100 Best Teen Dramas Part 5: Mystery & Small Town Secrets

In these shows, high school is just a backdrop for murder, kidnapping, and anonymous stalkers. If you like your teenage angst served with a side of “who-dunnit,” this is the category for you. Here are 10 of the best teen mystery-thrillers.

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41. Pretty Little Liars (2010–2017)

“Got a secret, can you keep it?” After their friend Alison goes missing, four girls are stalked by a mysterious figure named “A” who knows all their darkest secrets.

• Why it’s a must-watch: It is the definition of “addictive.” The cliffhangers and twists were legendary during its original run.
• Best Character: Spencer Hastings (The brilliant, highly-stressed brain of the group).

42. Riverdale (2017–2023)

A dark, subversive take on Archie Comics. What starts as a murder mystery in a small town slowly evolves into a wild, genre-bending saga involving cults, parallel universes, and superpowers.

• Why it’s a must-watch: It is unapologetically weird. There is truly nothing else like it on television.
• Best Character: Cheryl Blossom (The high-glam, chaos-queen of Riverdale).

43. Cruel Summer (2021–Present)

An anthology series where each season focuses on a different mystery. Season 1 follows two girls in the 90s whose lives are interconnected by a kidnapping and a series of lies.

• Why it’s a must-watch: The non-linear storytelling across three different years (1993, 1994, 1995) is masterfully done.
• Best Character: Jeanette Turner.

44. Panic (2021)

In a small Texas town, graduating seniors compete in a series of dangerous challenges called “Panic” to win a pot of money that will let them escape their hometown.

• Why it’s a must-watch: It has a “Hunger Games” feel but set in the real world. It’s tense and atmospheric.
• Best Character: Heather Nill.

45. One of Us Is Lying (2021–2022)

Based on the hit YA novel, five students go into detention, but only four come out alive. They are all suspects, and they all have secrets worth killing for.

• Why it’s a must-watch: It’s a classic “Breakfast Club” setup but with a lethal twist.
• Best Character: Bronwyn Rojas.

46. Yellowjackets (2021–Present)

While it features an adult timeline, the heart of the show is the “1996” timeline where a high school soccer team survives a plane crash and is stranded in the wilderness for 19 months.

• Why it’s a must-watch: It explores the primitive, brutal side of teenage social dynamics when society is stripped away.
• Best Character: Misty Quigley (Both young and old versions are terrifyingly brilliant).

47. The Society (2019)

A group of teenagers return from a field trip to find their entire town empty—no parents, no children, and no way to leave. They have to form their own government to survive.

• Why it’s a must-watch: It’s a modern-day Lord of the Flies that asks deep questions about power and community.
• Best Character: Allie Pressman.

48. Nancy Drew (2019–2023)

A supernatural-infused take on the classic detective. Nancy is a brilliant young sleuth who gets caught up in a murder mystery that involves the ghosts of her town’s past.

• Why it’s a must-watch: It’s surprisingly scary and features a very tight-knit, lovable group of friends (The Drew Crew).
• Best Character: George Fan.

49. Looking for Alaska (2019)

Based on John Green’s novel, it follows a boy at a boarding school who becomes obsessed with a mysterious girl named Alaska Young and the tragedy that eventually strikes.

• Why it’s a must-watch: It’s a beautiful, melancholic exploration of grief and the “Great Perhaps.”
• Best Character: Alaska Young.

50. 13 Reasons Why (2017–2020)

A controversial series that begins with the suicide of a teenage girl who leaves behind 13 tapes explaining why she did it.

• Why it’s a must-watch: Season 1 is a gripping, albeit difficult, mystery that sparked a global conversation about mental health and bullying.
• Best Character: Hannah Baker.

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Next: Part 6 - Gritty Realism & British Brilliance