If you loved The Diplomat Season 3, you’re in good company. This political thriller is dominating Netflix, becoming the most-watched show on the platform, and it’s already been renewed for a fourth season with Keri Russell back in the lead.
It seems Netflix has found a winning formula: political thrillers are increasingly taking center stage, with a growing lineup of films and shows exploring the high-stakes worlds of politics, espionage, intelligence, and diplomacy. That’s why we’ve gathered our top 10 political thriller shows on Netflix into a complete list to help you decide what to watch next.
With many eagerly awaiting the third season of the show starring Keri Russell, here are the current top 10 political thriller TV shows on Netflix. For each, you’ll find the trailer and a brief synopsis.
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Hostage
A miniseries that explores power and its limits. In the heart of London, the British Prime Minister welcomes the French President for a high-stakes summit between two women and political leaders. But when her husband is kidnapped and a ransom threatens the ally across the Channel, the delicate diplomatic balance begins to crumble. Both leaders must confront a harrowing choice between the public good and the safety of their loved ones. Forced to collaborate in a spiral of suspicion and compromise, the two political figures face an invisible threat that shakes the very foundations of power. Intrigue, media pressure, and personal secrets intertwine in a struggle for the truth that is also a fight for survival.
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Anatomy of a Scandal
This political thriller centers on a sexual assault. James Whitehouse, the Home Secretary in the Tory government led by Prime Minister Tom Southern, has long been close friends with the PM—they’ve known each other since their Oxford days and belong to an elite group called “Libertine,” originally a university fraternity. But James’s world, and the life he and his wife have built in British society, begins to unravel when he is accused of rape. James admits to the extramarital affair but insists it was consensual. Kate Woodcroft is the judge prosecuting him. Is James guilty or innocent? Watch the story for an unexpected twist.
Black Doves
The story of Black Doves follows Helen Webb (Keira Knightley), a devoted wife and mother who is also a professional spy. For a decade, she has been passing secrets from her politician husband to the shadowy organization she works for—the Black Doves. When her secret lover Jason (Andrew Koji) is murdered, her spy chief, the enigmatic Reed (Sarah Lancashire, Happy Valley), assigns Sam (Ben Whishaw, A Very English Scandal), an old friend of Helen’s, to protect her.
Together, Helen and Sam embark on a mission to uncover who killed Jason and why, revealing a vast conspiracy that links London’s underworld to an impending geopolitical crisis. Their unlikely partnership—spy and assassin—promises twists, tension, and plenty of surprises. Following the success of the first season, a second season has already been confirmed.
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The Recruit
Owen Hendricks (Noah Centineo) is a full-fledged recruit. After completing initial training, he joins the CIA and earns a position as a lawyer. As a rookie, he’s stuck in a dusty office sorting threatening letters from deranged individuals and former spies. Two teasing colleagues and a director who doesn’t seem to believe in him make the situation even harder. Everything changes when Owen stumbles upon an unusually detailed threat letter from a former informant, Max Meladze. He begins to suspect the letter is genuine and that the woman truly intends to reveal CIA secrets unless she’s cleared of a murder she insists she didn’t commit.
Through investigations and global travels, with help from those around him, Owen works to prevent a scandal and protect Max. In the second season, he’s drawn into another dangerous mission in South Korea, only to realize that the greatest threat may come from within the Agency itself. Unfortunately, despite strong reviews, the series has been officially canceled, much to the outrage of fans.
The Whirlwind
This K-Drama follows a political struggle within the South Korean government where Prime Minister Park Dong Ho, played by Sol Kyung-gu, attempts to end the corruption of the president who’s in collusion with the chaebol, the powerful families controlling the country’s economy. However, the mission is obstructed by the Vice Minister Jung Soo-jin, portrayed by Kim Hee-ae, sparking a fierce power struggle triggered by the president’s death, killed by the prime minister himself.
In the teaser released by Netflix on Instagram, the president lies motionless on the ground next to shattered glass, and Park Dong Ho confesses, “I killed the president,” intriguing viewers about the events to come. The two protagonists will face personal challenges and confront their past. The city’s security, power, and corruption are three intertwined threads throughout the political events. The series is made even more gripping by visually impactful action scenes supported by a substantial budget and a dark, dramatic soundtrack by Lee Byung-hoon that accompanies the story’s intensity.
Borgen – Power and Glory
Foreign Minister Birgitte Nyborg’s career is at risk when a dispute over oil in Greenland threatens to become an international crisis. The Danish series demonstrates how power can stem from manipulation, lies, hypocrisy, and dishonesty even within the northern European democratic-corporate model.
Power can even take hold of a woman, where it’s often seen as the exclusive domain of men. The protagonist of the four seasons, Birgitte Nyborg, makes her way in Danish politics through her communication skills.
The Mechanism
This series recounts the main scandals of the Brazilian state. The use of voice-over is a clever device that transports viewers directly into the unfolding events. The focus is not only on the protagonists but also on Brazil’s political history. Federal Police agents Marco Ruffo and Verena Cardoni start with simple investigations but soon find themselves caught up in one of the country’s most sensational cases.
Another key character is Roberto Ibrahim, who has long been accustomed to corruption and crime. The series title refers to the mechanism behind government corruption and money laundering.
Bodyguard
Michael Madden plays David Budd, a divorced war veteran still haunted by his experiences in Afghanistan, who finds work as a police sergeant with the London Metropolitan Police Service’s Royalty and Specialist Protection branch. He is assigned as the bodyguard to Home Secretary Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes), an ambitious, conservative politician working on a reform that’s making her many enemies by proposing invasive new surveillance powers for security forces. The thriller explores the ambiguous personalities of its main characters.
Budd increasingly clashes with Montague’s policies and personality while grappling with the physical and psychological scars from his time in Afghanistan. This internal conflict is exploited by the Home Secretary’s political rivals, testing his loyalty.
House of Cards
This list wouldn’t be complete without this masterpiece, Netflix’s first major hit. House of Cards stars Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood, a Democrat elected to the 5th Congressional District of South Carolina and Majority Whip of the House of Representatives. After failing to secure the Secretary of State position, Frank aims for the top of American power, with help from his wife Claire (Robin Wright).
Of course, the race for power allows no compromises and brooks no moral concessions. Intrigue, betrayal, and lies are part of this high-stakes chess game, risking everything to win or lose it all.
