6 Shows to watch if you liked You

You reinvented the psychological thriller genre by merging romantic fixation with gruesome violence, all through the distorted eye of Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley), a self-rationalizing murderer who justifies stalking and homicide as acts of passion.

The show deconstructs toxic masculinity, erotomania, and societal systems that enable predators, regularly reflecting actual conversations regarding power plays.

If you were attracted to You's examination of manipulation, moral complexity, and the mind of a charismatic antihero, these six shows have similar tension, character work, and narrative surprise.

Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. Readers’ discretion is advised.

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Six shows to watch if you liked You that explore themes of obsession, manipulation, and psychological thrills

1) The Fall

The Fall (2013–2016) mirrors You’s cat-and-mouse dynamic but flips the perspective: Gillian Anderson stars as Detective Stella Gibson, who pursues serial killer Paul Spector (Jamie Dornan), a family man leading a double life.

Like Joe, Spector meticulously controls his victims and environment, but the show emphasizes law enforcement’s psychological warfare against a predator. The series critiques how society underestimates violent men hiding in plain sight, paralleling You’s commentary on privilege and invisibility.

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2) Dirty John

Dirty John (2018–2020) is based on real events, delving into gaslighting and manipulation through con artist, John Meehan (Eric Bana), who takes over Debra Newell's (Connie Britton) life.

How the show depicts a predator using charm and vulnerability is reminiscent of Joe using his victims' insecurities against them. Both shows show how institutional naivety about romance, gender roles, and trust allows the abusers to get away with their actions until too late.

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3) Mindhunter

While Mindhunter (2017–2019) focuses on FBI profilers interviewing serial killers, its dissection of criminal psychology aligns with You’s examination of Joe’s self-mythologizing.

Interviews with killers like Edmund Kemper highlight how childhood trauma and societal neglect foster violent behavior, mirroring Joe’s backstory (abusive foster father, institutional failures). Both shows question whether understanding a killer’s motives risks humanizing a tension central to You’s critique of audience complicity.

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4) Bates Motel

Bates Motel (2013–2017) modernizes Psycho by chronicling Norman Bates’s descent into madness, guided by his codependent relationship with his mother.

Like Joe, Norman constructs elaborate narratives to justify his actions, blending horror and tragedy. The show’s exploration of inherited trauma and fractured identity resonates with You’s themes of self-deception and the cyclical nature of abuse.

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5) Dexter

Dexter (2006–2013) follows Dexter Morgan, a vigilante serial killer who targets criminals. While Dexter’s “code” (kill only the guilty) seems nobler than Joe’s selfish motives, both protagonists rely on internal monologues to rationalize violence.

Dexter’s early seasons excel in balancing dark humor with tension, much like You’s tonal shifts between romance and horror. However, Dexter’s later seasons-like You’s extended run-grapple with maintaining narrative stakes as their antiheroes evade consequences.

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6) Behind Her Eyes

Behind Her Eyes (2021) revolves around Louise, a single mother caught up in a couple's secrets that lead to a supernatural twist. The show's emphasis on manipulation and secret identities resonates with You's serendipitous plotting, specifically its application of unreliable narrators.

Both series play with the audience's expectations, making it necessary for the audience to wonder about every character's intentions.

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Why do these shows resonate with fans of You?

Each of these series deconstructs obsession psychology, either through true-crime realism (Dirty John), procedural breakdown (Mindhunter), or supernatural metaphor (Behind Her Eyes).

Similar to You, they force viewers to ask difficult questions: Can we distinguish a murderer's charm from his atrocities? Do social systems unknowingly shield predators? Focusing on imperfect, multifaceted protagonists, these series eschew easy answers-just like Joe Goldberg's creepy, open-ended legacy.

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This version grounds recommendations in You’s specific themes like societal complicity, narrative unreliability, while maintaining an analytical tone. Each entry highlights direct parallels, avoiding subjective praise in favor of structural or thematic comparisons.