Mindhunter Meets Prisoners In Apple TV's Gritty Crime Drama Releasing Next Week

Published Oct 22, 2026, 9:30 PM EDT

Faith Roswell is a Senior Writer on Screen Rant's Classic TV team. Since earning her degree in Creative Writing over a decade ago, Faith has written articles on film and TV from a variety of different angles. Faith now combines her knowledge of psychology with her love of monster movies to give more insight into what makes the best ones. 

You may have read her Screen Rant lists and features covering horror, sci-fi, and fantasy, or read her Amazon Top 10 book, "Movie Monsters of the Deep."

Faith has had an extensive career as a writer, appearing on BBC live radio, researching true crime for Rotten Mango podcast, and writing for publications including Mental Floss, Atlas Obscura, and The Daily Jaws before beginning here at Screen Rant. 

Since Mindhunter’s early cancelation, there has been a gap open for a dark and disturbing TV show with the potential to become a long-running series. Several TV shows have tried to be the next Mindhunter, but striking the right balance between cinematic and gritty is not an easy task. That said, some have come close, and the trailer for Apple TV’s upcoming crime drama looks promising while not being a direct copy. Based on a book series by an unusual writing duo, the ten-episode series combines Mindhunter's sense of dread with the emotional intensity of Denis Villeneuve's movie, Prisoners.

Lars Kepler is the pen name used by the Swedish husband and wife duo responsible for the bestselling Joona Linna book series, which has sold 15 million copies in 40 languages to date. This has already set up Nocturne, the TV series based on their books The Sandman and Lazarus, to be an exciting must-watch Nordic noir show. The story follows detective Jonah Lynn as he searches for a missing victim of the incarcerated serial killer Jurek Walter, while his protégée, Saga Bauer, goes undercover in the cell next to Walter.

Nocturne Has A Lot In Common With Mindhunter & Denis Villeneuve's Prisoners

When looking at a TV show involving a serial killer being questioned in prison, a common comparison is The Silence of the Lambs, but the iconic movie is partly based on the real memoirs of John Douglas, which were fictionalized and adapted for TV as Mindhunter. Nocturne's trailer has shown some intense scenes involving Walter and other characters, with the killer often appearing to have the upper hand, and this tension could make Apple TV's series the perfect Mindhunter replacement, with most episodes of the show being characterized by almost-unbearable tension and an uncomfortable deep dive into criminal psychology.

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That said, Mindhunter was a slow-burn, and Nocturne looks to be faster paced, sharing DNA with the movie Prisoners, which is also about a man desperately searching for the truth. When Keller Dover's daughter and her friend go missing, he takes matters into his own hands after the only suspect is released. Similarly, Nocturne's Detective Lynn tries to protect his family by any means necessary as he finds himself in a cat and mouse game with Walter. Rather than being a simple police procedural, Nocturne looks much more psychologically unnerving, exploring the relationships between detectives and the killers they hunt.

This is the core theme of Mindhunter, but while the central characters were developing criminal psychology as a concept, both Prisoners and Nocturne use some of the lessons they learned. Walter is intelligent, sadistic, and appears just as practiced in psychology as the detectives interrogating him, which might not be the most unique concept for a serial killer, but Walter's horrifying backstory adds another dimension to the character that the TV show is almost certain to explore. The presence of some crime TV powerhouses in the main roles makes Nocturne even more intriguing.

Nocturne's Cast Is Reason Enough To Watch

Nocturne has a stacked cast, with established veteran and up-and-coming actors in virtually every role. Stephen Graham's best movie and TV shows have already included plenty of gritty crime dramas like This Is England and Time, but his multi-award-winning performance in Adolescence took the actor to another level. Especially skilled at intense and self-contained roles with the occasional burst of emotion, Graham will play the menacing Jurek Walter. It takes an actor with powerful screen presence to match Graham, and Liev Schreiber is perfectly cast as Detective Jonah Lynn.

Schreiber is arguably best known as Ray Donovan, the Los Angeles fixer with a troubled past, and he has made his career playing similar characters. With Detective Lynn needing to outwardly be in control, while terrified for the safety of people he loves and deeply disturbed by Walter's mind games, this is exactly the kind of character that will give Schreiber a lot to work with. Rounding out the main trio is Zazie Beetz, who has already demonstrated considerable range, and playing Saga Bauer will allow her to highlight more.

Nocturne premieres on Apple TV+ on October 30, 2026.

Having already starred as Van in Atlanta, a role which earned her an Emmy nomination, as well as high-action productions like Deadpool 2 and more subtle movies like Joker, Beetz is already both recognizable and compelling, and with Bauer going undercover, she will likely need to play several versions of the same character. Nocturne will also feature Bill Camp (The Queen's Gambit,) Chrissy Metz (This Is Us,) and Poorna Jagannathan (Deli Boys,) making next week an exciting time for fans of gritty crime dramas.

Nocturne

Cast

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  Liev Schreiber

  Jonah Lynn

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  Zazie Beetz

  FBI Agent Saga Bauer

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  Jurek Walter

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  Landon Valentin

  Michael Frost