Saagar Kote
‘Reacher’ follows Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson), a former US Army military police major who travels from town to town in the country with no permanent home. His journey in the show’s first season takes a dangerous turn when he arrives in Margrave, Georgia, and is arrested for a murder he did not commit. The victim is later revealed to be his brother, Joe, which convinces Reacher to stay and uncover the truth. He joins forces with police officers Oscar Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin) and Roscoe Conklin (Willa Fitzgerald), and their investigation exposes a conspiracy involving corrupt lawmen, politicians, wealthy businessmen, and illegal financial operations.
As the threat grows, Reacher uses his intimidating height and physicality, investigative skills, combat experience, and strict moral code to destroy the conspiracy’s perpetrators. Subsequent seasons center on Reacher as he faces deadlier threats and works with capable colleagues to save innocent lives at any cost. Created by Nick Santora, the Prime Video action crime series is based on the ‘Jack Reacher’ novel series by Lee Child. These shows on Netflix, similar to ‘Reacher,’ depict combat-ready heroes, life-or-death situations, security threats, sinister villains, thrilling twists, and adrenaline-fueled action sequences.
12. FUBAR (2023-2025)
‘FUBAR‘ is the tale of Luke Brunner (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a veteran CIA agent preparing to leave behind his dangerous career after one final assignment. His plans change when he discovers that his daughter, Emma Brunner (Monica Barbaro), is secretly a CIA operative herself. Because neither is aware of the other’s double life, the revelation forces the estranged father and daughter to work together on a high-stakes mission.
While they deal with threats surrounding the operation, they must also confront years of secrecy and deception that have damaged their relationship. With Nick Santora serving as the creative voice, the action-comedy series, akin to ‘Reacher,’ features exceptionally experienced operatives whose professional abilities become crucial in dangerous situations. The shows place their characters on missions involving deception, while their relationships with others also become important in the journey. You can watch it here.
11. The Recruit (2022-2025)
‘The Recruit‘ revolves around Owen Hendricks (Noah Centineo), a newly hired CIA lawyer whose first days at the agency quickly become far more dangerous than expected. He discovers a threatening letter from former asset Max Meladze (Laura Haddock), who intends to expose her connection to the CIA unless the agency clears her of a serious crime. Owen tries to deal with the situation but is pulled into international power struggles involving dangerous people and complicated political interests.
Forced to take increasingly risky assignments, the inexperienced lawyer finds himself in situations in foreign territories as he attempts to establish himself within the agency. The spy drama series is connected to ‘Reacher’ in the way it places characters in very dangerous investigations. While Owen and Reacher operate very differently, both are drawn into complicated situations where they must confront and expose larger networks of power and deception. The Alexi Hawley creation is streaming on Netflix.
10. S.W.A.T. (2017-2025)
‘S.W.A.T.’ centers on Daniel Harrelson, AKA Hondo (Shemar Moore), a former Marine and lifelong LA resident who takes charge of a specialized LAPD tactical unit. Hondo is caught between his loyalty to the community where he grew up and his responsibility to his fellow officers. His team includes experienced officer David Kay (Jay Harrington), canine trainer Christina Alonso (Lina Esco), driver Dominique Luca (Kenny Johnson), and others.
As the unit handles dangerous situations and protects civilians, Hondo also adjusts to becoming the legal guardian of a teenager. Aaron Rahsaan Thomas and Shawn Ryan’s creative vision guides the action drama series, which is based on the eponymous TV series. ‘S.W.A.T.’ and ‘Reacher’ focus on highly capable figures putting themselves at risk to protect others. The stories also feature individuals with strong personal codes and experience dealing with threats, while investigations pit them against criminals and other elements. You may enjoy it here.
9. In From the Cold (2022)
‘In From the Cold‘ deals with Jenny Franklin (Margarita Levieva), a single mother whose carefully built life is disrupted when her secret past resurfaces during a European trip with her daughter. Jenny is forced to reveal that she was once a highly trained Russian spy with bio-engineered shape-shifting abilities. The CIA then commands her to either use those abilities to stop an enemy with similar capabilities or lose everything she holds dear.
Drawn back into the world she left behind, Jenny must confront a threat connected to her past while trying to keep her daughter safe. The characters in both ‘Reacher’ and ‘In From the Cold’ are caught between their personal and professional lives. Whereas Jenny has built a new life with her daughter and is forced to confront the identity she left behind, Reacher’s past continues to shape the dangers he faces. Created by Adam Glass, the spy thriller series can be accessed on Netflix.
8. Treason (2022)
‘Treason‘ is a Matt Charman creation that follows Adam Lawrence (Charlie Cox), an MI6 operative whose carefully established career and personal life begin to unravel when Kara Yusova (Olga Kurylenko), a Russian spy from his past, suddenly reappears. Her return forces Adam to question the people around him as he becomes caught between Kara and his wife, Maddy Lawrence (Oona Chaplin). As the three attempt to uncover each other’s secrets, Adam faces growing threats to his family and finds it increasingly difficult to know whom he can trust.
At the same time, political and diplomatic complications pull him deeper into Kara’s schemes, making it harder for him to protect both his loved ones and his own interests. ‘Treason’ and ‘Reacher’ both place highly trained protagonists in dangerous situations where uncovering the truth becomes increasingly difficult. Adam must navigate secrets, political complications, and threats to his family, while Reacher is repeatedly drawn into conspiracies involving people who cannot be trusted. The British spy thriller series is available here.
7. Unfamiliar (2026-)
From the creative mind of Paul Coates comes ‘Unfamiliar,’ which centers on former German spies Meret Schäfer (Susanne Wolff) and Simon Schäfer (Felix Kramer), a married couple who now run a safe house in Berlin. Their quiet life is disrupted when Josef Koleev (Samuel Finzi), a dangerous figure from their past, resurfaces and begins hunting them. As their identities are exposed, the couple find themselves pursued by operatives from their own country. Forced to abandon the life they built, Meret and Simon must rely on the deadly skills they once left behind to protect themselves and their family.
As trust disappears and enemies close in from every direction, their struggle for survival begins to put their marriage under equal pressure. Along the lines of ‘Reacher,’ the German action drama series combines action sequences and thrills with twisted character dynamics in secretive worlds. Whereas Meret and Simon fight to protect their marriage and family as their past catches up with them, Reacher’s solitary lifestyle makes him primarily a lone wolf. Enjoy it on Netflix.
6. Black Doves (2024-)
‘Black Doves’ tells the story of Helen Webb (Keira Knightley), a former secret agent who has spent years concealing her past while living as the wife of the UK’s Secretary of State for Defence. Her carefully constructed life collapses when her lover is murdered by people linked to London’s criminal underworld. With assassins now pursuing her, Helen is forced to return to the dangerous world she left behind and investigate who was responsible. She turns to Sam Young (Ben Whishaw), a former colleague and friend whose own secrets complicate their efforts.
As Helen searches for answers, she must protect her life and family while confronting enemies who threaten to expose everything she has hidden. ‘Black Doves’ and ‘Reacher’ both center on main characters with secretive pasts who are forced back into action when unexpected crises bring them into conflict with powerful enemies. Helen and Reacher rely on skills developed during their former lives to uncover the truth, while also coming to terms with who they are as people. Crafted by Joe Barton, the action thriller series is available here.
5. The Blacklist (2013-2023)
‘The Blacklist,’ from creator Jon Bokenkamp, chronicles the experiences of FBI Special Agent Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone), whose career takes an unexpected turn when notorious criminal Raymond Reddington (James Spader) voluntarily surrenders to the FBI. Reddington offers to help authorities track down dangerous criminals and terrorists if he receives immunity and works exclusively with Elizabeth, a rookie profiler on Harold Cooper’s (Harry Lennix) task force.
When Elizabeth and Reddington begin working together, their uneasy partnership becomes a battle of trust, deception, and competing agendas. In the show, Elizabeth must work alongside Reddington despite his criminal history, while the titular character in ‘Reacher’ repeatedly finds himself cooperating with authorities when the system fails to uncover the truth. Both stories use uneasy partnerships to investigate dangerous people and uncover larger criminal operations. The crime thriller series is accessible on Netflix.
4. Fauda (2015-)
In ‘Fauda,’ Doron Kavillio (Lior Raz), a former commander of a specialized Israeli undercover unit, is drawn back into counter-terrorism after learning that Taufiq Hammed (Hisham Sulliman), a Hamas operative he believed was dead, has survived. Doron returns to his former team and sets out to track down the man, turning the mission into a dangerous pursuit with serious personal consequences. While the operation unfolds, the Israeli action thriller series from the minds of Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff looks beyond the hunt itself by showing the lives and motivations of people on both sides of the political and religious conflict.
‘Fauda’ and ‘Reacher’ focus on highly experienced men who are pulled back into dangerous work after trying to leave a life behind. Doron returns to counter-terrorism, while Reacher’s military background repeatedly draws him into conflicts, with both men relying heavily on skills developed in the past. You can watch it here.
3. Bodyguard (2018)
Created by Jed Mercurio, ‘Bodyguard’ chronicles the trials and tribulations of one Sergeant David Budd (Richard Madden), a former soldier who is assigned to protect UK Home Secretary Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes). While struggling with the lasting effects of his military service and difficulties in his personal life, David takes on the demanding responsibility of guarding a powerful political figure. As he grows romantically closer to Julia, his professional duties become increasingly complicated, and he finds himself drawn into a dangerous political conspiracy with serious national security consequences.
‘Bodyguard’ has a strong connection to ‘Reacher’ in its central focus on a former soldier whose military experience becomes essential when he faces a dangerous threat. Both David and Reacher are highly capable men operating under intense pressure, with their professional instincts helping them navigate situations that go beyond the realm of ordinary crime. Stream the British political thriller series on Netflix.
2. Who Is Erin Carter? (2023)
‘Who Is Erin Carter?’ is a British thriller series that revolves around Erin Carter (Evin Ahmad), a British-born teacher living a quiet life in Barcelona with her husband and daughter. Her carefully built existence is thrown into chaos when an armed robbery at a grocery store forces her to reveal exceptional fighting skills while protecting her child. The situation becomes even more alarming when one of the attackers appears to recognize Erin, raising questions about who she really is and what she may have left behind. As her hidden past threatens to destroy the life she has built, Erin finds herself in an unexpected situation, forced to fight to clear her name and keep her family safe.
The main connection between ‘Reacher’ and ‘Who Is Erin Carter?’ comes through their protagonists’ willingness to use their exceptional skills when circumstances demand it. Erin is forced to fight to protect her daughter, while Reacher confronts dangerous people using his formidable abilities. The two shows turn an unexpected act of violence into the beginning of a much larger mystery surrounding the main characters. Access the Jack Lothian creation here.
1. The Night Agent (2023-)
‘The Night Agent’ is the tale of Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso), an FBI agent whose seemingly uneventful assignment inside the White House changes when the emergency phone he monitors finally rings. The call draws him into a situation involving a traitor operating within the highest levels of the government, forcing Peter to move far beyond his usual duties. His search for answers brings him to Rose Larkin (Luciane Buchanan), a former tech CEO and computer expert. Together, they begin piecing together the hidden connections behind the threat while facing escalating danger. While Peter pursues the person responsible, his investigation takes him deeper into the inner workings of the White House, turning a quiet posting into a high-stakes mission where national security hangs in the balance.
With Shawn Ryan serving as the creative voice, the action thriller series is based on Matthew Quirk’s eponymous novel. ‘The Night Agent’ and ‘Reacher’ both turn seemingly small investigations of capable heroes into much larger conspiracies. Peter’s routine assignment leads him toward a mole within the government, while Reacher’s investigations expose wider networks of corruption and crime. The show unfolds here.
Read More: Best Spy Movies on Netflix
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