing daughter. Set in the swamplands of Louisiana, the 10-episode series sees all three characters’ stories intertwine — as questions are posed around who really is the victim and who is the perpetrator.
Happy bingeing! (Lock all your doors!)
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This article has been updated since it was originally published.